PLANTING TIME

Here on the central coast, members have been planting for the last several weeks. The last week of March brought a lot of rain and planting was delayed for many of us. There is more than one way or technique to planting tubers. Some grow exclusively in pots, some people start in small one gallon containers to get the tubers going, and others place their tubers directly in the soil. I dig a about a 4 inch deep hole and add my amendments (secret sauce) to the soil. Every year, I experiment with different amendments with planting. This year I used a combination of vermicompost, balanced organic fertilizer, and some mycorrhizae. Based on my soil testing that I did in the winter, I have plenty of Phosphorus, and I am not planning on adding this year. I lay the tuber in the amended hole, on its side, with the "eye"  or sprout facing up towards the sky, and then I cover the tuber with about two inches of soil. I use plastic markers with the name of the variety written on it. Later, when I stake and tie off my dahlias, I will add another name tag up higher that is more visible and at my eye level on the dahlia. There are many techniques for marking your dahlias. Some people just like to put their dahlias in the ground, unmarked;  enjoying the happy surprise that comes up.  I prefer to keep track of my successes and failures: What grows tall or small? What is weak or strong? Is it a prolific bloomer or not? Is it late or early blooming? Marking helps me keep my dahlias more organized and helps me to plan for next year as well. Lastly, the soil should be moist, but not soggy. This April has given us some very warm days. Your soil should not be bone dry. Although we typically don't water until sprouts are above ground, we also should not let our soil completely dry out like the Sahara desert either.  It's a bit of a juggle at first to find a good balance and losing a tuber or two, is not uncommon. I do hope that everyone is enjoying watching their dahlia spouts as they poke through the soil. Happy Planting Everyone!