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Dahlias never fail to impress. These flower-producing machines start blooming in midsummer, hit their stride in early August and then bloom their heads off, non-stop for 10 weeks straight.
To plant all but the diminutive-sized dahlia types, dig a 6- to 12-inch-deep hole and amend the soil with compost. If the soil drains poorly, mix in some fine gravel. Backfill the hole with native soil and plant the tubers 2 to 4 inches deep, and about 1 to 3 feet apart, depending on the variety.
Dahlias grow well in pots , though you need to be very careful not to let them repeatedly dry out. 1 They also will need to be regularly fertilized during the growing season, and many will need to be staked so they don’t fall over. If you are looking for enormous flowers, look for ” dinner plate ” dahlias .
You can dig up the tubers in fall, store them over the winter and plant them again next spring. Dahlias are not considered to be biennial. Dahlias , on the other hand, are perennials. In their native warm climate, they re-sprout from their underground tubers to bloom each year .
Fresh coffee contains about . Next season I plan to use coffee grounds around my dahlia garden to discourage the slugs and snails. In addition to the above grounds make a wonderful addition to your compost pile. ALL THIS and THEY are FREE!!
Select a planting site with full sun . Dahlias grow more blooms with 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight . They love the morning sunlight best. Choose a location with a bit of protection from the wind.
Dahlia tubers are sometimes called a “bulb”, but they are technically a tuber, similar to a potato. Underground, the tubers multiply each year (again, like a potato). You only need one tuber with one “eye” to successfully grow a vigorous dahlia plant.
The more buds and flowers on a plant the smaller the flower will be. Tammy – pinch the dinnerplate dahlias you love after the third set of leaves. If you buy plants that will get to 3′ or less pinch them at the second set of leaves.
Before planting , soak tubers in a bucket of tepid water for an hour so they can fully rehydrate. Starting off your dahlia tubers in pots will also encourage them to develop more quickly, so they’re likely to start flowering earlier.
Choose dahlias that will grow well in the space you have available for them. Start with Miracle – Gro ® Brilliant Blooms dahlias *. A month after planting , feed plants every 7 to 14 days up through budding and flowering with Miracle – Gro ® Water Soluble Bloom Booster® Flower Food. Deadhead and disbud to encourage big blooms.
Overwintering dahlias is easier than you might think. If you live in hardiness zones 8-10, where winter temperatures rarely fall below 20° F, you may leave your dahlia tubers right in the ground . Simply cut the plants back to several inches above soil level. They will start growing again in spring.
Pests such as aphids, root knot nematodes and mites may cause your dahlias to wilt. These dahlias should be discarded and you should treat the soil to prevent spreading the pests. Dahlias kept in soggy soil are susceptible to root rot, verticillium wilt and other diseases that make the plant wilt.
Most dahlias will be best in full sun. But some varieties will be better in the shade than others. ‘They would only have had a few hours of direct sunlight a day. ‘
Apply granular, general purpose feed at planting time. Liquid feed at fortnightly intervals from early July to early September with a high-potassium feed , like tomato feed , to boost flowering. In summer containers , feed as you do your other container plants, usually weekly.