How to Grow Dahlias
Dahlias are probably my favorite flower! They are just so beautiful! What makes them so great is how easily they grow and they produce so many flowers. There are so many different types of dahlias and they all grow so different that it’s so hard to give such broad instructions but I’ll try to make this as helpful as possible.
How to Grow
Dahlias are fairly resilient to diseases. Growing basics are simple enough for beginners but there are the complexities of harvesting tubers (similar to bulbs but lighter and with a softer outer skin) that are for the more advanced gardener. For a healthy and happy dahlia plant the flowers should be planted in an area that receives about 6 hours of full sun and moderate watering. When planting tubers wait until the soil has warmed to about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. dahlia’s like warmer weather and if they are planted to early they won’t be strong. Lay dahlia tuber on their side (horizontally) with the eye facing up. Cover with a light layer of dirt so that the tuber barely peaks out of the ground. In this stage the tuber should not be. Water until it starts to sprout about an inch out of the ground. If it’s over watered the tuber will rot and won’t grow. Once the dahlia has sprouted it should watered regularly. Once the dahlia has grown to about four inches it should be pinched. Pinching is a simple process that helps the dahlia produce more flowers. When the dahlia is still young snip off about two inches of the top. this allows the dahlia to grow more shoots off the base and produce a larger amount of strong healthy blooms. Note that pinching should only be done on multiple blooming flowers (flowers that give off more than one flower such as cosmos or zinnias.) If you want to learn how to save and replant the dahlia tubers I am starting work on another blog post explaining that so hang tight while I work on a detailed article with clarifying images to help explain this trickier topic.
How to Care For
Like I said before dahlias are fairly low maintenance. Their one predator is snails and slugs, but even this isn’t a huge problem. I just sprinkle some sluggo around them when they’re young and re-apply as needed. When their young you don’t want to over water them due to rotten tubers (rotten tubers will make the dahlia grow with a defect or not grow at all) but when they have matured into large sprouts they will need plenty of watering. So you’ll need to keep an eye on them and look for signs of wilting. Another big problem I’ve had with my dahlias (this may just be in my area) is ants. The ants like to eat my tubers while my plant is growing. All of a sudden my dahlia will just die with no good explanation. Once I dug up a few tubers and discovered the problem. Ants had made tunnels in and out of my tuber tearing them to pieces. I always feel so bad killing ants but I sprayed the dahlias with ant and mold killer and that seemed to do the trick. They’ve been growing better ever since.
Basic Facts
Light: Full sun (At least six hours)
Water: When young barely to none, when mature plenty
Height: Varies per variety
Planting time: Late Spring (Once the ground has warmed to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
