February Digest 2025
Hello from 2025! Please read below for a note from our president as well as information about upcoming meetings and events.
Meg
If you'd like to be featured in future issues of the Digest please email me at digest@dahliasocietyofohio.org.
A Note From Our President
It feels like this winter is dragging on a bit for me but my head is filled with dreams of my garden. Hopefully you’re surviving the dahlia sales and securing your new favorites for 2025. I’ll touch on our tuber and plant sales later in this email so you can be sure to save the date.
I also want to thank everyone who participated in the survey last month. It helps me to know what kind of events you’d be interested in and I promise we’ll have some good ones this year, the first of which will be our monthly meeting coming up in February, along with our 2nd annual seed swap.
There was some interest in some of the topics we’ve covered in previous years, so I thought I’d share links to those recordings for you.
I hope you all stay warm and I can’t wait to see you at an upcoming event.
Jess
Question of the Month
We polled all of our members to ask them when they are planning on waking up their tubers this year. Thanks to everyone who responded!
February. I recently learned about access to a greenhouse at the school where I work and I’m thrilled to start them inside.
March - in Greenhouse
April 1
End of January to start cuttings
End of March!
Beginning of April
I have 1 that I put in soil in January because it looked like it was a goner and it has sprouted! (Is that the word I am looking for?) I’m not sure if I can take a cutting from it since the whole tuber is below the surface.
Mid March
Not until mid April
I want to try waking up some select ones to try getting a head start on making sprouts from the mother tuber - hopefully before the end of January. And then, who knows, maybe I'll start more in pots in March? I worry about getting more than I can deal with, and then losing some to neglect.
A few in February, others through march and April after all danger of frost has passed because there is no time for extra work at this house 🤪
February and March for cuttings
End of March
April 15
I usually start the first week of April, like to get a head start on the growing season.
February/March
End of January to start cuttings
I have considered dividing them now, maybe try to sprout and grow cuttings and be ready to plant in May.
Extra special ones I pulled out in Dec, Mid Feb for unicorns and mid March for everyone else.
2nd Annual Seed Swap
Last year we had such a great time at our seed swap that I thought we’d hold it again.
It will be February 16, at 1:00 pm at the Panera in Independence so it’s central to everyone. The Panera is located at 6700 Rockside Road, Independence, OH 44131.
All seeds can be swapped (they don’t have to be dahlia seeds) so bring your veggies and other flower varieties to share.
If you have any questions, please email Jess at president@dahliasocietyofohio.org.
Tuber & Plant Sales
We have the dates set for this year’s tuber and plant sales—we’ll send more information closer to the date but this will help you to plan for them.
Tuber sale: April 12-13th, with tuber pick up at Petitti’s on April 26th.
Plant sale: May 3-4th, with plant pick up at Willoway on May 18th.
We will begin to start accepting tuber donations in March. If you’re interested in donating, please email Milli at tuber-sale@dahliasocietyofohio.org.
February Meeting
Starting back up via Zoom, our February meeting is scheduled for Feb. 21st and our speaker will be walking us through how to set up an irrigation system for your garden. Zoom link will be sent via email closer to the date.
Member Spotlight!
Name: Michaela Scurlock
City/Town: Galion, OH
Tell us a little about yourself (occupation, hobbies ect): Before starting our farm stand, soon to be our farm store as of Spring 2025(!), I worked with Intuit, insuring quality bookkeeping practices for their business customers. But in 2023, I started baking sourdough bread & sweets for our family and friends. In 2024, we built a farm stand to share our sourdough goods and dahlia bouquets with our community. This year we are expanding out flower garden and turning our shed into a farm store to meet the demand of our community!!
Number of years growing dahlias: Two years
How did you get into the world of dahlias? After my dad passed 2 days before Christmas in 2023 I needed something beautiful and worthwhile to dive head first into.
What is your favorite dahlia to grow? I'm a mystery tuber girlie! But the purple and peach tones are my favorite ones to make bouquets with for the farm stand.