Dahlias
Plant Beauty-Grow Roots
Grown at RainySunday
Every tuber we sell is grown here on our farm in Skagit county. We grow 2000+ dahlias each year. We grow named varieties including tried and true favorites, "unicorns," and new varieties we are trialing. In 2024 we will also have a small selection of 3rd year seedlings, a larger group of second year seedlings and a huge cohort of first year seedlings that have all been hybridized at RainySunday.
Soil-Feeding and Weeding
We handle weeds by pulling them out by hand and keeping the soil covered as much as possible. Mulch includes alfalfa and manure from our dairy goats, spent grain from the local brewery, woodchips from our woodlot, and cardboard; we are trialing clover as living mulch in some areas as well. The soil is fed by the above mulches, biochar and vermicast created here on the farm.
Plants-Managing Pests
Pests create unsightly dahlias and can spread disease so it is important to manage insect pressure in the dahlias. The most important step in managing pests is to prevent them by encouraging healthy plants! As detailed above, we feed the soil to feed the plants. We also foliar feed the dahlia with molasses, compost teas, dilute vermicast, and milk to get nutrition to the plants quickly and directly. We carefully spray for pests using strictly organic sprays and time applications to not impact pollinators.
Disease-Clean Between and When in Doubt
Biosecurity is extremely important to us at RainySunday. We actively strive to prevent and handle disease spread in our dahlias. New dahlias are planted in our "trial garden" so we can observe them for a year before adding them to our permanent beds. We "clean between" each and every plant, each cut, each tool, at all stages of handling our dahlias. We sanitize tools with 2% Virkon S which is one of three methods suggested by the American Dahlia Society as effective against dahlia viruses. Any dahlia that shows symptoms of virus or does not thrive is thrown out: tubers, plant, flowers and all. We participate in the ADS virus testing program as well as some limited virus testing on our own, but extensive testing is cost prohibitive so we do what we can via sanitation and culling suspect plants.
The Gather Garden
The Gather Garden is a new addition to RainySunday in 2024. Managing the dahlia propagation gardens for tuber production and biosecurity is intense and somewhat exhausting, to be honest. We desperately desire a relaxed flower garden that doesn't require the strict sanitation procedures as the rest of the farm and the Gather Garden will be that for us and our visitors. It is a clearly marked area where flowers can be cut, gathered, and enjoyed without the stress of the propagation gardens. Any dahlias planted in the Gather Garden are not used for tuber sales, the tubers do not ever re-enter the tuber propagation gardens. Dahlias in the Gather Garden are still culled for any evidence of disease and fed/treated/managed for pests to minimize insect disease vectors on the farm.
All tubers sold are grown here on our farm and are sold individually labeled and packaged in vermiculite. Tubers can be picked up on-farm or shipped nationwide. Dahlia tubers will ship in April 2024; if you need your tubers sooner, please add the "early ship" option to your cart.
Flowers
A huge dahlia bouquet every week for five weeks starting in August.
Enjoy the bounty, variety, and beauty of the dahlia season!
Farm Stand and Gather Garden
48302 Yeager Rd, Concrete, WA
Cash, card, venmo
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confirm availability.
*Stay tuned for 2024 hours and plans*