There is something so special about that time between summer and fall. Maybe we know that the flowers will soon be gone, so we naturally feel the need to slow down and enjoy all the splendor before the first freeze. It’s also the time of year when the dahlias are putting on their best show; there’s nothing I love more than looking out over a rainbow dahlia field!
With the height of their blooming season, this month has been all about the dahlias. We started the month off with Dessert in the Dahlias, where we got to invite some wonderful people onto the farm to celebrate the height of the season. We walked the fields, fed treats to the cows, snacked on Snohomish Pie Co. pies, and enjoyed our time together. I’m reminded by the love of the dahlia community that brings us all together to celebrate these amazing flowers!
We also are honored to have been a spot on the National Dahlia Association’s tour of local farms! It was so special to see so many familiar faces and friends within the dahlia community. To keep our farm up to industry standards, we also had our annual inspection by the department of agriculture. We passed! This is important when we have our dahlia sale, as you’ll see our sticker showing that our field and stock is healthy from visible signs of dahlia disease.
Soon, we’ll be headed down to Waco to be a part of Magnolia’s Silobration. Preparing for the upcoming event has us all excited and hustling to bring as many flowers seeds and bulbs as we can! We’ve been harvesting and drying out the last of the seeds while packing our new seed packets for our sweet pea and annual varieties. If you’re attending, be sure to come by our booth and say hi!
One of my favorite parts of the dahlia field is our new addition of the second field which houses our seedling patch! I’ve been loving going out into the patch to discover what new varieties we may want to grow out. When choosing what varieties to keep for another season, we’re looking for petal count, petal shape, size and color.
October Dahlia To-Dos:
- Dahlias are cut and come again flowers, meaning the more you cut, the more they bloom! Make sure you stay up on cutting so that your flowers don’t go to seed prematurely.
- Labeling dahlia varieties while they are still blooming is the best way to do it! It makes it easy because you have the flower to reference. I tag my dahlias with plastic tagging tape. Pro tip: color coordinate! Green means keep, red means not growing again next season.
- Consider collecting seeds this season to grow out your own dahlia seedlings! Each seed a dahlia produces contains unique genetics so every flower will be a brand new, never before seen bloom! To collect seed, wait for the seed pods to form and have all the yellow pollen disappear. This will create a “black eye” and you should be able to feel the seeds inside the pod.
- Remove the Lower Leaves:
- During this time of year, powdery mildew can start to set in. This isn’t a virus, and it’s inevitable as the season comes to a close. It can come on quicker and spread faster due to lack of airflow. To help keep it at bay, strip the lower leaves off the plants to increase the airflow throughout the dahlia patch.
I’ve been soaking up these perfect fall days, enjoying the flowers, the pumpkins, and the time with family. The big dig is around the corner, so I’m happy to settle into the slower moments in these shorter days. I hope that you are also finding peace between the moments of hustle and are able to slow down and enjoy the last of the flowers.
