I got so excited seeing someone replied to my thread- lol - I completely understand & I was thinking the same thing bc it is late to ask now. I was hoping someone on here might be extra kind ab it & late planting - lol- I literally have 14 dahlia bulbs I bought. They're decent size tubers. Not the one tuber kind the dahlia nurseries give but whole clumps u buy in bulb bags. Most are dinner plates & semi dinner plates. One is a weird but cool red & pink variety called dairy of love ?? Have u heard of it ?? bc I can't pull it up online anywhere! I have pretty ones all to give away for a platinum blonde!! I only care to keep & buy ones that are really super special to me bc I live in Florida and it takes extra effort to grow them. I'm willing to trade all of these plus any seeds or cool plants. ( my hubby spoils me ) I will also pay postage. I'm a giving person. None of the bulbs are bad. I just want anyone who sees this thread to know how much I want this dahlia n what I'm willing to trade/ pay for it. I'll pay too!! Thankyou for the advice civivacation! :) I really do appreciate it - could u please explain to me how I can find dahlia groups on Facebook ?? I don't get on FB much I'm usually really busy caring for farm animals, my gardens & 4 boys :) your advice is much appreciated !! :) :) :)

And your club auction sounds fun! :)

I'm not a big fan of pot root clumps from Holland. They have a good price point, and is a great way for folks to explore growing dahlias, though.

Here's a casual dahlia FB forum with over 3 thousand members, many newly excited about dahlias : https://www.facebook.com/groups/dahlias/  Perhaps someone will have extra Platinum Blonde.

You are the bomb CC!!!!! Thankyou soooo much !! I'm tickled to death over the info! Thankyou!! :) :) :) :)

I gotcha on the holland clumps but honestly they're all growing vigorously! Not all are from holland. some are really big fatty tubers ! Others are from mail order. Like swan island gives u free tubers for every 50$ spent so I got 4 free tubers n also have extra tubers from purchasing from personal dahlia growers on eBay. I just bought a blue anemone dahlia & it was a 3 bulb purchase so I have 2 extra -but your very right! Some of the bulbs are clumps from holland :( Which is crazy in my opinion. Dahlia bulbs should be sold more locally not out of the country

"blue anemone dahlia" Hmmm... spoiler alert...

Blue is the only color dahlias do NOT come in. Photos normally have their hue messed with to make a purplish dahlia look bluish, and a chinese ebay vendor is infamous for selling 'blue dahlia seeds' that are actually cheap zinnias. However, purple dahlias still are cool, and zinnias fill in the garden prettily, so it's all good. Just a bit misleading. In the extreme. ;-)

What did I say that was extremely misleading cici ? I didn't think I was misleading in any way. I know dahlias don't come in blue- or I would have every one that did ! Roses also. It's the name of the dahlia tuber though Lol - blue bayou!! When I said I bought a blue dahlia, I was referring to the name not the color :) I meant to say I bought blue bayou anemone dahlia tuber!!! God forbid but I couldn't remember how to spell bayou - lol- so I just said blue anemone dahlia bc I figured those educated in dahlias knew exactly which dahlia I was talking about. I do not buy any dahlia seeds, only tubers. I don't take my chances with seeds plus I'm not experienced in growing dahlias from seed but I'm sure I'll succeed. I also DID NOT PURCHASE ANY BLUE DAHLIA SEEDS OR TUBERS FROM OVER SEAS -I GO OUT OF MY WAY TO MAKE SURE I DONT PURCHASE FROM ANYWHERE BUT IN U.S. there's no guarantee of quality or that I'm even going to get the right product, if at all. I ALSO GO OUT OF MY WAY TO STAY AWAY FROM CHINESE VENDORS! And honestly blue bayou dahlia pictures aren't blue. It's practically the only blue named dahlia that isn't colored blue in most of its pics. It's more of a Mahogany, deep purple in its pictures than it is blue. My blue bayou dahlias are from an actual nursery. I thought I purchased them from a person but it was actually a nursery. I will have to respond back to let u know which nursery bc I'll have to look at the sticker on the package. I love u guys but I'm sure u understood what I meant - what I have to trade for a platinum blonde isn't of low quality. My tubers are plump, healthy, decent, active tubers. My plants r healthy also. When I said I have seeds, I did not mean dahlia seeds. I have lots of seeds I just bought, some I've had & many ive collected from my own plants recently. I have so many seeds from Armerias to cup & saucer vine, verbascum, scabiosa, choc lace flower & sunflowers and pretty much everything in between! I'm willing to trade whatever for a platinum blonde tuber. ONLY bc when I really fall in love with a plant- I have to have it ! I also have live plants, I'm willing to let go of. Example: a rose of Sharon tree I bought a couple months ago. I just bought a new double pink one and changed my mind ab keeping the white one. I honestly have hundreds of plants, no joke! Part of my joy of gardening is buying the plants. I LOVE TO BUY PLANTS!! I'm an avid gardener. My hubby hates it but I spend at least 100$ MINIMUM a week on seeds, plants or roses. My last purchase this past weekend was from 4 nurseries. I'm a recovering addict- I put down the dope & picked up a gardening habit. If I see a new plant I like, I buy it. I can afford to bc hubby owns a business. So everything I have to trade, including cash, is of good quality. Nothing is misleading about that. I'm not affended or upset. I'm only clarifying what I mean- I hope u don't take offense to my response cici.

Regarding 'misleading:'
I was referring to some ebay vendors selling blue-colored dahlias, not you. When I write posts in this forum, I keep in mind the thousands of potential readers that are trying to glean information about my favorite subject of dahlias. Sorry that you felt I was attacking you- I wish you only the best, and hope you find your holy grail of the Platinum Blonde to grow this season.

Your seriously okay. I didn't feel u were attacking me :) Lol - but I did think u figured I was being misleading - I apologize to you, whole heartedly ! :) :) :) & hope ur not upset ab anything I said. That's y I asked u plz not to be upset ab my response bc I'm only clarifying what I have -I wasn't trying to be mean & didn't feel u were attacking me. You would have to cuss me out to make me feel that way- lol- You replied kindly to a few of my posts- this one included ( in earlier responses) & were nothing but helpful. I can tell u know ur stuff & dahlias are a favorite. - The sad thing is when I purchased my tubers from swan island this year, platinum blonde was in stock!!! :( but this is my first year growing dahlias so it took me a while to know which I like the most & when I fell in love with platinum, swan island & everywhere else was out of stock : ( I'm in Florida - they don't grow as well here, unless they get extra attention r shaded in afternoon or grown in pots. ) I read, " if u can grow tomatoes, u can grow dahlias! " Is this true cici? Tomatoes are little harder 2grow here, they need extra attention ( bc bugs & fungus) ...Also, I read what soils best for potting dahlias but wanted to ask your opinion on what to use ? I have perlite- vermiculite- peat- a peat potting mix - black gold potting mix - old pine fines (Mix these in for drainage but it's pine & acidic? ) they don't sell reg. wood fines here ( like soil conditioner) only pine, any suggestions ? I was going to mix 1/3 of the peat potting mix w/ 2/3 garden soil like I read online w/ pine fines but the bagged garden soil sold in stores either has fertilizer in it or seems way too rich & holds too much water. I can't mix native sand in with it bc it's nematode infested. What do you think I should use & what's your experience with potted dahlias Or do u only plant in ground ? Im also planting some in ground. How do u think I should go ab it? How do u plant yours ? I was going to till an area & ammend w/ worm castings, mushroom compost or black cow ( is this too much nitrogen? ) make trenches n plant them in mounded rows. One of the dahlia nurseries lost loads of crop bc they used mushroom compost that apparently had herbicide in it ?? I'm sorry to ramble but do appreciate any of your input or advice cici ! I'm a quick learner, have a lot of hands on gardening experience & I'm a research freak - lol- but growing dahlias in Florida zone 9b this year is experimental - Also, what do u recommend I spray my dahlias with for fungus, mites & insects ? I have avid for mites but won't use it anymore! I sprayed my roses @ night last year but it was so hot the next day it burned my roses. so Im scared to use anything oil based unless it's winter bc the temps during the day even in spring are way too hot for any oil based sprays. I'm open to organic & non organic. I dont have much choice ab spraying when it comes to certain plants. If I don't spray, they'll become riddled w/ fungus & bugs so bad I won't be able to tell what it was I planted to begin with- it's sad :( I'm ready to move! I hate Florida honestly - sorry for the long response but appreciate any input !

You're asking for a whole lot of info, and I really only have limited time in which to answer you... sorry for that. I will try to point you the right directions...

Check out this page for lots of FAQs that might assist you...growing season FAQs

'dahlias like tomatoes?'
They are similar in the care regimen. Both needs soil warmth, support, fertilizer, consistent moisture (but not soggy) and pinched to perform at their best.

'potting mix combo'
That answer can change depending on who you ask. Personally, the perlite- vermiculite- peat-combo works very well for me.

'spray for fungus/insects'
Look at the "What can I do about bugs damaging my dahlias?" FAQ at this link to see different options. growing season FAQs

Hope this helps, Rachel.

Thanks cici - I appreciate it - your okay, I have 4 boys, a farm & I'm getting married in 3 mo so I know what it's like to be short on time. Sometimes I lock the bathroom door just to have a min to breathe before the boys come knocking ab something they need thanks for the links :)

I found a platinum blonde dahlia tuber!!!! YAAY!! It's from a link someone kindly posted on my other thread - a lady in Cleaveland that only sells locally is kind enough to send me one if I pay postage! I'm so happy - she said the pincushion varieties aren't popular in her area & will gladly send me one :) :) :)

Glad to hear it. That's wonderful.

That's awesome you found one! I know it's an even longer shot now, but do you think she'll have another?? If not, well at least let me know how it grows for you. I'm another Southern grower, but from Texas.

Girl!!! I didn't get it :( :( :( bc I live in this miserable state! Florida has restrictions for agriculture shipped into the state ( cali also): & she's not licensed, so she couldn't ship it. She was very kind & had platinums left. They don't favor the powder puffs in her area!! :( She told me she doesn't ship, only sells locally but I guess she thought my email was funny ( desperation.) She was sending me a tuber for shipping & handling & I told her I'd throw her a few extra bucks bc she's going out of her way to do so. Her email is online on her website bydesigndahlias@gmail.com I was hoping she would ship it anyway, but I'm a little more carefree I guess- Goodluck!! If u have any luck, get one for me !!!! I won't tell ! ;) ;)

I'll try! Then I'll find out about shipping from TX ;)

Yeah no matter where u ship from u have to have a license to ship in agriculture but I highly doubt one dahlia tuber in a small package is going to be a problem bc ur not a company but some people would disagree. I don't think everyone I buy tubers from off eBay & Etsy have a license to ship to my state . It's ok though, good luck!!

She just emailed me to decline :( It was worth a try, I guess

Awww!! Maybe that's y she told me ab my state restrictions ?? I buy 1-3 tubers often on eBay or Etsy from people who have a dahlia farm, ect. And I know not all have a license to ship into restricted states. I'm sorry - there's a dahlia named "Toto" its smaller than platinum blonde the plant itself & the stems are very short. It's one for pots but it looks much like platinum blonde. If u don't have this one?? It's on sale still on Etsy or eBay?? I'll have to check but it's a pretty powder puff like platinum- I bought a couple to hold me over until next spring when I'm able to purchase what I really want. :)

It's a yellow-ish white also

How do u grow ur dahlias in TX 123 ?? Do u just grow them in pots or do u have them in ground? I'm looking into a garden " sail" or a shade cloth covers to grow mine - I have many in pots doing well & some planted in ground but I waited too long to get them in the ground so they're growing slower than they should in the high heat right now.

I just saw the picture of Toto!!! I love it. I'll check Ebay and Etsy for it. Thanks!!

I have mine in the ground. I buried mine starting the first week of March, but some farms ship out later so some were planted in April, early and late May, so I do have plenty of blooms while some are just peeking from the ground. Who said you can't grow Dahlias in Houston, TX? Lol

that's so awesome!! It's nice to know Im not alone when it comes to growing in scorching temps! It was 94• today :-| I still have tubers to plant too. I can't quit buying them! If u have trouble finding toto let me know & I'll find exactly where I purchased it. I know it's still available bc I saw it last night while I was looking at "ice cube" to purchase. The pic the seller has posted for ToTo is a pic of the bloom barely starting to open so, it looks kindof crappy but it's definitely a full powder puff shape dahlia and a pretty one :)

I ordered 3 from Etsy from Caribbeangardens.

This should be the last tubers I purchase. I hope to make a bigger, more organized bed for them next year. I have about 22 varieties, one grew back from last year (my best performer from Lowe's) some doing great, some not. I do love powder puffs. I just buried one called Lambada. It's a pink powder puff. There will be more of these in my future.

Have you seen Dahlia Polka? Google it, it's beautiful! There is one vendor online who has it.

I bought it - omg!! That's another on my have to have list - thanks!! It cost me 30$ tho w/ S&H :( it was 28$!! That's Crazy for a tuber- but so worth it to me !! Thanks for the info! I also saw "labyrinth" that is another on my list that's gorgeous! It doesn't look as pretty in the pic- It's not an anemone but it's a beautiful dahlia. I would've bought it but spent spent 300$ this payday on all the double echinaceas I loved at 2 different mail nurseries. Have u checked those out? The " conefections" milkshake looks a lot like a white anemone dahlia. Has it rained since planting ur tubers - before they had a chance to poke thru the soil ?? I just planted some today n it poured- ugh! It's supposed to be rainy on n off all week I don't want my babies to rot I don't know what I should do :(

Which one did you pay $28 for?? Just ONE tuber? Where did you order from? I got 3 polkas and 2 lambadas for that price including shipping. I found another I will hunt down for next year called Paso Doble, another Platinum blonde look-a-like.

The cone-fections echinacea are beautiful. I like the Cherry Fluff Conefections Thinking about it still, though, lol. It's been raining the past 4 nights so I think I might dig and pot. I don't want them to rot either. I have black nursery pots I bought from Home Depot I can put them in until they come up.

I should've asked u where u got Polka from - Ugh!! :-| I just figured bc u found a vendor it had to be the same one bc I haven't seen it for sale lately. It was off amazon. I'll have to check my confirmation page to c where I bought it. The nursery I bought it from said it was a new addition for them. That's y it cost so much. Where did u buy yours? I feel like a total moron for paying that much, I could kick myself but it's all good.

Yesterday I found a nursery that had most of the double echinacea I wanted but they cost me 16.99$ a plant- absolutely Insane!! I found cherry online while looking & fell in love ! The nursery I bought from didn't sell it so I bought 2 from another nursery. Cherry & milkshake are my favs!! I think there's another echinacea as pretty as cherry but cant remember the name, I'll have to look. There's a few more I want to get but have to wait until I can afford it. I went overboard this week.

As far as the dahlias it didn't cross my mind to pot them up! Most of them get big. I only have 3-5 gal pots but only need them started so they don't rot during rain. Maybe it's ok to get them started in smaller pots until they leaf out, then transplant them out. What do u think ? Have u tried this with the larger dahlias ?

Just checked -i bought it from mabes warehouse.

I bought my polka from Mzbulb.com and I bought Cherry Fluff and Raspberry Truffle Echinacea from RootsRhizomes.com. They were 11.95ea + s&h for 3" pots. I really wanted Blue Bayou and Creme de Cassis Dahlia, but I won't pay an insane amount for one tuber when it's so late in the season so I'll wait. I ended up buying The Phantom dahlia from Home Depot. The bag has 5. The internet is dangerous, lol. No more! I'm done!! I'm keeping a wishlist on Pinterest for next ordering season. I preordered most of my tubers in January this year and those did better than the clumps I bought from big Lots. I only dug up 2 tubers without eyes and put in pots. We had some flooding yesterday and today I had some garden cleanup to do. I think they transplant just fine. I haven't let any get do big. I did it with a couple that I didn't have immediate room for. I've also relocated ones that weren't happy and they've fone fine. Things have gone pretty smoothly for my first year. Idk yet what the rest of the hot summer has in store.

I have 3 blue bayou if u want one, ur welcome to one. They're not the single fat tubers like swan island sells but a clump like u would buy from lowes or Walmart- but they're alive. Not sure the cost on shipping but I'm sure it's not much from here to TX.

have u seen the " Fiona coghill" lucanthemum ? Ooohhhhhh, I love it ! I bought a bare root a month back from Michigan bulb- it reminds me Of platinum blonde.

Yeah, the internet is serious business!! I just saw online today there are so many more varieties of double echinacea I don't have ! funny u mentioned, I found roots& rhizomes today & purchased 2 more echinacea from there this am- lol :) I wanted the double green one so bad but they're sold out. :( so I bought double white & raspberry truffle. I promised myself id slow down on the online spending. I'm gonna chill out for a while but I can't say I won't spend 30-40$ here & there :)

I bought a bell tree dahlia from Annie's annual & perennials (love the nursery!!) I have to say it's growing SO MUCH quicker than my dahlias!! When I looked up how to care for it, I ended up finding a gorgeous double variety So I put the phone down! I'll have to find a nursery that sells it in a couple weeks bc I have enough planting to do right now without anymore purchases.

Its wet n dreary here, typical summer weather in fla. I've been checking on my tubers I just planted & they're growing fine. I'm still concerned ab them rotting so I'm gonna pot them up then transplant them out when they're a little bigger.

Ive never heard of mzbulb I'm gonna wait to check them out otherwise I'm gonna get myself into trouble! Lol. I really love labyrinth but I'm gonna wait until next year for anymore dahlias I'm done I bought way too many for my first year!! I went all out & Im paying for it trying to get them in the ground!! I think I'm gonna copy u by saving my dahlia want list on Pinterest - I've been taking screen shots 2 save in photos but it's taking up too much space- I purchased my tubers from swan island dahlias in April but it wasn't until after this purchase that I started researching which varieties I want most :( that's were I screwed up!

Before I go, bc ur growing dahlias in the dep south like me, If u look up the Georgia dahlia society, they have a list of Heat Tolerant Dahlias ( by classification ) that r supposed to do much better in the south than other varieties. That list is what started my dahlia frenzy this year ;)

I think the echinacea I bought for 17$ is in 6" pots.

Really? I would love to try Blue Bayou! Please let me know how much. I actually found a creme de cassis tuber, so I caved, LOL. I was soooo close to getting that Fiona Coghill with the echinaceas, but I stopped myself.

Btw, it's also the Dahlia Society of Georgia list that got me started, too. I've just taken risks with all the ones not on it. The risks have been worth it so far. If you want to follow my board I'll pm you my pinterest. Here's some of my blooms this year:

Caribbean fantasy

Wizard of Oz

Lavender Perfection

Mystery Day (I think)

High Plains Majesty

Vista Kestyn

Chilson's Pride (should be pink, possibly mislabeled?)

High Plains Majesty

I had never heard of a dahlia tree but I looked and it's gorgeous! I'm guessing since it's native to Central America it should do well in Florida. Fyi, my profile picture was taken in Flda 8 years ago at Honeymoon Beach. I thought Flda is beautiful!

Yeah Fla is beautiful don't get me wrong I live in paradise here. I lived by the beach my whole life until we moved 2 yrs ago inland. The prob is since I've been clean (6 yr) I got into gardening & fla is challenging growing in bc humidity, heat & nematodes. Bugs & fungus are constantly trying to take over my flowers ! I didn't know u couldn't grow dahlias in Texas ? Ive never read they don't grow well in Texas but ur living there so u would know. :) I'll have to check out Creme de casis!! I think we're badly influencing each other- lol - I wish I could purchase more !! I want labyrinth soooo bad but I'm broke girl! I spent over 350$ this week on plants & had to suck up to my fiancé so he didn't get upset ab it - i actually started blue bayou in 3 gal pots. I was scared the rain would rot them - they're not poking thru the top yet. Don't worry ab paying for the postage!! Just don't forget ab me! U might have an extra tuber one day of a variety I'm dying to get my hands on :) how do u want me to package it ? In dirt in a small pot or in a baggie w/ peat moss ? Never sent one thru mail but I'll look online best way to send it so it doesn't go into shock n I'll let u know

By the way, your dahlias are gorgeous!! I'm so jealous! Mine aren't blooming yet :( I started way too late , ugh ! I love high plains majesty all of them are so pretty ! U give me confidence :) thanks for sharing please share more when they bloom :)

lol question, where did u chose to plant them ? How many hours of sun ? I'm so scared to plant mine out with so much rain but they're sprouted with a little bit of roots so they might b ok ?

I don't know how to send pm lol. As far as packing, idk! Lol. I've never done it, but we can learn. Anyway, we can trade tubers, if you'd like. I have the phantom coming in tomorrow and the pack is supposed to have 5 so I don't mind. Let me know. The phantom was actually being sold at a local nursery early in the spring, so it should be adequate for our climate. You know, Houston is very hot and humid. TX is so big that parts of North TX have good Dahlia weather. Our days in this zone get into the 100s come late June and July, and our nights stay warm. I live about 1hr away from Galveston island. Last year I planted REALLY late and the plants still grew, but didn't bloom. Two of them rotted because I overwatered and surprisingly one of them made it and bloomed this year. It's popular guest. I placed them in various areas of sunshine. All of them get morning sun afternoon shade. The fence faces east and some parts get 6.5hrs, 5 hrs, or 4hrs. The ones with 4hrs are leggier. I have one right smack in the middle of the yard that gets more than 8hrs, maybe 10 it's cafe au lait, it's growing nicely, I pinched it last week and it's making lateral growth. It stopped raining here. We got a light sprinkle yesterday and looks clear today, but very humid. One of my eyeless tubers made an eye, too. Now if I could figure out how to send pm.

Send pm ?? A dahlia ? Sorry u lost me - lol - yeah trading tubers sounds awesome! Ur my new bestie now!! Lmao - I just looked up the phantom!! Omg it looks similar to blue bayou. Both gorgeous. Heck ya I'll take one. We'll trade- I'll give u blue bayou for a phantom :) I don't mind trading w/ u - sounds like a plan to me- I also have a bunch of tubers I bought from Walmart that I stored in my closet. I bought them 2 mo ago tho!! But they're alive n well. I'll send u the names of the ones that have extra tubers in each bag. I'll send as many as I can fit in one of those Manila envelopes with the bubble lining ?? I'll purchase a few big ones so I can send extra tubers. Don't feel obligated to send me a match for everything I send ! really they're just tubers I don't care for as much as the ones I've been purchasing lately - I only bought them bc they were in my face @ Walmart - lol -

when u said u planted ur dahlias really late last year, how late was it ?? I'm scared sh*tl€ss mine aren't going to make it or bloom! It says fla too hot for blooms :( I promised myself I'm gonna do whatever it takes to grow a dahlia garden!! If I gotta buy shade hoops or garden sails!!! I'm gonna invest in a greenhouse one day bc a lot of my fav flowers don't grow well here! Like Astrantia! Omg I love astrantia!!

The sun came out yesterday even. For 2 hrs- woke up this am to the house shaking from thunder! It poured buckets ALL day!! It just now stopped & it's so gloomy out! This is day 6 of straight rain! I'm gonna cry if the sun doesn't come out!! I have a bunch of teddy bear sunflowers I started from seed- I bought as many fuzzy varieties I could get my hands on- they came up but need sunlight so bad ! I so want to move north!! Even in the pan handle, i don't care! I hate this rain it's sickening & depressing. Ill get ur tubers together but I need ur address - email me crossrachel@icloud.com

& send me ur cell no so I can txt u to get ur adddess :) here's names of my extras -

diary in love ( never found this online!) I'll post a pic ! terrone, new dimension, Kelvin Floodlight & of course blue bayou.

As far as diary - the sprout got big b4 I noticed & cut it back. growth might b slow for u this year but will take off next year. In the Deep S. we only have to dig up tubers once every 2-3 years to increase vigor & blooms which is good bc I'm kind of lazy - lol

I forgot I asked someone ab it & was told if u just cut the main stem back the tuber will put out new sprouts around it - I wouldn't keep the stem on diary it's too big around it'll prob slow down growth

I was just wondering if you got my email..

Yeah lol I'm slow girl ! Getting married in few months. Besides all my plants & gardens, I've got 4 boys, 3 dogs, a rescue horse, chickens, a pig & a gorilla ( my man) lol- my life is so crazy & loud, I forget everything half the time. some days I'm all over the place & lucky just to make it thru the day