05/22/2026
Whelp - planting is DONE!
95 varieties (which isn't too far off the 80 I had wanted to get down to from almost 150) and 184 tubers in the garden.
I'm not growing all of what I hoped.
I am growing things I didn't want to grow again because I had the space.
The quantities aren't what I planned (growing far more than I want of some and not as many of others)
--BUT-- there will be flowers none the less and they will be gorgeous.
This was the first year I had A TON (almost all) of the new to me stock arrive and look extremely virused.
Normally, I give them about a month after planting to settle in and see if the plants are looking wonky just due to stress or nutritional deficiencies (I wake up in Pro Mix BX and there's not a lot -- if any -- good nutrition in there but the flip side is I don't ever get fungus gnats or other pests in my grow room).
Anyhow - as many are aware, the growing school of thought is the majority of tuber stock is viral - so just because something doesn't show virus doesn't mean it's clean. In 2022, the ADS tested 1,334 samples and 87% came back positive for at least one virus. All that's to say - it's prevalent and the growing philosophy / trend that I've seen seems to be, feed, nature, wait and if the dahlia thrives in every other way and recovers (new leaves appear healthy and plant is performing vigorously) - grow it on. If it doesn't, is stunted, otherwise performs poorly, cull it.
For me, a hard and fast is concentric circles, or a pattern on the leaves paired with leaf curl. When I see either of these, out the door they go immediately -- sadly -- almost allllll of the new dahlias I bought from very well known sellers here in the states went in the trash this weekend and never even making it to my garden beds. Easily close to $1,500k worth of tubers, just trashed, 62 in all.
I didn't send a nasty gram - I didn't flip out - I know the stats and believe sellers don't knowingly sell sick stock and believe it's a risk one takes when growing and our job as growers during the season is to sanitize religiously, monitor, cull aggressively and do our best to help ensure what we grow and pass on is healthy, appears healthy, and/or is able to thrive with virus/recover.
Some of my most bummed about losses are:
Coorabell Jessie
Ferncliff Thunder
Hapet Amber
Hollyhill Creamy
Levi's Revenant
Well then... what I AM growing that looks happy as a clam (weird saying, anyone know where that came from?)
20th Ave Memory 2
20th Ave Pure Prince 4
AC Twisp 2
Alias Sam 1
Alloway Cottage 3
BC Lavondula 2
Bloomquist Alan 2
Bloomquist Blush 2
Bloomquist Compare 2
Bloomquist Pink Parfait 2
Bracken Ballerina 3
Bracken Joan 1
Breakout 2
Burfoot Eva 2
Caitlin Joy 2
Camano Love 2
Carolina Wagemans 2
Chimacum Katie 4
Cinder Rose 4
Clearview Pataha 2
Clearview Peachy 3
Corabell Astrid 1
DL The Special 1
Dusty Beauty 1
Eden’s Blush On 2
Fawn 2
Ferncliff Cameo 4
Ferncliff Rusty 1
Hamari Rose 1
Hapet Cheddar 1
Hapet Old Charm 1
Hapet Pearl 1
Hapet Rose Dream 1
Hollyhill Bashful 1
Hollyhill Daydream 1
Hollyhill Honeygold 1
Hollyhill Pandora 1
Hollyhill Pink Parfait 1
Hollyhill Pollyanna 1
Hollyhill Serenity 3
Hollyhill Snowqueen 1
Hollyhill Sweet 16 2
Honeycomb 3
Irish Ruffles 2
Jabberbox 1
Jowey Mirella 2
Jowey Paula 1
Jowey Veronique 4
Kari Blue 1
Kelgai Ann 1
Lakeview Premier 3
Last Dance 1
Lee’s Halo 1
Lee's Quicksilver 3
Levi's Caramel 1
LTF Lemon Blush 2
Madeleine Moon 1
Mayberry's Pink Champagne 3
Milena Fleur 2
Miss Amara 1
MM Buttercream 2
Mystery 1
Nuland’s Josephine 3
Parkland Tribute 3
Penny Lane 1
Polka 1
RM Baby Girl 2
RM Ballet Blush 2
RM Berry Kiss 2
RM Hannah Joe 2
RM Lemon Ice 3
RM Raspberry Twinkle 2
RM Shifty 3
Rosemary Dawn 4
Salish Snowday 1
Salish Twilight Girl 2
Salmon Joy 1
Sandia Bliss 1
SF Kaylee 1
SF Lambent 1
SF Papsadoodle 1
Skeena Glitter 2
Skipley Lois Jean 2
Skipley Moonglow 2
Skipley Snoho Bill 2
Skipley Spot of Gold 2
Snoho Sonia 3
Southern Belle 2
Taboo 3
Vassio Meggos 2
Verkist Cosmic 3
Verkist Tranquility 3
Versa 1
WB's Lavender Ice 3
WB's Misbehavin' 4
Up next, need to get soaker hoses down then netting this weekend.
How's your planting coming along?
