Here was the first Procut Orange Excel I cut on 6/21
6-21-18 Procut Orange Excell.JPG
Pro tip: even if the plant/flower is not wilting or nodding in the field, if the ground is dry, the flower head will bend/wilt a half day or so after you cut it and put it in water.
I cut about 10 a day after the one above and they looked unbelievable in the vase on our table. The next morning they were all nodded down. I recut and put in warm water with 3 teaspoons of sugar, but it was too late. They never bounced back.
I ran the drip tape a few times since and will try again today.
I sprayed the Dahlias last Saturday with Cleary's 3336 to get ahead of the powdery mildew. I hate spraying anything, let alone chemicals. This was a break from my normal standard of plant production. My reasoning was that it is not a crop I will eat and the parts that I will be handling eventually will not have been sprayed. I know that doesn't mean that I didn't introduce the material into the environment, but I sprayed each plant by hand, and they are on fabric and flanked by fabric and covered by a tunnel. hopefully that mitigates any movement, splashing, or run-off potential.
If I grow Dahlias next year, I will try to start earlier and get my compost tea brewing and try that weekly instead.