Many Thanks to all the members of the Central Coast Dahlia Society meeting this last Tuesday evening.  A big thank you to our gracious host Barbara Bullock, for offering her home to us.  We had about twenty members in attendance; not bad for a dark and cold January evening!  Another thank you to member Carol Moore for supplying us all with reusable nametags, they are a nice touch and very helpful.  The highlight of the evening was a presentation and talk on taking dahlia cuttings by Cory Kelso.  We hope to continue the conversation and demonstration at next months meeting with actual real sprouted tubers and dahlia cuttings.  I hope some of our members will consider attending the Pacific Southwest Dahlia Conference on Saturday February, 22nd at the Los Gatos Lodge. It is an excellent opportunity to meet dahlia growers from all over our state.  There will be several lectures, presentations, and discussions about dahlia growing, showing, and hybridization.  Following the discussion is a reception, banquet, awards ceremony, and excellent raffle.  

The first day of 2020.  I spent the good part of December digging, dividing and storing my dahlias.  It was a cold, wet, muddy, and time consuming process. I really should have started in November, but time just got away from me this Fall. Most growers in the North part of San Luis Obispo county must get their dahlias stored either in clumps or as divided tubers due to much colder temperatures than the central and southern part of our county.  I could have left mine in the ground, but there are a number of advantages to digging and dividing tubers.  Removing my tubers from the beds gave me an opportunity to plant a green manure crop and add a significant amount of compost and composted chicken manure to my dahlia beds.  It is my hope that my dahlias will require very little fertilizing during the growing season with all of the work I have put into the growing spaces this winter.  Dividing my dahlias benefits our dahlia society as well.  The majority of my tubers should make it through Winter storage and will be sold this spring at our tuber sale.  Our first meeting of 2020 will be held at member Barbara Bullocks home. Cory Kelso will be demonstrating how to set up pot roots and how to take dahlia cuttings at this meeting. Cory will also host a dahlia dig and divide in the coming weeks at her home.  We will be counting on volunteers to come and lend a hand for the dig and divide event. Hopefully members have their tuber orders in for the coming growing season and they are looking forward to, and reflecting on ways to improve their success in the garden for 2020.  Happy New Year Everyone!
Heather J.