Dahlias Not Blooming: Investigating Light, Pests, and Virus Symptoms

Gardener's dahlias self-divided and spread but produced few flowers/no big blooms. Didn't lift tubers.

Diagnosis (The Long Island Gardener)

Dahlia season over; hard to diagnose now. Need to recall symptoms:

• Leaf mottling, curling, pale color, stripes (virus)?
• Petal damage, brown marks, insects in buds?
• Sun exposure: dahlias need full sun.
• Pests: spider mites, corn borer.

Small tubers can still produce dinnerplate blooms. Reply with symptoms, sun exposure, care routine.