November Digest 2024
Dear Dahlia Friends,
Happy November! 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
I think many of us were hit by frost a couple of weeks ago but my garden remains unscathed—and I’ll take it! This is the latest I’ve ever dug dahlias but I know many of you continue to dig through November.
Thankfully my husband has been doing most of the digging/washing for me this year and I’m always excited to see what he brings in for me to separate. It almost feels like Christmas morning, although I have had a few dahlias that didn’t really produce tubers so it can be a little disappointing at the same time.
I sometimes will carry dahlias overwinter if they don't produce tubers and I want to keep the variety. My process is chopping them back to about 12’’, potting them up, treating for powdery mildew and then popping them into the grow tent (I purchased mine from Indoor Gardens here in Cleveland) where I’ll check on them a couple of times a week to make sure they’re watered and eventually will take cuttings on the new growth. It’s definitely a process, but an option for you if you have hard to find varieties that you want to keep.
As the season is winding down, we still have a couple of events coming up that I’d love to see you at.
The first is the monthly meeting on November 15th, which will be via Zoom and then our DSO holiday party on December 7th. Be sure to RSVP so we can save you a spot.
Jess
Photo Contest
Make it stand out
Thanks to everyone who submitted photos for the annual photo contest. You can see all of the submissions here:
https://www.dahliasocietyofohio.org/preview-photo-contest-2024
Voting is open now through 6pm on November 8th. The winners will be announced at the next DSO meeting on November 15th.
November Meeting
Join us as Galena Berkompas joins us to share about her flower farm, Micro Flower Farm, in the PNW in Washington State where she lives with her husband and four children on 6 acres. She fell in love with dahlias back in 2020 with about 150 plants… and well, that number only increased with every year. Dahlias started out as a passionate hobby for her, and it quickly turned into a business as well. Currently, she grows 5000 plants, and over 500 varieties but she already has a plan to double that number in 2025.
Her goal is to grow and send out the healthiest dahlias that she possibly can and help find and propagate rarer varieties so that more people can experience their beauty and to that end, their farm holds a tuber sale at the beginning of every year.
As a flower farm, she grows thousands of other flowers throughout the year, but dahlias are definitely the star in summer and fall and she’s excited to share more about how she grows and nurtures these beautiful flowers.
Meeting details and Zoom link will be sent out on November 10th.
DSO Holiday Party
The DSO Holiday party is coming up in December. Please RSVP so we can make sure you’re on the list to attend.
The DSO will be covering the costs of the meal, and this year it will be on December 7th at Creekside Restaurant and Bar at 1:00 pm. Creekside is located at 8803 Brecksville Rd, Brecksville, OH 44141.
You have to RSVP to attend (please submit through the button below) as we do have a limited number of seats available for the event.
We will start a waiting list should we fill up, and you’ll be notified if other members cancel.