Evergreen State Dahlia AssociationOlympia Dahlias

May11 Newsletter

MAY CLUB MEETING

DATE:              Tuesday, May 17, 2010

TIME:               7:00 p.m.

PLACE:            Olympia/Lacey Church of God

                        5005 Lacey Blvd. SE, Lacey, WA

SUGARLESS SNACK/FRUIT:    J&K Mackey

DRINKS:                       John & Barbara Ensminger

DESERT:                                  William Pittman

DOOR PRIZE:                           JoAnn Mahaffey

BUSINESS:

Tuber Pack and Tuber sales outcome for the 2011 season.  Our tubers are for sale at Bark & Garden.  Discuss plans for July picnic/meeting.

PROGRAM:

Information about planting methods will be available at the meeting. This month’s speaker will be Wayne Lobaugh talking about seedlings and soil.  He will be giving us information on garden preparation and planting for our fast arriving dahlia season.

   The club tubers will be available to those at the meeting for $2.00 each. Each person at the meeting can choose one free club tuber. As you come into the meeting be sure and get you door prize drawing ticket.

JUNE CLUB MEETING

DATE:              Tuesday, June 21, 2010

TIME:               7:00 p.m.

PLACE:            Olympia/Lacey Church of God

                        5005 Lacey Blvd. SE, Lacey, WA

SUGARLESS SNACK/FRUIT:    Richard Harris

DRINKS:                                   Kathy O’Malley

DESERT:                                  Arlene Reynolds

DOOR PRIZE:                           John & Kathy Mackey

BUSINESS:      Details of Grays Harbor Show

AVAILABLE:     Dahlias of Today 2010 for sale.

                        Monthly Guides for sale.  Show tags

                        available.

PROGRAM:      Information will be available about

                        topping, watering, fertilizing.

MAY CULTURE

Planting cuttings and seedlings:  Plant your dahlia cuttings and seedlings like you would a tomato plant – deep.  Remove at least the bottom two sets of leaves, more if the plants are large.  Then place those “nodes” below the soil surface when you set out the plants.  Water in the transplants with a healthy dose of Liquinox Grow mixed according to label directions.  This will help prevent transplant shock and wilting.

Cuttings should be planted at a stake, just as you plant your tubers.  Seedlings can be planted much closer; many growers leave only inches between plants.  However, when grown that closely, those that show no promise should be removed as soon as they bloom, leaving more room for those that show some merit.

President’s Message

May is here! It’s time to plant dahlias, still don’t get too impatience. March was the wettest March in over one hundred years and April was the coldest April recorded. The report that I heard for May is for a nice seconded half of the month. I am hoping to plant on the 14^th and 15^th.  For me planting season is the promise that life will slow down for a few months. My wife is happy about this too. I started remodeling our bathroom in October and have been so busy that I am still working on it. Last week the tile started going up the wall for the shower stall, I have been told that the shower needs to be done by the first week of June. I have never installed tile before, whew, it’s a lot of work, I’m not sure I’ll make the deadline.

I want to thank those of you who helped with the tuber pack and the tuber sales. We had a fun time talking with the public about our favorite flower and bringing in money for our club functions. Our next big event will be hosting the Sothern Judges Training for the Federation of Northwest Dahlia Growers. I hope you will set aside time to attend this event, it is a great learning experience.

This month’s meeting discussion will be on seedlings and soil. Now is the time to be thinking about both. I hope to see you there.

Wayne Lobaugh Jr.

Featured Dahlia – Nick Sr. AA-ID-R

Introduced in 2009 by Swan Island Dahlias.

A member of the Portland dahlia Society kept telling me that I had to grow the one, but it is a giant size dahlia and I did not really care to. Bob still insisted and gave me three tubers, I was stunned by the flower it grows six feet tall and has thirteen inch blooms. The blooms have nice informal decorative form, the petals are red on the front and gold on the back. If you like giant dahlias this one should be added to your collection.