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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Dahlias have lost their vigor

A dahlia is cut near the ground at Manito Park. The plant will remain in the ground for about a week until the tuber is dug out. This allows sugars to build and tells the plant to be dormant, and promotes better eye formation. (The Spokesman-Review)
Pat Munts Correspondent The Spokesman-Review
A dahlia is cut near the ground at Manito Park. The plant will remain in the ground for about a week until the tuber is dug out. This allows sugars to build and tells the plant to be dormant, and promotes better eye formation. (The Spokesman-Review)

I’ve grown dahlias for many years, and have always successfully saved the tubers to plant the next year. I’ve also traded tubers with friends, and have enjoyed a mix of large- and small-flowered dahlias, as well as tall and short dahlias in every color imaginable.

This year I planted several hundred tubers and no matter what the size or shape, every plant produced purple ball-type flowers. No dinner-plates or water-lily types … no whites, yellows, reds, oranges … just purple.

I dug a couple up, and was amazed to see the tubers were small round balls, long finger-shaped, large potato-shaped – it didn’t seem to matter what they looked like, the flowers were all purple balls.

I didn’t think dahlias cross-pollinated. Do you think that is what happened?

The flowers are pretty, but I really don’t want that many purple ball-shaped dahlias and don’t think I’m even going to dig them this year. Am I going to have to start over after all these years? And if I do, how do I keep this from happening again?

Elaine

What a bummer! Assuming you stored the tubers all in one place and box, the only thing Bill Davis of Davis Dahlias could think of is that even though the tubers you planted looked good, they had lost their vigor in storage and weren’t able to grow once in the ground – except the purple balls. Recheck your storage methods when you start over which, unfortunately, you are going to have to do to get your color range back.

The only way you could get cross pollination is if you planted by seed. The tubers don’t cross with one another.

Used pool water not for gardens

We moved into a house with a pool and a relatively large yard. Periodically we need to backwash the pool and I watch as all that water runs out onto the lawn. I’ve read a bit about gray water and use of rain barrels, so my question is whether this water can be reused to water a garden plot? Our vegetable garden is within 10 feet of where we backwash. Will the pool chemicals be harmful to plants (the grass appears very green where we backwash)? If so, would it be helpful to filter the water or contain it?

Margaret

Thank you for trying to be a good steward of our water. Unfortunately, swimming pool water is technically gray water that by law can’t be used on gardens. According to Mike LaScuola, an environmental health specialist with the Spokane Regional Health District, the water can still carry pathogens even with the chemical treatment. To be useable as garden water, it would first have to go through the general wastewater treatment system. Not something you could buy a home kit for.

Also the chemicals in the water could harm sensitive plants. If you have questions on this or the use of gray water in general, you can call the Spokane Regional Health District at (509) 324-1560.

Gray water is water drained from showers, baths, washing machines and kitchen sinks, which sometimes can be used for irrigation purposes if collected and run through a special system. For a fact sheet on gray water use in Washington, go to http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/WW/GreywaterFact.PDF.