Dahlia question

Discussion in 'Annuals, Biennials, Perennials, Ferns and Bulbs' started by Canadianplant, Nov 18, 2009.

  1. Canadianplant

    Canadianplant Active Member

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    Does anyone on here know the minimum temp dahlia bulbs can take before there inviable???
     
  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    May live for years outdoors in well-drained soil in maritime areas. Some lived here on Camano Island for a long time, on a property where other kinds of plants have frozen out - that persist indefinitely in Seattle etc.

    We didn't lose them until I moved them away from the droughty, stony soil up near the house and down into the better-seeming soil in the orchard, where they died after only one or two summers.

    Not certain, however that the coup de grace was not slugs coming out of the grass in the orchard.
     
  3. Canadianplant

    Canadianplant Active Member

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    Well its been about 0- about -5 or 6 at night, everything is toast outside (excet my bamboo). They didnt get a chace to bloom this year, just making sure that if i dig them up, and make the effort of over wintering them, that it isnt going to be a waste of time.

    Odd that they didnt manke it in the orchard, i was under the impression that they love rich soil, which im assuming your orchird has. Oh well, theres plenty more time to try more. Especially for you, they dont stand a chance outside here in the winter.
     
  4. JanR

    JanR Active Member

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    You need to dig them up before the ground freezes. Short periods of below zero temperatures won't hurt them, but when it gets cold for a long period and the ground freezes, that is when the roots get damaged.
     
  5. Canadianplant

    Canadianplant Active Member

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    alright... its been pretty warm dduring the day, weird fall so far, not complaining though lol. So i should dig emup and pot them, then pot them somewhere cool between 2-10C correct? and dark??
     
  6. JanR

    JanR Active Member

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  7. Canadianplant

    Canadianplant Active Member

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    Very in depth site... thanks. I hope theyll be ok, if not, theres always next year. They didnt bloom, i think that a cool night or 2 just when they were planted might have had something to do with it, and the cool summer. Although i did see some full bloom ( same kind) at the end of my street.
     
  8. Canadianplant

    Canadianplant Active Member

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    Unfortunatly, like most of the country, we got a sudden and harsh freeze. There is no hope for them :S Thanks for the help, ill try again next year
     
  9. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Would'nt you think they would survive in a frozen state?

    If a child or adult falls into a frozen lake the system can slow right down so protecting the person from death...same as if a skier got stuck in an avalaunch of snow its possible to survive because the system can go right down.

    Plants have system too, possibly a system where in a frozen state like my examples the roots could just survive if revived slowly.

    Yes, no?
     
  10. Canadianplant

    Canadianplant Active Member

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    In thoughs instences, they wre either frozen very quick or are just lucky. And humans make their own body heat, plants dont. Think of what happens if say, a person of egypt moved to canada in mid winter. He wouldnt die, but you see what i mean. Dahlias are semi/tropical in nature, they arent supposed to get exposed to anything below -7c (please correct me if im wrong).

    We have had nightly lows into -25 fer the past week, and the ground is frozen solid. Thats why lots of plants cant survive where I live. Ill used bamboo as a example. The top pf the plant can be totaly killed, but if the roots dont freeze solid, the plant will but up new culms each year. Its all about where they are from. IF they dont naturaly get frozen ground in te wiiter ( i think they are from colombia, s america and central america but once again please correct me if im wrong i may be getting them confused with other plants, but regardless, they dont ever really see frost, let alone ground that is frozen solid), they will not survive it. They just arent adapted to it. This of whatwould hapen if you put a naked person in say, toronto in the winter. He would die.. no and iff or buts, becasue people evolved in africa, southers eurpoe, central emerica and lower china. We arent adapted to the cold, unless we dress for it. And unfortunatly, i dont think any covering of the bulbs outside (without heat applied), would raise my hardiness zone 4 zones ( im in zone 3b-4a).
     
  11. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    I feel very cold lol

    I have the Polars on TV and you CP with -25..brrr!

    That was my thinking earlier that if the roots survive it may grow on come the spring. My dad used to grow Dahlia but I rarely do because of the earwigs...shiver.

    Here in England its my belief they would survive outside because we rarely freeze here. We froze last night, it looked like snow when I peeped the curtain but its a one off really, frosty but no deep freeze.

    I have a plant here where the top came off but no root, that was left in the pot so I am hopeful...not Dahlia.

    Because the plant is tropical its indoors for the winter.
     
  12. soccerdad

    soccerdad Active Member 10 Years

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    I can overwinter my dahlias outside with no ill effects, for it is perfectly balmy here. Seldom goes much below -10 C.

    In Calgary, where I was trapped for 19 years before I was able to escape, it has been near -30 C at night lately (although the fabled chinook is reputedly on its way). I am pretty sure that the tubers would not fare so well there.
     
  13. Canadianplant

    Canadianplant Active Member

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    oh they wouldnt... lol its hasnt been QUITE as cold here as in calgary, or poor regina, but its been fairly cold, at least for this time of year. Good thing the actual temps havnt dropped below -25C
     
  14. Katalina25

    Katalina25 New Member

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    Listen you two,

    I love Canada but your winter is such a no no.

    Enjoy lol

    Its so hard to get out of bed in a morning when its only 5 degrees..

    ...pulls up duvet, turns on radio, has phone...sighs peacefully.

    So, these Dahlias we know will not survive in freezing conditions? My sis grows them but when foliage goes black from frost they put them in the shed for the winter.
     
  15. Canadianplant

    Canadianplant Active Member

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    They can take frost, but like you said, the foliage dies back. And not all of canada is cold :P Vancouver, victoria, duncan, and most of the lower mainland and island have pretty much the exact climate as you. They just have near drought conditions in the summer. And NO I DONT HAVE A PET PENGUIN!!!! ( although i think it would be very very cool lol, even a seal... or a polar bear hahahahahha)
     
  16. soccerdad

    soccerdad Active Member 10 Years

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    I see that with the wind chill, both Winnipeg Manitoba and Prince Albert Sask. are supposed to hit -41 tonight. Strange, for they are so far apart ... But I absolutely LOVE -40. It is the point at which F and C intersect. I used to think that if it stayed at -40 forever, we would never have to convert from C to F or vice versa. Think of how many people would have moved to Canada for the convenience!

    No. 2 daughter is moving to Calgary next month, despite all my warnings. A trip to the North Face store or to MEC, with Dad's charge card, is in order. We will go directly to the "Everest expedition" section.
     
  17. JanR

    JanR Active Member

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    My Mother would never dig up her Dahlia's on Saturna Island, B,C, Canada, but every few years it would get cold enough and they wouldn't make it. Right now I wish I was there as here it is -30 right now with a wind chill of -44 degrees C. I am quite worried about my plants right now as it is very cold, with very little snow cover, which is not very good for their survival. It usually doesn't get this cold until January, when there is much more snow cover. :(
     
  18. Canadianplant

    Canadianplant Active Member

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    You forget how flat the prairies are :P And you say its nice till you walk in it too lol. It honestly doesnt bother me at all. And the good thing about calgary.. it isnt the coldest on the prairies at all lol
     

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