Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 2nd November 2024, 12:00 PMThank you
Yes, Ipswich - we don't get severe anything really, though they do on the coast which is about 12 miles to the East
And yes, that was going to be my next question regarding the dahlias - to leave in or store. The RHS says you can do both, but if you leave them in you must cover them in a deep pile of compost to prevent, of course, frost damage. I seem to remember many years ago the recommendation for storage was to cut the stalks back to about 6" and store them upside down in a box to drain indoors, which is no problem, but inconvenient.
Ah yes, I always buy pansies when they first become available, if only to provide colour but I see my Busy Lizzies in the basket are still flourishing, which I hadn't tried before.
So does you wife leave them in the trays she bought them in? And stores indoors or greenhouse?
On the pansies, we buy as late as possible, plant out by end October, cut off all flowers and ling straggly stems. They then seen to go a bit quiet, bulk up a bit then flower.. winter pansies is a bit of a misnomer, they should be called very, very late winter pansies, because they don't seem to get going till well after Christmas.
On Dahlias wet is the biggest problem if you leave in the ground - so on the Welsh borders thats a no-no (though a really deep frost (-10 +) will kill pretty well anything - but we don't seem to get those anymore)
But where you are you usually have pretty well drained, dry conditions - so might be worth the slight risk.
Storing indoors is a faff - but we don't have the choice - the only plus side being they are easier to divide when out of the ground.