Dahlia preparations

Tulip field near Grote Keeten

Just recovered from an overdose of Daffodils and we are already up to our ears in Tulips, what a beautiful spring this year. The weather couldn't be better, almost every day sunny, almost no wind, every flower is more beautiful than beautiful this spring. Polder garden Anna Paulowna

It is truly fantastic. If you are ever in the area, take a look at the Poldertuin in Anna Paulowna. I have rarely seen it so beautiful, a compliment to all the volunteers – mainly consisting of retired bulb growers – who made this happen.

But what I often forget in all my enthusiasm in the spring is to remind you that we also have some Dahlias in the shed for you. Now I have to remember not to accuse all my dear readers of having a memory like a rabbit's tail, but of all the proverbs and sayings I know, there is truly one that is always true: 'If it rains in May, April is over'. Exactly, that's what I mean, before you know it you are too late to order Dahlias. Dahlia GF Hemerik. The King's birthday, so an orange Dahlia 😊

Perhaps it would be nice to show you the life cycle of the Dahlia that you may plant in your garden. We will take a look behind the scenes at good friend and master Dahlia breeder Peter Komen in Anna Paulowna. Almost always, the construction of a batch of Dahlias starts with a tissue culture. Not only for the quick start of a new species, but also to start clean. By clean I mean completely free of virus and other diseases, such as cysts and gall, which are caused by bacteria. A tray of Dahlia plants from the tissue culture laboratory Planting out the small plants

These small tissue culture plants grow into a full-fledged Dahlia plant in the first year. At Peter's they are placed on a piece of land where they grow into what we call 'lay-on tubers'. Above you see the batch of tubers of the Dahlia Lizz Baaij last summer

I know, you are impatiently wondering what 'fixed tubers' are, but the answer will come soon. In the garden where the fixed tubers grow, the Dahlias are again carefully selected for diseased and sore and of course for true to type. This is what is meant by laying-on tubers. The Dahlia tubers that are dug up from the field with the so-called laying-on tubers are planted in January in a heated space on trays. This is the so-called laying-on of the tubers, to let them grow. When they come to life after six to eight weeks, the sprouts, the green shoots, are carefully picked off. It is important that a piece of skin from the Dahlia tuber is taken with each sprout. This piece of skin is important because the roots will grow from it. A plucked cutting without the skin of the mother tuber will not work: it will not make roots. As soon as the cuttings are picked from the Dahlia tuber, the tuber immediately starts making new shoots: after all, it wants to survive. More than 30 plants can be picked from a healthy tuber. This sprout, or as the Dahlia grower calls it 'this cutting', is dipped in rooting powder and then planted on a tray with holes. These trays with the Dahlia cuttings are put in the shed for another week or two to make roots. Once the roots are well developed, they go outside to harden off. With a large cloth next to them, because as soon as there is a chance of night frost, they are covered to prevent freezing. After Ice Saints, May 11, they are planted out in the field to grow there in 1 year into the Dahlia tuber that you will receive. So every tuber that you receive from us this year was still such a small Dahlia cutting last year at this time, and these are the cuttings that grow into the tubers that you can order from us next year. Dahlia Statue of Orange

This was the life cycle of a Dahlia tuber in a nutshell. We still have a few for you in our shed, feel free to take a look at our extensive range. It would be fantastic if this beautiful journey that the Dahlia has made ends in your garden. 😊

Also fun to show

Right in front of our house, an Amsterdam pole dance academy is making a photo report of all its students for two days, nice view, isn't it. The most impressive poses are adopted, and they have different colored cloths with them that color beautifully with the tulips in the background.

When a student came to use our toilet she asked if I wanted to try it too. Whether I said yes you will see in one of my later newsletters… 😊

Time to get back to work. Next week a newsflash from Vlad, because I'm going to Kazakhstan for a week to look for Tulips in the wild.

Kind regards,

Carlos