To see the full original newsletter with all the photos click here to get the pdf: March 2025 Newsletter
NEXT MEETING
March 11 at 7:30 PM at 9th and Lincoln. Julie will educate us about the best insect predators and parasites for common pests in our Bay Area gardens. For her finale, she will suggest HI-Brix molasses treatment. Deborah will circumbustulate us around Morocco with her beautiful slides. Please bring any early tubers or even cuttings for sale. Participating members appreciate the early bird opportunities to scoop up treasures knowing who grew them. Zoom links will be sent out one or two days before our meeting. Who will concoct yummy goodies for us hungry gardeners??
VALENTINE’S CONVOCATION
Thanks to Julia for this February recap.
Big thanks to all who made it out for our February meeting despite the dreary weather. At least mother nature has relieved many of us of our usual garden watering duties recently! February meeting highlights included an overview of upcoming DSC event dates from Erik, as well as opportunities to volunteer. Next up is our annual tuber and plant sale, which is set for April 26th, 2025. Be sure to mark your calendars! You won’t want to miss this. Erik introduced us to the ADS’s Cream of the Crop and Fabulous Fifty sites. These are the top dahlia winners in the country; these are slam dunks in your garden. Erik reiterated that Lou’s FOUR Dudley awards for FOUR new introductions is like winning all FOUR of the major tennis tournaments for a Grand Slam. https://www.dahlia.org/ 2024-awards-to-blooms-announced-2/ We are so proud of our Lou Paradise!
Tim also walked attendees through the process of raising dahlias from seed. He brought in seeds collected from his own garden last season, as well as some of the seedlings he has already started for this year. He also showed his fellow DSC members how to take cuttings from tubers this spring as an easy way to propagate and increase your stock.
GRRRR BECOMES MMMMMM
Steve staved off many cravings with his meatballs, dates and mini It’s Its. Oh Pat, almond toffee and apple juice—soo good. Peggy, thank you for both coffee and cookies to go with Alex’s Tate’s cookies and Anita’s dolce de leche bars. So fine. February being Valentine’s month, we loved Jenna’s, Katy and Christine’s chocolates and especially Ken and Kathy’s chocolate covered strawberries. MMMM!
PLEIN AIR DAHLIA LECTURE
Time: Saturday, March 15, 10:30 AM, Fort Mason Community Garden.
Erik writes, “My talk will be outdoors, so it will be more of a “show and tell” than a lecture. I would welcome any DSC members to attend on 3/15 to sign up Fort Mason members for the “cross-fertilization” of our two groups!” Directions to the Fort Mason Community Garden are on Pope Road in Upper Fort Mason. Come into the Franklin Street gates, to the first stop sign, go to the left of the small Mission style chapel, and park.” There will be signage directing people to the Garden. Any questions: sergeantatarms.fmcg@gmail.com or 415-990-3883.
All the public is welcome. Bring friends. https://www.fortmasoncommunitygarden.org/
STRIKING DAHIAS FROM 2024
- KA’s Chiffon
- KA’s Mocha Katie
- River’s Cherry
- Lake Ki Sunrise
- Mingus Mary
SPROUTING DAHLIA SEEDS
There has been quite a discussion on the hybridizers net about how to start dahlias seeds. Herewith are a few of the contributions:
Bob Romano: I have to say, I don’t get the paper towels method, it seems confusing and a lot of work. I choose 6 seeds per seed parent pod and plant them directly in Pro Mix potting soil in 6 cell packs, 72 cells in a tray. It’s easy to keep track of the seed parent/pod. Yes, I will have some empty cells, but the convenience more than makes up for the wasted space. But, this is what works for me, quick and simple.
Dina Hartz Wild: I think it was Roland Veronne who swore by using linen. One thrift store sheet or pillowcase gives plenty of pieces and the sprouts don’t grow through. Lastly, Ted Kennedy expanded: We have found that mold- infected seeds get moldy using other methods too. Paper towels can be soaked in 4 to one hydrogen peroxide instead of straight water. It helps but does not cure.
Herewith is the advice from the Dahlia Breeding group on FaceBook: Paper Towel Sprouting: Cut several paper towels (I use dinner napkins as they are smoother) into two pieces. Place up to about 1 to 50 seeds into the center of the towel, spread out so that they are not piled on one another. Fold the towel into about a 3-4 inch square with the seeds inside. Dip the folded towel into bowl of water to only dampen it. If you squeeze it and can get water from it, you have added too much water. However, the amount of water is not critical to the process. Place the wetted paper towel into a plastic bag along with a plant label listing the parent(s) of the seeds. Place the small bags into a larger bag that has the date written on it and place into an area of 72 to 80F. Wait three days and open the paper towel. Some batches will sprout right away. Decision: How big do they need to be to transplant? There are three options here and just like Goldilocks, one may be just right. (1) barely sprouted and that means you see that the seed is starting to germinate. (2) Seed sprouted and root is between ½” and 1” inch long (3) Sprout is well over 1 inch long. I have done all three and always will do some of all of these. The easiest is (1) where there is no root to break. The hardest is (3) where removing the root intact is challenging. (1) sounds best but some are duds and do not grow further. (2) is my favorite and I like to be able to place the sprout root down into the potting soil (3) is always hard as the roots burrow into the paper and are easily broken.
FYI, my brother {Jon Dietz} and I started some dahlia seeds on damp paper towels. They dried out a couple times due to inattentiveness. After 6 days NOTHING! but then he sent jubilant news and wonderful pix. He transfered them into 4×4’s and looks forward to beautiful surprises when they bloom.
LET A RIVER BLOOM THROUGH IT
Eugene Kenyon and Rosie Cooper-Vert run River’s Dahlias in Veneta, Oregon. Eugene says, “I usually shoot for 3000 first year seedlings and Rosie now that she’s breeding Open Centers has around 800. Total plants on the farm is around 10k but the main field is 6689 ish . We have isolation beds and seedling beds separate , especially the open centers get the far back corner.” River’s Purple Pinwheel swept shows last season. No question that River’s Dark Star is an almost black novelty. They kindly donated a box of their unique introductions to Lou’s Cutting Team. So snap up anything labeled “River’s” at our April 26th Tuber and Plant Sale or cruise their website for unusual forms.
SIDEWALK ATTRACTION
Julia spotted this article in case you are running out of room in your garden. This might be the perfect time to try your hand at a sidewalk gardening project! There are hundreds, if not thousands, of empty and underutilized street tree wells throughout San Francisco that are just dying to become flower gardens! Once you start looking for them you will see them everywhere.
Here are a few tips to help get you started:
1. Choose a location where you or a friend can regularly water and weed with ease.
2. Include a sign that asks passersby and their pups to be careful of your flowers; consider naming your garden or labeling it as a “pollinator garden” to encourage even more respectful behavior.
3. Add a short fence around your plants to help protect them, especially when they are young.
4. Plant your seeds or flowers in the late fall or winter to allow your plants to take advantage of seasonal rain as they get established in their new home. The ground will also be naturally softer and easier to work this time of year.
5. Invite friends and neighbors to help with planting and caring for your garden.
6. Share your lessons learned, success stories and pictures with your fellow DSC members!
Tips for selecting plants for your sidewalk garden:
1. Try to find drought tolerant plants, when possible. The more tolerant the plants, the less work for you!
2. Look for perennials or annuals that readily self-sow. This will keep your hard work going for years to come!
3. Prioritize pollinator-friendly plants so your project can count as habitat creation and neighborhood beautification!
4. Focus on non-toxic plants and flowers to help keep neighborhood pets and wildlife safe. Some plants like milkweed, lilies and poppies are highly toxic, while others like roses, rosemary, cosmos, garden marigolds and snapdragons are not.
5. Choose non-invasive plants over those that might crowd out native plants.
6. Plant what that makes you happy – if you get joy out of your garden, you are more likely to keep caring for it!
ALL DECKED OUT
Several volunteers converged on Deborah’s deck to continue to whittle away at the pile of gopher-caged Warden clumps. Rewarded with a gorgeous day after much rain, Tara and Sarah wrestled the masses out of their mesh protections, Lucy and Nicole cleaned them with toothbrushes and Brigid popped them in bleach baths while Deborah divided with her electric Dremel, “The Beast.” Not only did Tara assemble a wonderful chicken salad for us, she also took home a few baskets full of tubers and returned them beautifully divided. If there is anyone else who wishes to learn about processing tubers, please let Deborah know. They usually work Tuesdays or Thursdays on her deck.
REAL PEOPLE, REAL TIME
Dan Baulig in Washington state moderates a monthly zoom convocation of dahliaphiles from around the world. Don’t miss this online Dahlia Talk. Open Discussion – Any topic is welcome.
• We meet via Zoom on the 4th Tuesday of each month from 7:00-9:00 PST.
• Click HERE to join the Zoom Dahlia Talk.
• To get the link, contact: info@portlanddahlia.com
This can get quite lively, sometimes esoteric, often quite funny. There are often several rousing opinions per question.
ADS 2024 PHOTO CONTEST
Each year the American Dahlia Society opens their annual photo contest to all amateur photographers. They are allowed 3 entries in each of 9 categories. Our own Julie won in the category Darkroom Magic. Congratulations, Julie! Quamrun won 3 awards! Check out the other winners on the ADS website and plan to enter the 2025 contest!
HILLSIDE AND DAHLIA DELL DOINGS
Sue pulled and divided all her clumps already. Whew! Sarah is processing her “family” of dahlias right now. Sarah brought some Root Riot plugs which Tim suggested and popped the broken sprouts from Eden Alice into them with a couple drops of Clonex to urge them to produce roots soonest. Tinnee and Gerry pulled special clumps, weeded, and tastefully raked their quarter. Lou suffered nasty stinging nettles in part of his section. The Park kindly eradicated them forthwith. Deborah dug the first two of her section, reporting that the tubers look strong. But, “There’s a lot of weeding to be done!” she sighs.
FEAST FOR YOUR EYES
- Sandia Candy Corn
- Snojo Storm
- Spoiled Rotten
- Skipley Reboot
- Tahoma Tempest
- Speckled
- Taratahi Lilac
- Tsuki Yori No Shisha
- Vera’s Elma
ONE HUNDRED YEARS ??!
October 2026 will mark one hundred years that The Dahlia has reigned as the official flower of San Francisco. How shall we celebrate? Erika suggested at minimum a plaque at the Dell and at the Hall of Flowers. Sarah recommended a champagne toast at our annual show with a commemorative booklet delineating DSC’s triumphs over the century. Any thoughts????
MARCHING INTO MARCH
Soil
Last chance to amend your plot. Manure of any type, zoo pooh, or chicken droppings can be spread over the top or worked in. Many people worry that rototilling disturbs the underground beneficials, so they avoid it.
Planting
For most of the Bay Area, planting live dahlias can commence in mid to late April and continue through June. I like to plant my dahlias with at least the lowest node showing BELOW the surface line to encourage tuber formation. This is particularly true with cuttings like we buy from our April 26th Tuber Sale. Anita makes all her labels now. She laminates a photo with the ADS number and size/form/color information and attaches them to galvanized metal holders. Sue uses push pins to stick her beautifully laminated labels to her redwood stakes. Her son, Levie, loves the riot of colors.
Tuber Prep
Please save your extra tubers to contribute to our tuber sale! That said, do keep a just-in-case stash to pot up in gallon containers. Dogs, ravens, gophers, acts of nature or the occasional misstep can ruin a wonderfully healthy plant; you MUST have substitutes ready and available. Do your tubers have names on them? No Blot Bottle of Ink in a Pencil works on wet tubers. Sharpies only work on dry tubers. Consider donating tubers or cuttings to our March or April meetings for sale. Remember: anything that comes into our meeting room is FOR SALE. All swaps, trades, bequeaths and generosities should take place in our parking lot. We love knowing from whom we are buying our dahlias. Last year whenever I marveled at the dark malevolence of my Kenora Macop B, I always hugged the memory of Katey giving me that tuber. Moreover, I love bringing in early tubers and plants to March and April meetings because I know they will be bought by our participating members who are much more likely to return next year to share their bounty with the rest of us, generosity growing beneath the social surface just like tuber bonanzas.
Yours in dirt,
Deborah
Photo Credits: Beattie, Bergman, Cangiamilla, Capp, Castro Sparks, D.Dietz, J. Dietz, Debrie, Frank, Gaensler, Ide, Jones, Kelly, Knight, Mingus, Smith, Stone, Susan’s Dahlias, Tranquil, Twining, Walsh
Punctilious Proofreading: Steve
URL Magician: Mini
DSC’s Flower of the Year: Bumble Rumble
Tree dahlias blooming NOW in Golden Gate Park
PS. The Pacific Southwest Conference overflowed with glorious tubers and cuttings. More in April.
Please distribute as you see fit.