Dahlia Society of California
June, 2005

Last chance to share tubers, cuttings & potted plants with members at very low prices. 7 PM at the Dahlia Dell, Deborah will conduct a hands-on disbudding, pinching & de-leafing seminar. 
Frank & Joanna pledge to bring delicious treats.

NEXT MEETING: on the 14th at 8 PM at 9th and Lincoln
Photo Consortium:  DJ & Franck, both winners of local & national dahlia photo awards, will share their opinions of what elevates winners over near misses. 
  

Tinnee, professional photographer extraordinaire, will analyze the judges’ aesthetic presentation.
All three photographers shoot digital, so bring your equipment questions as well as execution queries.

PESTS: 2 LEGGED TO MULTI:  Phil Rossi reviewed highlights from his 30 years career culminating in becoming the Director of Integrated Pest Management for San Francisco Parks & Recreation Department.  He facilitated the Juuls & Paradise first cutting propagation endeavor in a GG greenhouse.  Leading the brainstorming about how to thwart the vandalism occurring at the Dell, Phil entertained suggestions a 24-hour dahliacam, motion-sensored lights/water/noise alarms, metal cages for plants, & land mines. 

Jytte suggested putting a plastic cup over the spray nozzle to maintain narrow spot control in our own gardens.  Roger deploys “red mulch” a very thin plastic sheet which he nails down over his planting area, pokes holes big enough for the plant to emerge: red mulch cuts down on weeds & evaporation.

The audience jumped when Phil flicked on his snazzy propane torch which heats up to 50,000 BTU and can be purchased at Urban Farmer.  Despite the development of synthetic worms laced with poison to be dropped down mole & gopher runs, Phil swears by the faithful Macabee trap.  Aphids easily suffocate under Neem oil or even soap if caught early.

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Phil further expounded on EMI, Effective Microbes 1, which people in Japan actually drink.  Unlike compost tea, EMI is anaerobic, using stomach microbes, which works as an anti-oxidant, smells like apple vinegar.  It is available commercially through Emro, a Hawaiian firm.  Imagine vacuuming up earwigs! This proved a remarkable solution to the problem of how to prevent control panels flaming out when earwigs arced the insides.  Also, diatomaceous earth around a plant mortally cuts up earwigs.   It took Phil an hour to inch his way out into the parking lot after he finished speaking because so many people kept following him to ply him with questions. 

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ART IN THE HALL OF FLOWERS:  Both Marilyn & Carol will be exhibiting with the Sunset Artists Society June 4-5 where we held the tuber sale.  For more information: 566-9245.

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SOIL DRENCH:  Bayer Advanced Garden "Tree & Shrub Insect Control” prophylactically drenches soil.  The active ingredient is 1.47% Imidacloprid, same chemical used in "Marathon," "Merit" and in the flea control that is applied to the backs of cats and dogs.  When used as described below, it will NOT harm dahlias (NO phytotoxicity). Imidacloprid kills thrips, leafminers, leafhoppers, aphids, whiteflies and fungus gnats, thereby killing the most important vectors for virus! It is NOT useful against mites, earwigs or caterpillars. This insecticide has a VERY long residual activity; one application in June should be good for the rest of the growing season. Imidalcloprid is applied to the soil and taken up by the feeder roots.

Dilution is 100:1 (i.e. about 1 oz per gallon. This stuff is particularly good with potted plants. Dahlias are not listed on the label, but success has been reported with the following: 2 oz of diluted solution per 4 inch pot. 6 oz of diluted solution per 10 inch pot. 16-32 oz of diluted solution for a dahlia planted in the ground (more for the larger plants). Water sparingly for a week after application to prevent washing the stuff away from the feeder roots.   If you start to see any leaf miner damage in September, then reapply to those specific plants.  Bayer makes many "Advanced Garden" products so you have to be careful to get the right one.

TUBERS & CUTTINGS & PLANTS: OH MY!  Many thanks to Lou Lombardo for his last crop of luscious cuttings, to Barbara for her snazzy potted sprouts, to Mina for her boxes! of marvelous tubers & to Deborah for more milkcartoned plants.  Jytte added an extra dollar to the Birthday Bank because she remembered  sharing a natal anniversary with Evie Fox.  Thanks to Melissa for acting as a pro-tem treasurer. 

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JUNE JUBILATION:  To pinch or not to pinch?  Because of our warm weather, several young plants are producing early buds. While it would be utterly wonderful to have flowers so early, generally the first bud tends to be woefully crotch bound.  You have the choice of pinching out only the central bud or pinching out both the central bud & its accompanying two neighbors.  I tend to nip out all three.  Thus this early vigor will go directly to the burgeoning plant, not to a precocious but stubby first bloom.  Your choice: color now, or bigger and better flowers later.   

Bug-Geta Plus fends off both snails & earwigs—a MUST this time of year.  In my home garden, I have already done one anti-fungal spraying in conjunction with some fertilizer and calcium nitrate.   An early soil drench quells dirt-developing bugs.  As your plant reaches 24,” begin to take off the bottom leaves, discouraging snails, slugs & mildew. 

I remove non-flower producing leaves to encourage growth & allow more light into the plant & better air circulation. I check each leaf I remove for molesting critters. Most growers allow only one or two main stems to proceed.  If you are truly pained by pulling out the extra smaller, slimmer stems, pop them into a 4”x 4” pot to make a pot root for next season. Occasionally I let my soft heart get the better of me by leaving 3, but I usually regret it later on.