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Uncategorized

February 2024 Newsletter

  • February 22, 2024
  • by DahliaWP

To see the full original newsletter with all the photos click here to get the pdf: February 2024 Newsletter

NEXT MEETING

February 13, at 7:30 at 9th and Lincoln.  Program:  Tim Wong will present how he built a thriving public garden at 116 Arch Street off Brotherhood Way.  Also last chance to learn about and register for Pacific Southwest Dahlia Conference.  Who will bring yummies for your gardening buddies?

WHAT IS PSW?

The Pacific Southwest Conference is the once-a-year confabulation of dahlia people from all over California.  This year our DSC hosts and sponsors it.  We hope to have speakers about mildew, public gardens, dahlia genetics, swag, snacks, lunch and a glorious raffle and silent auction.  Take this splendid opportunity to hobnob with fellow dahlia-crazed growers, learn new facts and maybe get lucky with the lavish raffle Jenna has collected.  Click on this link for the registration form: https://www.dahliadell.org/2024-pacific-southwest-dahlia-conference    Registration Fee: $50.  Or contact Debbie Frank if you are less tech savvy:  415-652-7608

CAVALCADE OF SPLENDID DAHLIAS

During the mud months, it’s nice to watch beautiful dahlias march across your screen.  

WHAT’S HOT IN CALIFORNIA?

Every year Louise takes all the data from all 5 ADS sanctioned shows in California and slices and dices it.  We’ve put all her charts on dahliadell.org.   On her Top Twenty #1 is Elvira, the winningest dahlia in all of California!  #2 Valley Porcupine  #3 Just Married   #4 AC Ben and #5 Blomquist Jean.  She also organized all 5 Courts of Honor so you can easily find the Best BB across the board, or what won Best in Show at each competition.  Lastly, Louise divided up the data into sizes, so you can look up the top 5 winning AA’s, top 5 A’s and on to all the other sizes.  Use these valuable lists to make wise choices when buying dahlias for this year’s garden!  

MAGNETIC SWAG

Jenna threw a working potluck lunch to show us how to make the magnets that will fill the pockets of our swag aprons for PSW.  So fun.  Jenna bought bags of plastic globes from JoAnn’s Fabrics, popped them all in the dishwasher, cut out dahlia pix, adhered them with special glue, tempered the new objects, and added magnets and snazzy backing.  Jenn T, Sarah, Debbie, Deborah, Pat and Steve, under her careful tutelage, produced more than half needed for the PSW Conference swag in one afternoon.  Jenna will, of course, perform quality control ministrations and buff them into wonderful prizes.

DAHLIAS HILLSIDE PROJECT

The entire first tier sits nicely all rocked up and leveled.  The second tier had its concrete poured the last week of January.  Disturbingly, two huge trucks came in to remove tons! of dirt.  We are loosing a lot of actual area in this new plan and certainly more than half the soil that had been built up.  We are hoping that all will be finished and available for planting by April 1.  Cross your petals.  

PARADE OF WUNDERFUL DAHLIAS

Here is our second tranche of pix to sustain you though the mud months.

FEBRUARY FIXATIONS

Charlie and Phil use February to spread bags of chicken manure on their dahlia plots.  This is a great time to add amendments like chicken manure or any other urea-full manure like llama beans, rabbit raisins, pigeon or chicken coop poop, or simply leaves.  I scooped up my neighbors’ ginkgo and red maple leaves for the Dell underworld critters to munch on.  Banana peals, egg shells, coffee grounds, and veggie scrapping keep your worms and other wee biota fat and happy.  My geodesic dome brother delights in his new Lomi Bloom Counter Top Compost Maker.  It macerates all his kitchen gunk; you add some enzyme powder and it turns it all into instantly useable “soil” you can put directly on potted plants or favored outdoor specimens.  He’s cosseting three mango trees with this ultimate brown gold!  

WAKY WAKY

We in the Bay Area have the luxury of planting as early as Mid-March which means that we need to start “waking up” our tubers beginning in February.  What do tubers need to begin germinating?  NOT light.  NOT water.  But HEAT!  Most dahlias respond to 62-70 degree heat.  Some people try heating pads but this can inadvertently bake your tubers to death instead of perking them up.  I use my loft which is where all the heat in my unheated 1907 earthquake shack rises. Other people like Peggy put their milk cartons on top of the water heater or on top of the refrigerator.  Some people use a warm window.  A shelf in an upperstory room might be just the warm spot to induce little green sprouts.  Kristine Albrecht uses heated beds in her cutting room.  Kay has found a spot in front of her big bay window.  Erik remembers a time before life with wife, that he filled his entire living room with milk cartons and bags of tubers in vermiculite awaiting their sprouting.  You need to find your optimal spot.  I have a greenhouse window in my front hallway overlooking the street and facing East.  My kitty, Tessla, mans it as his official sentry site.  He provides excellent carbon dioxide for the dahlia cuttings using his sentry box as a halfway house between my greenhouse and my deck.  

CUTTINGS

Thanks to a wonderful neighbor who dutifully spritzed my greenhouse cuttings every day whilst I was swimming with manta rays in Hawaii, I have some wonderful little cuttings growing slowly in my unheated greenhouse in my back yard.  I use sandy loamy soil with perlite.  Other people are using artificial plugs in which to pop their wee shoots.  Type in  “Starter plugs for seedlings” and you will find an array of oasis-type growing environments for dahlia snippets.  Most commercial cutting sellers use these because they are sterile; they limit transmission of disease.  These little plugs also readily display growing roots.  Here is the url for Dahlia Darlings wherein our Junior Champion, Abby, shows how she makes cuttings:   https://sites.google.com/view/darlingdahlias/grow-with-abby         

You will note that within 4-5 weeks, Abby transfers her plugs to a 4×4” container.   

FIELD DRESSING

Two dahlias have already poked up wee green leaves in the Dahlia Dell:  Elvira —always an early achiever—and KA’s Cloud, a real surprise since A’s usually balk for much warmer conditions.  When I notice a few sprouts emerging, I can carefully remove 1/2 to 3/4 of the tuber mass without disturbing the remainder.  The advantage to this is that the section left in the ground has roots in tact.  It is already growing and happy.  I just add some fertilizer (I like Dr. Earth Flower Girl) a teaspoon of calcium nitrate, and sometimes a teaspoon sulfur and let it grow.  You can create a mini greenhouse by upending a liter soda bottle with the bottom cut off.  Beware! if you see green sprouts, so do earwigs, slugs and snails!!!  Get some Sluggo Plus and maybe a copper collar around each arrival or they will disappear in a buggy feast.  Geoff found some copper flashing tape at the hardware store.  It makes great copper ring barriers.  Somehow, the snail and slug slime react with the copper ions and cause a very unpleasant reaction, thus repelling these slippery vandals.  

Do attend our Pacific Southwest Dahlia Conference, bring something for our raffle, buy lots of raffle tickets and meet more wonderful dahlia people.  Happy Valentine’s MONTH!  Be sweet to yourself and buy a few new dahlias!

Yours in dirt,

Deborah

Photo Credits:  Dietz, Gaensler, Kaiser, Wong

Punctilious Proof reading: Steve

URL Procuress:  Mini

Uncategorized

DSC Dahlia Show, 2023 Winners

  • September 1, 2023September 5, 2023
  • by DahliaWP
First place bloomEXHIB 1STExhibitor
D101 – Multiple AA or A
D102 – Multiple BMAKS VOLCANO, WOODLAND WILDTHING6Kristi Whitfield
D103 – Multiple BB
D104 – Multiple Mini or Micro20-40013Louis Paradise
D105 – Multiple BA, MB or Pom75Quamrun Eldridge
D106 – Multiple ST, WL or NXPORCELAIN3Louis Paradise
D107 – Multiple DiscLO – REDEYE3Louis Paradise
D108 – Multiple Mass Display75Quamrun Eldridge
Best D101-D1083Louis Paradise
D109 – Basket fully double75Quamrun Eldridge
D110 – Basket Pom
D111 – Basket disc11Louise Henriksen
D112 – Old fashioned bouquet17Julie Eufemi
Best D109-D11175Quamrun Eldridge
E201 – Seedling 1st year fully double23-57851Heather Jamison
E202 – Seedling 2nd yr fully double22-30043Louis Paradise
E203 – Seedling 3rd yr fully double19-32103Louis Paradise
Best E201-E203
E204 – Seedling 1st yr disc23-12210John & Jo Anna Morton
E205 – Seedling 2nd yr discED’S BECKY30Ed Rosser
E206 – Seedling 3rd yr disc20-SNOWHITE30Ed Rosser
Best E204-E206
Best Seedling
Largest most perfectAC JERI6Kristi Whitfield
Smallest Most Perfect PomNELLIE’S ROSE7Deborah Dietz
Dahlia HOF CandidatePINK PARADISE3Louis Paradise
Dahlia HOF MemberBROOKSIDE SNOWBALL6Kristi Whitfield
FOY SingleCLEARVIEW CAMERON3Louis Paradise
FOY Three
FOY Single DiscEDEN WHITE KNIGHT3Louis Paradise
FOY Three DiscEDEN WHITE KNIGHT3Louis Paradise
Best AlmandSHOW’N’TELL18John Ko
Best Vernon RoseVERNON ROSE51Heather Jamison
G401 Skipley Spot82Max Critchfield
G402 Café Au Lait18John Ko
G404 Veca Lucia3Louis Paradise
G405 Eden Benary
G406 Eden Patricia3Louis Paradise
G407 Daddies Girl7Deborah Dietz
G411 KA’s Papa John51Heather Jamison
412 Eden Tie Dye3Louis Paradise
413 Eden Lemonade3Louis Paradise
Best Sponsored Large Court3Louis Paradise
Best Sponsored Small Court3Louis Paradise
Best Sponsored Disc Court3Louis Paradise
I501 – The Mountains3
I502 – The Deserts3Louis Paradise
I503 – The Coastline3Louis Paradise
I504 – The Forests70Cara Vainish
I505 – Sea to Shining Sea59Chad Jorgensen
I506 – Freeform without Foam58Tim Wong
Best Arrangement Court3Louis Paradise
Junior AA or ACLEARVIEW JONAS64Lucy Shepard
Junior B
Junior BBABBY57Abby Southard
Junior Mini or MicroREBECCA LYNN84Daughter Walker
Junior Ball or MBMARYS JOMANDA25Miles & Reid Geraci
Junior Pom
Junior ST, WL or NX
Junior DiscKELSEY VALENTINE25Miles & Reid Geraci
Junior Triple Fully double
Junior Triple Disc
J Best Junior CourtABBY57Abby Southard
K700 – Best Bloom Grown JuniorABBY57Abby Southard
K701 – Bicolor SingleSKIP TO MY LOU3Louis Paradise
K702 – Bicolor Three
K703 – Variegated SingleROLF7Deborah Dietz
K704 – Best MaxwellMARCIA PAT18John Ko
K705 – Best JuulJUUL’S BUTTERCUP18John Ko
K706 – Best ParadiseVECA LUCIA3Louis Paradise
K707 – Best Larkin/Zydner
K708 – Best AlbrechtKA’S MOCHA MAYA58Tim Wong
K709 – Best WallaceRUTHLI58Tim Wong
K710 – Best WaterlilyBEGINNER’S LUCK3Louis Paradise
K711 – Best Incurved CactusSNOHO STORM9Chris Dix
K712 – Best Orange (C, SC or IC)MAKS VOLCANO9Chris Dix
K713 – Best SF introductionSKIP TO MY LOU5Kevin & Karen Larkin
K714 – Best Washington introductionCHIMACUM KATIE65Tara Donahue
K715 – Best fully double OrangeSEEDLINGS3Louis Paradise
K716 – Five color B or BB3Louis Paradise
K717 – Floating WaterliilyWILDWOOD MARIE37Eric Gaensler
K718 – 7 disc centerELVIRA7Deborah Dietz
K719 – Nature’s OddityFRANZ KAFKA31Tinnee Lee
K721 – People’s Choice
K722 – Largest Dahlia in the WorldMAKI24Peggy Murphy
L801 – Photo one or more blooms79Alessandro Palumbo
L802 – Photo Dahlia Garden18John Ko
L803 – Photo Flora and Fauna54Julie Lanesey
L804 – Dahlia Photograph56Sonia Tanlimco
L899 – BEST PHOTO ALL54Julie Lanesey
Best Novice BloomSPARTACUS17Julie Eufemi
Best Novice Multiple BloomBRACKEN SARAH50Ellen Muir and Chris Wyte
Sweepstakes NoviceTIM WONG58Tim Wong
Sweepstakes AmateurLOU PARADISE3Louis Paradise
Sweepstakes Open to AllDEBORAH DIETZ7Deborah Dietz
Arrangement SweepstakesLOU PARADISE3Louis Paradise
Best Bloom of the ShowROCK RUN MATT9Chris Dix
Best Large BloomKENORA JUBILEE3Louis Paradise
Best Small BloomROCK RUN MATT9Chris Dix
Best Disc BloomMIDNIGHT STAR51Heather Jamison
Best AA CourtMY HERO54Julie Lanesey
Best A CourtKENORA JUBILEE3Louis Paradise
Best B CourtNORTHLAKE HERITAGE9Chris Dix
Best BB CourtROCK RUN MATT9Chris Dix
Best Min CourtGLENBANK TWINKLE7Deborah Dietz
Best Micro Min CourtWHITE ASTER55Steve and Judi Soderstrom
Best Ball CourtEDEN WOW3Louis Paradise
Best Min Ball CourtEDEN BENARY3Louis Paradise
Best Pom CourtNELLIE’S ROSE3Louis Paradise
Best Stellar CourtEDELWEISS58Tim Wong
Best Micro Stellar Court
Best Waterlily CourtPAM HOWDEN27Lena Marsden
Best Micro Waterlily Court
Best Novelty Double CourtKUNG FU KITTY55Steve and Judi Soderstrom
Best Micro Novelty Double Court
Best Peony CourtBISHOP OF LLANDAFF55Steve and Judi Soderstrom
Best Micro Peony CourtELVIRA7Deborah Dietz
Best Anemone CourtSANDIA SUMMERTIME55Steve and Judi Soderstrom
Best Micro Anemone Court
Best Novelty Disc Court
Best Micro Novelty Disc CourtU2 ANIA3Louis Paradise
Best Collarette CourtBUMBLE RUMBLE55Steve and Judi Soderstrom
Best Micro Collarette CourtALYSSA38Guy Chibante
Best Orchid CourtMIDNIGHT STAR51Heather Jamison
Best Micro Orchid Court
Best Orchette CourtRAEANN’S ANTARES3Louis Paradise
Best Micro Orchette Court
Best Single CourtRAEANN’S WILD ONE55Steve and Judi Soderstrom
Best Mignon Single CourtSTILLWATER PLUM3Louis Paradise
Best 3 Fully Double Large CourtNORTHLAKE HERITAGE9Chris Dix
Best 3 Fully Double Small CourtJOSUDI HERCULES9Chris Dix
Best 3 Disc Centered CourtALYSSA38Guy Chibante
Best 5 Fully Double Large CourtCLEARVIEW SPLASH51Heather Jamison
Best 5 Fully Double Small Court19-EDEN WOW3Louis Paradise
Best 5 Disc Center CourtREMBRANDT3Louis Paradise

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