Gabrielle Ruel
• Dahlias are most often grown from tubers (like bulbs) planted in the spring. If you want the best varieties though, be taking notice of the plants that are blooming in early fall, and take note of the variety. One way to do this is to visit a nursery and check out plants in pots. I don’t recommend planting them from pots in the fall… they just aren’t a good value for the time they will bloom before frost. Start them in the spring for a longer bloom time and healthier plants.
• Choose tubers that are healthy and starting to sprout, or order online from a good quality company.
• Plant in late spring after the soil is warm in full sun… don’t plant too early. A good rule of thumb is to plant when it’s safe to put tomato plants in the ground.
• Plant in rich, well drained soil, so that the crown is just below the soil. Don’t water until they start to sprout out of the soil They are prone to rot.
• For tall or dinner plate varieties, put several stakes around the plant, so that you can secure the heavy plant as it grows. Tomato or peony cages are good for this also, depending on the size you are growing.
• Fertilize every two weeks with a bloom fertilizer. Its important that you use a fertilizer low in nitrogen, (thats the first of the three numbers on a fertilizer) because too much nitrogen will grow big plants with no blooms.
• Keep well watered, but try not to water late in the evening, especially later in the fall. They can develop powdery mildew. if your area is prone to mildew (on roses, for instance) then you can use a commercial or natural anti fungal spray starting in July to prevent it.
• When your plant is 6-8 inches tall, pinch off the top growing point above the third set of leaves to encourage a bushier plant. Remember to clip off dying flowers at least once a week to promote more blooms.
• Dahlias can be hardy down to zone 7, but are usually treated as an annual.
• If you want to lift your tubers and save them to replant next spring, do so before the first frost. Cut them back to 6 inches, and use a fork to gently pry them from the soil. Let them dry out for a few days, then store them in loose sawdust or vermiculite in an area that doesn’t freeze, such as an insulated garage.
• To cut dahlias, cut them in the early morning hours. BHG has this tip for making the blooms last… “After you’ve harvested dahlia flowers, make a fresh horizontal cut at the bottom of the stem and place the cut ends in about 2-3 inches of very hot (not quite boiling) water. Let the stems stay in the water for at least one hour. This hot-water treatment conditions the stems so the blooms will last four to six days.”
• Choose tubers that are healthy and starting to sprout, or order online from a good quality company.
• Plant in late spring after the soil is warm in full sun… don’t plant too early. A good rule of thumb is to plant when it’s safe to put tomato plants in the ground.
• Plant in rich, well drained soil, so that the crown is just below the soil. Don’t water until they start to sprout out of the soil They are prone to rot.
• For tall or dinner plate varieties, put several stakes around the plant, so that you can secure the heavy plant as it grows. Tomato or peony cages are good for this also, depending on the size you are growing.
• Fertilize every two weeks with a bloom fertilizer. Its important that you use a fertilizer low in nitrogen, (thats the first of the three numbers on a fertilizer) because too much nitrogen will grow big plants with no blooms.
• Keep well watered, but try not to water late in the evening, especially later in the fall. They can develop powdery mildew. if your area is prone to mildew (on roses, for instance) then you can use a commercial or natural anti fungal spray starting in July to prevent it.
• When your plant is 6-8 inches tall, pinch off the top growing point above the third set of leaves to encourage a bushier plant. Remember to clip off dying flowers at least once a week to promote more blooms.
• Dahlias can be hardy down to zone 7, but are usually treated as an annual.
• If you want to lift your tubers and save them to replant next spring, do so before the first frost. Cut them back to 6 inches, and use a fork to gently pry them from the soil. Let them dry out for a few days, then store them in loose sawdust or vermiculite in an area that doesn’t freeze, such as an insulated garage.
• To cut dahlias, cut them in the early morning hours. BHG has this tip for making the blooms last… “After you’ve harvested dahlia flowers, make a fresh horizontal cut at the bottom of the stem and place the cut ends in about 2-3 inches of very hot (not quite boiling) water. Let the stems stay in the water for at least one hour. This hot-water treatment conditions the stems so the blooms will last four to six days.”
