Sharon, mine have been blooming but still are and I've been agonizing (this my first year as a dahlia planter but am now completely obsessed)...anyway, agonizing over whether to pull them. Do I really wait until the leaves turn black??? Do I wait for the remaining buds to bloom?

This is my first year growing dahlias too. I've been wondering the same things. I've done a couple of searches and most seem to agree to pull them after the first light frost or just before a hard frost. This is also my first year with glads and since I planted them near each other, I think when I pull one I'll pull the other.

I have a couple to bloom yet - I bought on sale late. My microclimate is good living in the city. Didn't pull them out until 11/12 last year!

I planted mine as soon as the soil was warm enough - which was late May. I had started my tubers indoors. Many of mine don't even show buds, other only have many buds but have not bloomed, only a few vigorous ones have been blooming. Most look very healthy, though - huge stems and green leaves. We had records heat and drought from spring on. We still have not caught up in precipitation.

Our unusually hot dry summer may have something to do with it. so far everyone who has responded seems to be near the Great Lakes. I don't know if that is a factor or not.

Bigcityal, I'm gald to hear that you didn't have to pull until 11/12 last year. My Honka and Joyce? ( I can't remember her last name) should bloom this year if they get until November.

Sharon

Unless you expect a long killing freeze, I'd hold out until they are knocked down by frost; you may get flowers yet.

Christine

I always wait until the leaves are totally dead. If you are getting just a light frost, I have gotten blankets and covered what I could and that sometimes will give you a few extra days and a few extra blooms! I never dig them up until there is no hope left - lol.

I am still waiting on some to bloom, and so is my neighbor - who got about half of my first box of Tubers.

My plan for next year is to start at least half of my tubers in pots indoors, so I can get earlier bloom. I pledge also to do some early pinching & cutting, especially of Tsuki Yori to get more prolific bloom production...if I keep any that is.

Most of my Dahlias seem to enjoy getting fall rainwater and crisp nights. I'm cutting any that get head-heavy from rain. I will probably not dig 'til a REAL frost makes it clear that leaves are truly goners...which could be a few more weeks in Oregon. YAY!

Before then, I expect to have Peppers dug and potted for overwintering as houseplants, and lots of Jumbo Cherry tomatoes jammed into pots in the sunroom for ripening on the vine, til December. I bet we have our new Exchange Thread by January...so I hope to have my list and pix ready for posting by then. Can't imagine that I'll *ever* get my bulk seed harvest into cute little envelopes, but I will prep pots for Dahlia and W/S by mid-February.

I think Winter Sowing of everything from seed can wait. Gotta have priorities, yes? I do want to try Dahlia from seed. I've saved a lot of dried heads for this experiment...and will ask later for some photo help to identify seed. See you later...happy tuber harvest!

My Smokey is opening up. I hope to post picures when it is open. This plant broke and I propped it back up and tied it to a stake. It is now much taller than the stake (and me) and has several opening buds. I'm going to tie it to another taller stake and keep my fingers crossed.

I let a few heads dry in hope of harvesting seeds. How many seeds does a head usually have?

Sharon

Just went through and tied name tapes to all the stems near the roots so when I dig them I won't loose the names...been there and done that too many times! I have about 9 plants that haven't bloomed yet...ones I set out as started tubers this spring from pots but that couldn't take the competition from big established ones near them. I did find Cheyenne Chief who is now 2 years old and I have yet to see bloom but he does have 2 buds! Some of my other ones are from a mix of Karma dahlias, but some are named ones that were preplanted and the wooden labels I used have rotted off in the soil...never again!

I will have a new border for growing these next year so will be moving and seperating them...Hope everyone will have enough space and sunliht with the new garden area. I am just waiting on Bulldozer man to arrive!

Just returned from three weeks with the Red Cross in Louisiana. My granddaughter was in place to take pictures of many which hadn't bloomed, but I still have several that haven't done their thing!!! It had to be our unusual weather this year___then to, some are just straglers. Anyway enjoy each and every bloom as they open.

I went and read the Dahlia Society web pages on this subject the other day as I'm sort of ready to get all my bazillion deck pots cleaned up for the winter. They said to let them go till first frost as the leaves are still storing energy in the roots right now and the roots are still growing. My Sis-in-law said she killed all her dahlias last yr by digging them too early. Maybe they just need a reverse hardening off period of cooler temps to go dormant.

My Dahlias have had a light frost, in Southern Ontario

I have begun to dig them up although there is lots of green foliage

The tubers look very healthy.

I found this year to not have good bloom. Maybe I was a bit later in planting Dahlias and as well some clumps I did not divide enough, resulting in to many shoots.

I have a problem dividing the clumps Any suggestions

My late planting of Gudoschink finally bloomed. This really stands out in my fading landscape.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gudoschink

Big city, that is an Autumn Color dahlia if I ever saw one. In the same tones as Jack O Lantern: bright and beautiful. Such a unique name- sounds Russian. How did you come to find it?

I pulled out my card on in and I did spell it wrong it is Gudoshnik. I bought it at a outdoor supplies store. Royal Gardens is the name on the card($2.50 on sale)