Dahlias 2025

Re dahlias @fairygirl - I'd mostly agree as I'm sure both of us have bragging rights to slugs! But somehow Arabian Night has managed left in the ground over a couple of winters, and it DOES fill me with joy when it flowers. David Howard keeps getting killed by them even in a pot (and I love it, so I mourn). However I recently saw Creme de Cassis, and I wonder if it's worth a try. ...
It is absolutely gorgeous with the purple backs to the petals

 

I'm giving up on Dahlias too. Of the three tubers that I planted this year, Waltzing Matilda is the only one that thrived. It is now flowering like mad in a container but I've decided that the constant demand for water and the colour combination, which I once liked, means it won't be back. I like Geranium Rozanne though, particularly the way it scrambles and reflowers quickly after being cut back.

 

@CarolineL I've had Creme de Cassis several times, including last year, but it doesn't last well with me over winter, dry in the cold greenhouse.
I don't find water too much of a problem I've a Dahlia imperialis in a pot and one in the ground the one in the pot needs regular watering in the ground I've never watered it been there for the past 8 years.
Last year I planted D excelsa and this year I planted out D campanulata neither needed watering this summer. D merkii is another one that I want to try in the ground as it can form a large clump.
In the greenhouse I have seed grown D coccinea and just love the bright orange flowers.
This year in pots outside Rocket and Arabian Nights have flowered well, Bishop of Llandaff, David Howard, Mrs Ellen Jenkins and Moonfire could all do better.

 

@NigelJ oh dear. I was thinking I'd try Creme de Cassis and leave outside, but maybe not...

 

@CarolineL Perhaps if you see a tuber of Creme de Cassis for sale next year try and see how it grows and then decide what to do later in the year.

 

I'm here to big up the dahlias!!!

I know it's a bit of a faff digging them up and storing them overwinter AND trying to overcome the slug problem but they're so beautiful and produce so many flowers when the garden is looking a bit jaded in late summer/autumn.

I find that if I keep them in pots until they're quite a decent size and then plant them out the slug damage isn't so bad, it's the tasty young shoots that the slugs love. Also the slugs definitely prefer some dahlias to others, some of mine weren't nibbled at all, whereas my David Howard suffered a bit of damage initially but survived and is flowering it's socks off now.

They keep me in vases full of flowers from August to October. After the initial outlay of the cost of the tubers they go on and on for years and years so give you loads of bang for your buck!!



My dahlia bed is always full of bees, butterflies and birds. The only time I see the wren that I hear in my garden is when it's in my dahlia bed eating the little insects, also blue tits and Robins are always there. A blue tit was perching on a beautiful dahlia the other day but as soon as it saw me with my phone it scarpered!

 

@CatDouch you always seem to have beautiful toning colours! But I really have monster slugs here. And I have little room to keep the tubers (no garage yet, and shed full). Trouble is, they are lovely...

 

Your dahlias have looked very impressive in all your photos @CatDouch, a testament to your dedication and TLC . My sandy soil doesn’t really suit them, even when improved, but I do like them .

 

Thank you for your lovely comments @CarolineL and @Plantminded but I don’t know that I can take that much credit! They must just like where they are as I just water them and feed them once a week and that’s it really!
Over the years I’ve just chosen ones that I like and that tone together when picked for vases in the house.

 

It's the difficulty of overwintering that's the biggest problem for me @CatDouch . I really have to bring them into the house to ensure they survive - it's far too hit and miss with any other methods. I don't have a proper greenhouse either, although the little growhouse I have is quite good once they're coming to life in spring. Then I have to grow them on for a long time undercover before planting out, because normally, it just isn't reliably warm enough for them to get to a good size by the time the weather's suitable for them staying outdoors.
Getting them properly dried off to start with isn't easy either. No chance of them surviving outside in the ground, even in the driest parts and up against the house walls. It's just too wet and cold here over winter.
I managed to keep quite a tough one [Neon Splendour] outside against the shed door, where it's more protected from rain, in it's terracotta pot, with insulation round it, but getting it dry first was difficult. However, I still had to discard rotten bits, and it still isn't flowering. It's very wet and windy here just now, every day, so whether it'll get there is anyone's guess!
I often have to use the 'moat' method to keep slugs away, and even then, the only place that's really viable is in the pond shallows. It's surprising just how far slugs will travel across water. I've used a large round metal tray [about 18inches diameter] which was part of the firepit I had, and they got across that.
We had the driest, hottest spring on record here this year, and the D. Howard managed to fend off slugs quite well, and also grow a bit earlier, but it's still a case of 'hand removal' and checking every day until they're big enough to cope.
I also like Arabian Night @CarolineL. I can usually get it in B&Q in spring, and treat it as an annual

 

Yes that does sound very difficult @fairygirl and I’m not sure I’d bother in your case!

I’m lucky as I have a garage so dig them up and lay them on newspaper for a few weeks then pack them away in whatever I’ve got, boxes or hessian shopping bags. As I’m in Devon the weather is a lot milder than yours so the whole thing is a lot easier.

This year I bought some slug repellent sheep wool pellets, the smell was really awful and for a couple of weeks you could smell it every time you were anywhere near my dahlias, yuk. They were really expensive as well and by the time I used them the plants were a lot bigger and weren’t getting as much slug damage so I’m not sure if it worked or not.

 

Yes - it's why I questioned my decision to start growing them again a few years ago @CatDouch! I suddenly remembered why I'd given up on them many years ago
I love them, but you have to work with what suits you, and the time and effort needed, otherwise it's just a lot of disappointment!
I'm never convinced about any of these so called slug repellent methods. As you say, by the time you've forked out for it, and not enjoyed the process [ie smell] you have to ask yourself if it's really worthwhile.
I know people claim the beer traps work, but there's a major reason I won't entertain having beer anywhere near me. I'll stick to growing things that are less prone, or picking off and dispatching them when I can.