The difference a year made in my dahlia bed still surprises me

Mia Hall · 2026-04-24T08:15:05.690626+00:00

I planted a mixed batch of dinnerplate dahlias last spring in a spot that only got morning sun. By August they were tall but spindly, with flowers the size of golf balls. I was so disappointed I almost dug them up. But I left them in the ground over winter, mulched heavy, and this year they came back like completely different plants. Same bulbs, same spot, but now the stalks are thick and the blooms are as big as dinner plates. A grower at the farmers market told me last year's stress actually made the tubers store more energy. Has anyone else seen a dramatic second-year turnaround from something they almost gave up on?

thea6026mo ago

@blair_chen81 had a similar vibe with her peonies, and mine did the same thing after I babied them through a bad first year.

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blair_chen816mo ago

My friend had the exact same thing happen with her peonies.

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wren2306mo ago

Wait, wait - dinner plate sized blooms off the same bulbs that gave you golf ball flowers last year? That's wild! I've never heard of a stressed plant storing up energy like that, but it makes total sense when I think about it. My irises did something similar after a drought year, but not that dramatic of a change. I bet those tubers are absolute monsters underground now.

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