🌸 SATURDAY'S SAVVY TIP: The Dahlia Dilemma

Cafe au Lait

You've eaten your bodyweight in Christmas pudding, and now you're eyeing the garden catalogues. Those glossy dahlia photos are tempting, aren't they? Dinner-plate blooms in jewel tones, promising months of cut flowers from a single tuber...

But here's what the catalogues don't tell you.

What Makes Dahlias Tricky in Dordogne

Timing is Everything

And catastrophically easy to get wrong:

- Plant too early (before mid-April)? Our surprise frosts kill tender shoots overnight. One late cold snap and your €8 tuber is compost.

- Plant too late (after May)? They're behind schedule and never reach full potential – you'll get scraggly plants with half the blooms.

- Store incorrectly over winter? Rot destroys expensive tubers by February. Too damp = mush. Too dry = shrivelled husks.

Planting Depth is Non-Negotiable

15cm deep, eye facing up, exactly.

- Too shallow? Unstable, falls over in wind

- Too deep? Rots or never emerges

- Sideways? Won't flower properly

- No idea which end is the "eye"? You're not alone – most people plant them upside down.

The Staking Trap

In Dordogne's June winds, un-staked dahlias snap like matchsticks. But here's the catch: you must stake at planting time, not when they're tall. Drive a stake through a tuber later and you've just killed your plant.

Pests Love Them

Earwigs hollow out blooms overnight. Slugs demolish shoots. Aphids colonise buds. Without a proper care regime, you're feeding the local wildlife expensive flowers.

Varieties That Actually Work Here in Eymet

Not all dahlias handle our clay-limestone soil and 35°C summer heat. Here are proven Dordogne performers:

Bishop of Llandaff (Semi-cactus, 90cm)

- Dark chocolate foliage, scarlet-red blooms

- Heat-tolerant, reliably reblooms June-October

- Strong stems, good for cutting

- Why pros help: Needs early staking despite "compact" label. In clay soil without proper amendment, it gets leggy and flops.

Café au Lait (Decorative, 120cm)

- Huge 25cm dinner-plate blooms in blush/cream/peach

- Instagram favourite, absolute showstopper

- Heavy feeders, water-hungry in our summers

- Why pros help:Requires serious three-stake system or breaks under own weight. Most DIY stakes fail by July.

David Howard' (Decorative, 90cm)

- Bronze foliage, burnt-orange blooms

- Compact, reliable rebloomer

- Handles heat better than most varieties

- Why pros help: Spacing is critical – too close and you get mildew in humid Dordogne summers. We know the exact spacing needed.

Ferncliff Illusion' (Single, 60cm)

- Purple-black foliage, white violet pink blooms

- Compact border variety

- The closest thing to a "beginner dahlia"

- Why pros help: Still needs proper lifting/storage or loses vigour year two. Most stored tubers rot by spring.

Chat Noir

- Deep burgundy, almost black blooms

- Exceptional cut flower, long vase life

- Thrives in our summer heat

- Why pros help: Requires deadheading every 3 days for continuous bloom. Miss a week and flowering stops.

The 80/20 Rule of Dahlia Success

Here's the truth bomb: variety choice is only 20% of success.

The other 80%?

✅ Soil preparation – Our Dordogne clay needs serious amendment for drainage or tubers rot

✅ Perfect timing – Planting when soil hits 12°C (not calendar dates)

✅ Correct depth and orientation – Eye up, 15cm deep, no guessing

✅ Professional staking – From day one, not when they're falling over

✅ Pest protection regime – Earwig traps, slug barriers, aphid monitoring

✅ Deadheading schedule– Every 3-4 days for continuous bloom

✅ Lifting and storage – Proper curing, correct humidity, monthly checks

Get ANY of those wrong, and even 'Bishop of Llandaff' fails.

Bishop of LLandaff

Why Call Down to Earth?

We don't just stick tubers in the ground and hope:

- ✅ We amend soil properly for drainage (critical in Dordogne clay-limestone)

- ✅ We time planting for soil temperature, not guesswork

- ✅ We stake proactively before plants need it

- ✅ We establish pest protection that actually works

- ✅ We know which varieties thrive in Eymet's microclimate vs. catalogue fantasies

- ✅ We lift, cure, and store your tubers properly so they return year after year

One professional planting = years of reliable blooms. One DIY disaster = wasted money and empty borders.

Where to Buy Quality Tubers

Online with Delivery:

Farmer Gracey https://www.farmergracy.co.uk/products/dahlia-bishop-of-llandaff-tubers-uk  

Excellent selection, €5.99 delivery under €50 spend, FREE over €50

Local Dordogne Suppliers:

Jardinerie Delbard Bergerac– Good dahlia selection February-April, expert staff

Ready for Summer Dahlias That Actually Perform?

🛒 Buy your tubers– Order January-February for best selection https://www.farmergracy.co.uk/products/dahlia-bishop-of-llandaff-tubers-uk

📞 Professional planting & care -Contact Down to Earth - Contact

🌍 Serving Eymet & 25-mile radius

📧 Email: downtoeartheymet@gmail.com

📞 Phone: 06748740935

Next Saturday: Hydrangeas – The pH Diva Who Demands Perfection

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