2022 was a challenging growing year for many across the U.S. and Canada. Most had a very late planting season which delayed their dahlia blooms and frustrated many. On our farm, we were delayed about 3 weeks for planting due to the wet and cold spring, which delayed our blooming. However, it didn’t take much time to heat up and bring in the warm weather as the temperatures in June soared into the 90s quickly. We experienced a very warm summer, with barely a trace of rain all summer and into October. These conditions always make gardening more challenging as the plants need more deep water and fertilizer to thrive. Then, fall arrived quickly in late October, almost like someone flipped a switch, bringing in the rain while temperatures dropped quickly.
Many customers reported their disappointment with the late or lack of bloom due to the unpredictable weather across the US and Canada. The lack of bloom is a result of late planting, which is out of our control. However, it can also be related to a lack of deep watering and fertilizing. Remember once your dahlias have sprouted above the ground, they need DEEP watering 3-4 times a week (45-60+minutes of a sprinkler or soaker hose) to thrive in the ground and daily watering if you are growing them in a container. Dahlias cannot thrive if they are not getting enough water and fertilizer.
We have heard and seen many conversations and ideas about when to dig circling around on social media that are happening, and we wanted to chime in and remind everyone of our recommendations and the reason behind them. We recommend waiting to dig your dahlias until 2 weeks after a hard frost or November 15th, whichever comes first. Many believe that 120 days in the ground from planting to digging is sufficient. However, from our experience, we recommend waiting longer as many dinnerplates just begin to bloom at 120 days and they are not ready to be dug at that point. If your weather allows and you aren’t risking your tubers freezing, it is best to wait to dig past the 120-day mark, to allow the tubers plenty of time to harden off and finish growing before you dig. Most tuber growth happens in the last 1/3 of the blooming season. Unfortunately, if you dig too early the tubers are in a “green stage” and will not store properly, as the skins on the tubers haven’t had time to thicken up resulting in severely dehydrated tubers or potential complete loss.
We welcomed thousands of visitors to our Annual Dahlia Festival from August through September. We hosted many arts, floral arranging, and culture classes to satisfy everyone’s interests. We hosted a vendor market on Sundays, which was a hit for visitors. Live music every Saturday & Sunday and rotating food carts, satisfying everyone’s taste buds! Our cut flower stand and gift shop pleased many shoppers with beautiful flowers to purchase to take home and hundreds of treasures to browse.
We will be changing our hours for the 2023 Annual Dahlia Festival. Our farm will be Open Wednesday-Sunday in August & September from 9 am-5:30 pm, Closed Monday & Tuesday. Be sure to mark your calendar and plan your trips accordingly.
With the late spring and late fall bloom, our fields continued to flourish into October this year. With warm weather and temperatures in the ’70-’80s in early to mid-October, the dahlias were gorgeous. However, please remember our fields are only open to visitors each August & September during business hours.
Please keep an eye on our social media for videos or updates. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel which hosts a wide array of videos to reference.
