|
 Use
these strategies to boost your dahlia growing success:
Start Early for a Long Season of Flowers
Dahlias grow from sweet-potato-like tuberous roots often called
tubers that are usually planted in late spring. For earlier blooms,
start your dahlias indoors about four to six weeks before the last
spring frost. Use one- or two-gallon pots with drainage holes. Fill
them with a damp growing mix and cover the tip of the tubers with
one to two inches of soil. Water sparingly until the sprouts emerge,
which can take two to four weeks.
Plant Outdoors in Late Spring
Grow dahlias as you would tomatoes. Choose a sunny location with
fertile, well-drained soil. To encourage healthy root growth, take
time to loosen the soil in the planting area at least 12 inches
deep. Don’t be in a rush to plant your dahlias. Wait until the soil
is warm and all danger of frost has passed.
Good air circulation encourages strong, healthy growth. Space border
dahlias 15 inches apart from the center of one plant to the next.
Taller types should be spaced at least 18 to 24 inches on center.
Plant so the top of the tuber is no more than one to two inches
below the soil surface. It can take several weeks for the first
sprouts to emerge, but once they do, the plants grow very quickly.
Pinch for Fuller Growth and More Blooms
When your dahlias reach a height of 10 to 12 inches, use scissors or
sharp pruning shears to remove the top two or three sets of leaves.
Pinched plants produce more side branches, resulting in sturdier
growth and lots more flowers. Pinching will set the plants back by a
week or two, but they will come back quickly.
Stake to Avoid Broken Stems
Dahlias that grow more than three feet tall benefit from staking.
This is especially true for varieties that produce large flowers.
Staking helps plants stay upright, minimizes damage from wind and
rain, keeps the flowers more visible, and makes it easier to
deadhead. To avoid damaging the tubers, add the stakes at planting
time or soon after. For more information on staking and pinching
dahlias to increase flower production, read Longfield Gardens’ How
to Pinch and Stake Dahlias (Longfield-gardens.com) article.
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Feed Your Plants and Don’t Let Them Go Thirsty
Dahlias perform best when they receive a consistent amount of
moisture throughout the growing season. Too much or too little water
causes stress and can reduce flower production. When the weather is
dry, water deeply once or twice a week, using drip irrigation, a
soaker hose, or a watering wand. Keep the foliage as dry as possible
to minimize disease. Mulching the soil with shredded leaves,
evergreen needles, or other organic material will conserve moisture,
moderate soil temperature, and suppress weeds.
Dahlias perform best when they are well-fed. Enrich the soil with
compost and add a low-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer at planting
time. Once the plants are 12-18 inches tall, many gardeners boost
performance with an additional slow-release fertilizer application
or several liquid fertilizer applications every three to four weeks.
Follow the label directions for the timing and application rates of
the fertilizers you select.
Pruning and Deadheading
The more flowers you cut, the more flowers you’ll get. Harvesting
flowers twice a week will encourage a plentiful supply of blooms.
Spent flowers should be removed immediately (deadheading) to
minimize pest and disease problems. Always use sharp bypass pruners
or snips to make clean cuts. If you want flowers with long stems, be
willing to sacrifice some side buds. Stems come back longer and
stronger when you cut deep into the plant and close to a main
branch.
Dahlias require a little more time and attention than many other
flowering plants. But your efforts will be handsomely rewarded with
a bounty of beautiful blooms and a sense of accomplishment.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening
books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook,
2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses
“How to Grow Anything” DVD instant video series and the nationally
syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a
columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and
was commissioned by Longfield Gardens for her expertise to write
this article. Her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
[Photo courtesy of
Longfield-Gardens.com] |
