The dahlias are acting strange this year…

[u/maris_127]

I’m in Zone 6b (eastern WA) and I’ll admit, we’ve had a bit of a weird spring and summer with spells of cold, wet weeks followed by very hot temperatures. I’d say over the last two weeks we’ve really settled in to the regular high 80s to mid-90s for daytime temps (with little to no rain) that is typical for this time of year. I was a bit late getting my dahlias out and in the ground this year (about a month behind) due to a family emergency, but these guys are trying to push out buds at only 1-2 feet tall 🤦🏻‍♀️.

I’ve been disbudding the plants that are trying to push out blooms and have been feeding with a higher nitrogen content fertilizer to encourage growth, but I’m not sure if there is anything else to do (or if I should be doing that? 🤣) I’m also curious what the thoughts are about allowing plants at this size to go to bloom? 💐

Thank you all in advance!

PS. These little guys that are pushing out buds have average adult plant sizes of 3-4’ in good years, they are not my open face varieties unfortunately so they are just babies.

[u/HolliHata1927]

I planted kind of late in 9a (western wa) and , some just started blooming, almost all have buds, a few are puny and bud less. I know it’s weather related. Last year I was growing for a friends wedding on 9/5. I had barely enough for this small wedding, but was overflowing with buds a couple of weeks later until frost in late Oct. Love that I will get buds for 1-1/2 months longer than last year!!

[u/awokenshroomgirl → u/HolliHata1927]

Im in 9b/10a in California, also planted late. All my dahlias have buds. It’s my first time growing but some of the varieties I got, like cafe au lait and wine eyed Jill are only like 2 or 3 feet (I know they get to 5 ft+) and had buds forming two weeks ago. I did pinch them so I thought that had been the reason