Some dahlias bloomed! Maybe they are worth the effort after all

This is my first year with dahlias. I won a set and that led me to fall down this rabbit hole. I really liked that the tubers were so easy to buy and have shipped- and so I bought a lot of them without really thinking about what it would be like to actually grow them. They seemed so convenient when I was sitting behind a monitor clicking and clacking away.

Unfortunately, my yard is too damp for dahlia tubers when you would plant dahlia tubers. Honestly, just as well, because I have a lot of clay and digging up tubers in fall when that clay is dried a bit would be absolutely brutal. Anyhow, have had a lot of pests and a lot of virus and gall stress- so far have had to toss a few I received with leafy gall and I've got some yellowing leaves I'm watching- but so far no concentric circles so I assume I'm still fine for the worst viruses.

Anyhow, some are finally blooming.

Babylon Lilac



Kelsey Annie Joy


Sandia Summertime


Polka


Day Dreamer - hopefully, that's what I bought it as


Pacific Ocean


Yes, there is some pest damage- but I'm trying to just use biologicals like lacewings and minute pirate bugs as well as just rinsing off and handpicking pests. I also haven't quite gotten fertilizer figured out optimally. The slow release I used early on seems to be depleted already. I have more on pickup order at Home Depot, spouse should grab my order on his way home today and hopefully that will take them to the end of the season.

I only have 50 left to up pot into final pots- but that even includes some late ones that are barely sprouted. I have 32 large pots left, so hoping to get the biggest remaining ones into their final pots by the weekend. After that, the smallest 18 can wait for bigger pots to free up. I have quite a few peonies and roses in large pots that should go into the ground this weekend and next weekend that will free up quite a few 3 and 5 gallon pots. OR I could order more, but, sort of waiting to see how these look around my fenceline first. I only want to fill the fenceline with two rows of dahlias, so I'll order more pots if the fenceline isn't quite full or I'll cull the ugliest dahlias if the fenceline is full. I know I could do the math and know right now- but I sort of like the suspense of it.. lol