Dahlia is a bushy plant with exceptionally attractive huge flowers. It starts to blossom in August and blooms until the autumn chill. It is a perennial that is bred via tubers or cuttings. The colours of dahlia are quite different – white, pink, creamy, purple, scarlet, brown etc.
Planting
Usually they planted dahlia at the beginning of May. No need to worry about returning chill – dahlia is cold resistant. When it’s cool enough and the soil is moist from the melting snow, their root system is formed.
Each bush of dahlia contains a multitude of buds, it’s height is up to 2 meters. So it makes sense to plant them along the fence or drive a stake by each bush. That’s essential because they can break from strong winds or under the weight of open flowers.
Before planting let’s check dahlia tubers – they must be sprouted. Even if a tuber looks shrunken and dried up – plant it and be sure it will grow and bloom.
Prepare a pit before planting dahlia depending on the size of a tuber. The depth of a pit should be so as to fit for 10 cm of turf below and over a tuber. The better to fill the whole pit with turf – it will be easy to grow in it for young little roots.
While the soil is wet no need to water dahlia often. With the warm summer weather the first buds will show up.
Growing
The dahlia grows the best in sunny places in your garden protected from strong winds. If there is groundwater close to the surface, it’s better to lift up the flower bed to save tubers from rotting.
While the soil is wet no need to water dahlia often. When the weather is humid enough try to water them rarely. Sometimes you need to rip the soil but only until the buds appear.
It’s optimal to feed dahlia 4 times a season using any fertilizer you use in your garden for vegetables. To enable dahlia to blossom early and rich cut of the young sprouts growing from roots.
Breeding and Storage
After the first autumn chill dahlia bushes are freezing. You need to cut frozen bushes short but don’t hurry to dig them up. Usually they dig it up in October though if the autumn is warm let it stay in the ground as long as can be – this guarantees the tuber would stay intact over the winter. Before storing tubers you need to detach little buds growing out during the summer.
Little buds should be stored more carefully, and better in the fridge. As for tubers you need to dry them out for a week in a dry and dark place. Then examine it carefully and burn those with sores or scabs to prevent the others from getting infected. The best way to save tubers over the winter is clay mouthy – a clay diluted with water to the consistency of thick yoghurt. I dunk each tuber in clay mouthy, dry it a bit, dunk again and dry out properly, put in cartons and take it to a cellar.
Wish you good luck in growing your magnificent dahlia.