The over winter dahlia experiment
It’s rare that we can come up with something we think to be brilliant from what seems (on the face of it) a crack pot idea. Prepare yourself, dear reader, to be amazed as you read on…
Last October we were deciding what to do with our dahlias. The first hard frost had knocked back all the flowers on the plants, leaving them looking ‘burnt’ and black in colour – an indicator it was time to chop them back to ground level and either leave them in the ground to cover with muck and protect them over the winter months or dig them up and dry them.
In the past we have done both. Digging up the tubers to completely dry them off for the following season has always been hit and miss with us.
Often, the tubers rot or go mouldy – even when we thought they had been laid down perfectly dry. But this time – complete success with a capital ‘S’!
Right then. There are few links between cats and dahlias – until now. Even thinking about cats, we don’t necessarily relate cats to cat litter. Why should we?
And, more importantly, why think about the non-clumping, non-fragranced, low-priced type? Yes, this stuff does exist and by this time next year, it may well have doubled in price when we explain what we did with it in our ‘over winter dahlia experiment’!
Through a sudden flash of inspiration, the idea was there! Cats use different types of cat litter in their trays. We know it is a material that is totally absorbent and that was it – it was something so simple – why not lay down dahlia tubers in cat litter over winter? Nothing ventured, nothing gained…
We dug up 17 dahlia tubers from the plots and over a couple of days cleaned them of all visible excessive soil.
As the tubers started to dry off, we grappled with a large, plastic storage-type container and its lid from the shed and tipped around four inches of cat litter into the base of it. We then carefully laid the drying dahlia tubers on top of the pale-coloured grit.
The container and contents were transported home where it stayed for the following five months in the cool of a spare bedroom before the grand reveal at the end of March.
The container was returned to the plots where we unclipped the lid and to our shock (and relief) it had worked! Fifteen of the tubers had already sprouted shoots and all appeared dry, clean and healthy! Is this going to be the way ahead for us with our dahlias in the future?
Each of the tubers were planted into individual plant pots, gently watered before leaving them to rest in the greenhouse to get slowly acclimatised to the allotment again.
Come July we should have a fantastic dahlia display on the plots and cats will have learned how to dig outside again! And that’s meow it happened!
Cocktail cucumbers (Image: Potty Plotters) Experiments for 2025
Every year we both aim to grow something new on our plots. It keeps our knowledge alive and up to date and supports information sharing on our community adventures when we are out and about. So, what of 2025? Ironically, we have both gone small!
Elaine is growing a dwarf sweet pea ‘Pink Cupid’ which is reported to be perfect as a bushy, compact variety, suitable for hanging baskets and containers.
Fingers crossed they are highly fragrant, but we aren’t quite sure how these blooms grow or even if they can be picked as a cut flower. Although we don’t know, it will be fun finding out.
Julia, however, has opted for a cocktail cucumber ‘Quick Snack’! The variety is reported to be a ‘game changing variety with sweet, crisp fruits which are non-bitter’.
We presume her cocktail glass will be a normal size, not a giant one, but how she is going to fit a whole cucumber into a glass as well as her mix of alcohol will be a sight to behold!
The seeds of this plant were set in March and nurtured at home on the warm windowsill. As the plants grew, each was set into induvial plant plots ready to be planted into the ground of the cedar wood greenhouse.
Though this variety is ideal for small gardens, balconies, or even conservatories, what makes these plants different is that they can set their fruit without any need for pollination so can grow happily indoors to a maximum height of 20-24 inches with a spread of 15-20 inches.
As with other cucumbers, these plants need well drained soil and adore sunny conditions. So, if you don’t fancy a cucumber cocktail, why not use one as a perfect filling for a tiny, weeny cucumber sandwich?
We adore greenhouses – no matter the shape, size or colour. We love them!
Every year (before even thinking about planting in ours) we scrub the glass both inside and outside to maximise the summer sunlight.
It’s simple: grab the squeegee mop, bucket and water and scrub!
For inside the structures we use ‘Garlic Greenhouse Candles’ which are easy to use and are animal friendly. Simply place the candle on a brick in your greenhouse, light the fuse and leave overnight to get rid of any lurking diseases.
Now clean and sparkling they’re ready for plants…
We’ve tried just about everything to rid the plots of these creatures. Of course, they are part of our natural eco system and work wonders in the compost heaps and bins. But they eat too many of our plants leaving little for our own families!
The most effective tried and tested deterrent on the allotments that we know of are nemaslugs. These are biological microscopic predators that can be ordered online and are safe to use around other wildlife. Each pack has a ‘use by’ date with clear instructions for best effect – not cheap but they do work.
Every year (usually on the first Saturday in May) gardeners are encouraged to tend their plots as nature intended – naked! Reminding us to be honest with being humans…
We think it must have been someone in a warmer climate who decided on this date as, generally, it’s very chilly, even when dashing round the garden.
But to say that participation is ‘fun’ is an understatement. Equate it to swimming in the sea at Skegness in winter; neither of these activities are for the feint hearted and observing them (even from a safe distance) is only marginally less shocking!
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