Last Dahlias for 2024 - For Real This Time - Mid-November 2024

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Yesterday, I posted a photo of our Disneyland Roses showing off their last round of blooms for the year and talked about how nice it is to have some of these colorful flowers this late in the season.  I suppose...it sort-of makes up for the fact that Spring seems to last FOREVER around here and the flowers don't begin to pop-off until August. 

2024 has been the season of the dahlia in our garden and it seems that I've called for 'a lid' on the dahlia season for weeks now.  The plants have been producing fewer blooms each week - starting in October and I assumed they were drawing to a close.  

I wanted to extend the season as best I could, so in mid-October, when we were facing a hard frost on a couple of nights, I protected the dahlias with some frost covers.  It appeared to work - and they kept on blooming.  

But, starting in November (when the weather turned cooler), I stopped watering the dahlias and began to think about my plan for trying to save the tubers.  In order to do that, I need the stalks to die back.  In order for the stalks to die-back...we need a hard frost.

Good news/bad news.

Good news:  we haven't had that KILLING FROST just yet.  And it is mid-November.

Bad news:  I fear I'm going to faced with a scramble to save/over-winter things including these Dahlias.

(More) Good news:  We have blooms on the dahlias.  In mid-November.  What??   Yep.  Blooms.  See below for a couple of photos showing the dahlias that are showing-off right now:

Melina Fleur Dahlia in Fall

Melina Fleur Dahlia in Fall

Cornell Bronze Dahlia in Fall

I'll be watching the weather to see when I can begin to pull out the tubers.  My plan (right now) is to try to save *some* and leave *some*.  The ones on the southside, against the house?  I'm going to try to leave those.  The ones up front?  I'll pull and try to preserve those. 

Location: Downers Grove, IL, USA

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