November, 2006
NEXT MEETING: 14 November @7:30 @ 9th and Lincoln. Program: Dividing
Tuber Clumps. Hands on. Bring
knife, cutting block and clumps you would have thrown out anyway to
practice on. The Society will hold its annual meeting at the next
meeting. Please come and vote for officers and Board members. Also,
Diana will have for sale 2007 calendars, dahlia tuber marking pencils
and various books.
The DIGOUT 2007 will be on Jan. 6-7. Mark your calendars now!
Park
Trust's Dahlia Corsages:
Erik G reports that "The San Franciso Parks Trust (SFPT), which raises
funds for many improvements to the park, and helped restore the
Conservatory next to the Golden Gate Park Dahlia Dell, had its annual
fundraiser on October 19, in the Marina Green. Gerda Juul made a
box of beautiful dahlia corsages for the event out of late season
blooms. Erik Gaensler, brought them to the event and distributed them to
the SFPT staff, who were most appreciative."
LAST
HARRAH! Deborah
several lovely Bests: A Mable Ann, B Tropica, BB Jessica, ST. Camano
Pet, WL Fern Irene, MB Chimicum Troy, MS Rembrant, x3 Clearview Magic,
and x5 Jessica. The Cornishs,Bests (M Hellier Tunanda, AN Stillwater
Pearl, Or Juul¡¯s All Star, CO. Bumble Rumble, S NW Cosmos, P Mi Wong,
and PE Bishop of Landow) were ¡°bested¡± by a superb Kenora Jubilee.
THE
DIRT ON DIRT: Lou Lombardo brought soil testers from accugrow.com (10
tests for $20). Members mixed 1/8 teaspoon soil into a test tube with
water and dipped a test stick to test for acidity or alkalinity (mp).
Because potassium and phosphorous are not soluble in water, a different
solution was added to the mud tube to test these elements. Pat
scientifically timed the enterprise. Once members had their results, Lou
discussed how they could remedy their patch over the winter to be best
prepared for better dahlias next spring
MONTEREY
DAHLIA DINE AROUND:
Three estates in three towns for three meals. In Felton, Lloyd and
Jean Karome opened their 86 acre Peruvian Paso ranch, Lichen Oaks, for
cumulative breakfast. Ozzie golfcarted us up from the lower corral to
the veranda overlooking the show ring. Deer, cottontails, jacks and
gophers constituted major munching challenges to Ozzie’s dahlia garden.
Lloyd raised his fences three times in three years against the tall
leapers and shored up the screen underskirts repeatedly thwarting
persistent gnawers. Besides a fabulous artichoke bloom, his Magic
Moments and Amy K’s thrived in the heat.
Next, the
peripatetic dahliamongers congregated at Love Apple Farm where Cynthia
grows not only hedges of heirloom tomatoes but raised beds full of
organic greens and veggies for epicurean restaurants. When not teaching
canning or candy seminars, she fodders her chickens, goats and pot
bellied pig on dahlia refuse. Ozzie’s 10’ high deep red Hy Sockey as
well as the succulent sauerkraut and sausage casserole prompted many a
compliment.
Finally the pilgrimage
wended its way high into the Brookdale hills where Mike and Peggy carved
a sunshine swath out of the shady redwood forest. With two tractors
and 3 years they cleared 3 acres of poison oak and rediscovered a fruit
orchard. Dipping into exquisite desserts and liquors we overlooked a
grape arbor, a huge strawberry tunnel and two dahlia patches. Only a
society with outstandingly hospitable members and ample parking could
have feted such a fabulous day!
DAHLIA DELL DOINGS: Thank you to Hank and Frank for watering so often when some of us
traipsed off to the National Show! Thank you, too, to Rose and Paula
for final deadheading and label checking. I will be lopping around
Thanksgiving and would welcome any help. Just call for information:
Deborah 415 826 6214. We’ve tentatively scheduled DIG OUT for either
Dec. 30-31 or Jan. 6-7. Please plan to join this Herculean extravaganza
and learn all the phases: digout, spray, transport, divide, bleach, and
label. Come join our filthy fun for everyone!
NOVEMBER NOSTRUMS: In
the waning of the light you have your last chance to gather a few final
seed heads. Store tubers in a cool dry spot until February. This is
the last chance to collect cuttings from particularly fine cultivars and
grow them under lights into pot roots. Lou begins pinching back his
pot roots so they will produce multiple growing tips by January for his
first round of cuttings for the 2007 season. Make sure all your plants
are labeled correctly. If you have 2 or more of one variety, rank them
in terms of Good, Better, Best. Throw out anything RIGHT NOW that you
deem not good enough for our tuber sale. When your plants are brown,
cut down to 5-6 notches. I like to cover my stumps with 1-5 gallon
black pots to protect them from too much rain. Decide whether you will
dig out your roots or not.
If you have the
wonderfully porous soil of the Sunset District, you could leave your
plants in for another year. Begin to mulch with leaves and grass
clippings. If you are not yet confident of dividing or storing
correctly, try taking out your clump with as much dirt adhered to it as
possible. Gently stash the entire ball in a box. Boxes can be stacked
in a cool (but not cold) dry spot like a garage until March. Make sure
each cultivar has its own label attached at all times. Whenever I take
out a clump, I expand the hole from which it came and fill with
compost. By the time I am ready to plant in the spring, the worms have
reduced the compost to fertile castings. Start thinking about the
mouthwatering concoction for our season’s holiday dinner and of an
enticing gift for our rambunctious Present Predation. Some of the most
swiped items have included customized dahlia calendars, narcissi
baskets, dividing tools, paintings, hand blown vases, and cymbidiums.
Your imagination will be our delight.
Dahlia
Society of California, Inc., San Francisco, CA
-- Copyrighted
Chief Editor: Deborah Dietz
eNewsletter Editor: Ted Marr &
Jytte Rasmussen
Acknowledgement: Photos in
this issue by Deborah, DJ, Rose, Erik and Ted.