It’s Dahlia Evaluation Time on the Farm!
It’s Dahlia Evaluation Time on the Farm!
Right now is the PERFECT time to do a Dahlia Evaluation before they get hit by frost and the growing season abruptly ends. Dahlia Evaluation time means I’m inspecting each plant, looking to make sure:
It’s properly labeled.
It’s healthy and productive. Any plant that looks suspect or is not producing blooms true to form is immediately culled and destroyed.
MORNING WALKS IN THE DAHLIA FIELD
This time of year, most mornings are spent walking the Dahlia field. While it’s a beautiful way to start the day, it also has purpose. One of my best (and also exhausting) qualities is observation. I notice EVERYTHING. My eyes are evaluating every plant:
Is it healthy?
Is it productive?
Is it true to form?
Is it labeled correctly?
Is it experiencing disease or pest issues?
Most of these answers are cataloged in my brain, where I file away a decade's worth of observation, examination, and scrutiny. As I get older, I become more aware that these thoughts, observations, and awareness need to be recorded or they will be lost forever. So I’m starting to record them.
A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON DAHLIAS
Each Dahlia variety is unique and has different characteristics and qualities. I think of them like people. Even though they are all the same species, the variations are astounding—just like humans. I even find myself talking to them like old friends. When they start blooming, it’s usually been 9-10 months since I’ve last beheld their beautiful faces. It’s so good to see them again, and I tell them how much I’ve missed them. Every morning is a new delight. I’m cherishing these quiet moments, knowing that my time with the Dahlias is limited.
We could have 6 weeks left before frost ❄️… or 2 weeks… or somewhere in between. So I soak it all up, into my body, into my bones… to get me through that 9-10 month absence from my dear friends.
EVALUATING FOR NEXT SEASON
As I make decisions about what to grow next year, I like to keep it simple, growing about 100 different Dahlia varieties each year. This means that if I’m adding 10 new varieties, I must say goodbye to 10 varieties as well.
We are a “Cut Flower Farm,” which means we are growing Dahlias for the purpose of cutting the stems for bunches or bouquets, NOT as a landscape plant. If the Dahlia is beautiful but too short for bouquets or the petals get too damaged in arrangements, then it’s not worth our time or effort to grow it (except in a few cases where we grow them just for fun).
At the end of each season, I take about 3-4 hours and walk the field with my clipboard, making observations and notes about each Dahlia, looking for things like:
Does it grow tall enough to be used as a cut flower? If not, does it have any other redeeming qualities?
What kind of growth habit does it have? Are the stems easy to harvest for cut flowers?
Did this variety have specific issues with disease or pests?
Did I like the color? Was it easy to use in bouquets and bunches?
Are the petals sturdy and able to hold up to handling during harvesting and bunching? If not, does it have any other redeeming qualities?
Is it a good tuber producer? Some Dahlias grow incredible blooms but have consistently poor-quality tubers that make reliable tuber storage difficult. I usually give these varieties three seasons, and if it doesn’t get easier, I will discontinue growing them.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON DAHLIA EVALUATION
If you haven’t done a Dahlia Evaluation yet… you’ve still got time! Grab a notebook, inspect your plants, and start making decisions for next season. Your “Future Self” will thank you!
We have our first chances of frost this week, so if you haven’t done your Dahlia evaluation and inspection, NOW is the time to do it! If we do get frost, I expect it to be very patchy. It won’t kill the plants. It usually takes temperatures below freezing to truly end the Dahlia growing season. We call this our first “Killing Frost” or “Frostmas.” Frostmas is a celebrated holiday on our farm that signals the completion of our growing season, but we never know exactly when the holiday will arrive! It’s usually around October 15, but some years Frostmas arrives weeks before or after that date.
Once the Dahlias are killed by frost, they become completely unrecognizable, so it’s important to do your inspection and evaluation while you can still see what they look like! I walk up and down the rows with my Dahlia Map, ID tags, a Sharpie, and a spade, inspecting every single PLANT that I grow:
Is it labeled correctly? If not, be sure to flag it.
Is it healthy? If not, remove it and dispose of it.
Are the flowers true to form? If not, remove it and dispose of it.
I’m also taking notes on my clipboard about each VARIETY that I grow:
Does it grow tall enough to be used as a cut flower?
Are the stems easy to harvest for cut flowers?
Did this variety have specific issues with disease or pests?
Was the color easy to use in bouquets and bunches?
Are the petals sturdy and able to hold up to handling during harvesting and bunching?
LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT YEAR
Next year, we are going to divide our Dahlias into two groups and two separate fields:
Dahlias for Cutting/Production: The tried-and-true varieties that perform well as cut flowers in bunches and bouquets.
Garden Dahlias: The varieties that are best enjoyed in the garden. While they still CAN be used as cut flowers, these may be Dahlias with fragile blooms or short stems, which are otherwise better suited for garden decoration.
I'll be sure to share my evaluation this winter!
QUESTIONS?
Ask them here and I’ll get back to you!
Ready for More?
If you’re serious about growing the garden of your dreams this year, register for my online course, “Backyard Cutting Garden 101”. You’ll find everything you need to plan, grow, harvest and arrange your stunning blooms. I can’t WAIT to help you grow! Click on the button below for all the details.
