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| GROWING AND CARING FOR YOUR DAHLIAS |
PLANTING------
Dahlias should be planted from mid April through May. When ground temperatures begin to rise to between 50 and 60 degrees. In general, plant dahlias about the same time you would plant your vegetable garden.
Dahlias should be planted 4" to 6" inches deep and 18" to 24" apart with the eyes facing up. Cover lightly with soil. Staking your dahlias is recommended and should be done during planting so the tubers are not damaged once growing begins. A small amount of time release fertilizer,
such as Osmacote, may also be placed in the hole when planting. DO NOT water after planting. Most areas have enough rain and moisture to
sustain the tuber until sprouts appear above ground. The exception to this is hot climates. Here tubers should be watered lightly. If the identity of
your dahlia is important to you, be sure to add a tag to the stake at planting time. This will be an invaluable help when it is time to dig your tubers in
the fall.
crucial throughout the entire growing season. The amount of water needed during the growing season becomes greater as a plant reaches
maturity and begins to flower. Early on, a lesser amount of water actually helps stimulate root growth. And this is vital once those hot, humid days
appear.
Feeding (fertilization) is necessary but always bear this in mind: a dahlia plant will only take up what it needs. So have an understanding of what
you hope to accomplish before going overboard with fertilization. There are two schools of thought when it comes to the application of nitrogen.
One urges a lower concentration in comparison to phosphate and potash. The other encourages a greater degree of nitrogen, while maintaining
required levels of phosphate and potash. Neither is completely right or totally wrong.
This is an area where experimentation can be done but an ample amount of record keeping also will be required.
Pinching the center stimulates lateral growth which turns a potential corn stalk into a bushy plant capable of producing many usable blooms. Even such a bushy plant will grow to shoulder height and that requires tying the main stalk as well as each maturing lateral. Tying also makes it easier to
perform the other forms of maintenance.
Whether you choose a chemical or natural approach, a good pest control program is a must for "show quality" blooms. These procedures require the most care. Miticides and insecticides can be personally harmful if proper precautions are not adhered to. First and foremost read the
instructions carefully. Slugs and snails must be controlled early while your dahlias are first breaking the soil and are low to the ground. During the
growing season a wide variety of insects might need to be controlled. These include but are not limited to Spider Mites, Leaf Miners, Earwigs, and
several types of Beetles. A combination of Seven dust and a good all purpose insecticide/fungicide such as Triple Action should work well. You
should not apply pesticides during the heat of the day, your dahlias will suffer from chemical burn. Early morning and evening are the best times.
Check with your local garden center for the best options in your area.
Weeds will compete with your dahlias for water nutrients and light, so they must be controlled. Hand weeding is the only method of weed control to use, no exceptions! Your dahlias will not survive any type of herbicide. A straw mulch applied to your patch once your dahlias are established will
help control weeds.
time allows, the root clump should remain in the ground for a few days. This will stimulate the formation of new nodes that will eventually develop
into the growth eyes in the spring. Having the nodes form in the fall will also make it easier to divide the root clump, either upon harvesting or in the
spring. Extreme care should be exercised removing the root clump from the ground because the newly developed roots are very tender and can be
easily damaged making them unusable. Loosen the soil completely around the clump with a spade fork and lift the clump out. DO NOT SHAKE THE
EXCESS SOIL OFF THE CLUMP. Remove what you can by hand and wash off the remaining soil with a hose. Next remove the 8-10" stock by
trimming it as close to the root clump as possible. Also trim off any small roots, any damaged roots and the feeder ends on the larger, fleshy roots.
Then turn the clump upside down to air dry. In the shade. Avoid any surface that could extract moisture from the roots and cause them to get soft
and shrivel. To guard against crown rot the exposed area of the old stock should be doused with powdered captan, obtained from a garden store
or sulfur, obtained from a drug store. To insure that your entire clump or divisions can be identified come spring, they need to be marked with a
magic marker by name or coded number.
The harvested clumps or roots can be stored several different ways. I have found over time that the use of coarse vermiculite in 5 gallon plastic buckets works well for me. They can be wrapped in damp paper or put in plastic bags, using wood shavings or sawdust. Keeping the roots from
drying out or freezing is key. No one method is better than another. The quantity of clumps or divisions and your storage area will determine in
large part what method is used. A dry area that stays between 45-50 degrees is ideal. If such conditions do not exist, then one's priorities should be
these: In an unheated garage, place your root container next to the warmest wall and wrap it with an old blanket. If the storage area is in a heated
basement, then place the container as far as possible from the heat source. Otherwise, the roots will sprout prematurely. Six weeks or so after
storage it is a good idea to check the clumps and/or divisions. If they appear to be okay then nothing else needs to be done until mid March. Then
it is time to move the storage container into a heated area to stimulate the formation of eyes. This process can take several weeks, depending on
the variety. Planting will follow once the threat of first frost is gone.
Adding composted materials and old animal manure in the fall and tilling it in will make the soil that much better in the spring. Composted materials can be your own or from a commercial source. Composted material serves a double purpose. First it provides nutrients for future growing seasons.
Second, it helps loosen the soil and this is key because the looser the soil the easier it is for the tuberous dahlia roots to grow and support healthy
plants, which in turn yield show-quality blooms.
Fall is also a good time to do a soil test. The test will provide pH results and it measures the amount of usable phosphorus and potash. Ample
phosphorus is crucial for the development of quality blooms and ample potash is required for healthy root development. A pH of 6.3-6.5 is what
every top dahlia grower tries to attain and maintain. The fall allows time to begin fixing whatever deficiency one's soil might have. Remember,
however, that fixing one or more deficiencies must occur over a period of time. IT CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED IMMEDIATELY.
Also remember to avoid working in your patch when it is either to wet or to dry. Either will only produce hard clumps of unmanageable soil, making
your job that much more difficult later on or in the spring. Fall really is the time to jump start whatever maintenance one might be planning in the
spring.
 | When to plant. |
| How to plant. |
such as Osmacote, may also be placed in the hole when planting. DO NOT water after planting. Most areas have enough rain and moisture to
sustain the tuber until sprouts appear above ground. The exception to this is hot climates. Here tubers should be watered lightly. If the identity of
your dahlia is important to you, be sure to add a tag to the stake at planting time. This will be an invaluable help when it is time to dig your tubers in
the fall.
| Click on diagram thumbnail to enlarge |
SUMMER means DAHLIA MAINTENANCE ------
At this time of year, maintenance falls into four general categories - watering / feeding, pinching / tying, spraying / dusting, and weed control.
Dahlia plants have the capacity to survive periods of heavy moisture but such periods can be costly. Therefore, maintaining ample drainage is
At this time of year, maintenance falls into four general categories - watering / feeding, pinching / tying, spraying / dusting, and weed control.
| Watering and Feeding. |
maturity and begins to flower. Early on, a lesser amount of water actually helps stimulate root growth. And this is vital once those hot, humid days
appear.
Feeding (fertilization) is necessary but always bear this in mind: a dahlia plant will only take up what it needs. So have an understanding of what
you hope to accomplish before going overboard with fertilization. There are two schools of thought when it comes to the application of nitrogen.
One urges a lower concentration in comparison to phosphate and potash. The other encourages a greater degree of nitrogen, while maintaining
required levels of phosphate and potash. Neither is completely right or totally wrong.
This is an area where experimentation can be done but an ample amount of record keeping also will be required.
| Pinching and Tying. |
perform the other forms of maintenance.
| Spraying and Dusting. |
instructions carefully. Slugs and snails must be controlled early while your dahlias are first breaking the soil and are low to the ground. During the
growing season a wide variety of insects might need to be controlled. These include but are not limited to Spider Mites, Leaf Miners, Earwigs, and
several types of Beetles. A combination of Seven dust and a good all purpose insecticide/fungicide such as Triple Action should work well. You
should not apply pesticides during the heat of the day, your dahlias will suffer from chemical burn. Early morning and evening are the best times.
Check with your local garden center for the best options in your area.
| Weed Control. |
help control weeds.
FALL and DAHLIA SEASON ENDS ------
Root harvesting can take place before or after a killing frost. In either case, the old stocks should be cut down about 8-10" above the ground. And if
| Root Harvesting. |
into the growth eyes in the spring. Having the nodes form in the fall will also make it easier to divide the root clump, either upon harvesting or in the
spring. Extreme care should be exercised removing the root clump from the ground because the newly developed roots are very tender and can be
easily damaged making them unusable. Loosen the soil completely around the clump with a spade fork and lift the clump out. DO NOT SHAKE THE
EXCESS SOIL OFF THE CLUMP. Remove what you can by hand and wash off the remaining soil with a hose. Next remove the 8-10" stock by
trimming it as close to the root clump as possible. Also trim off any small roots, any damaged roots and the feeder ends on the larger, fleshy roots.
Then turn the clump upside down to air dry. In the shade. Avoid any surface that could extract moisture from the roots and cause them to get soft
and shrivel. To guard against crown rot the exposed area of the old stock should be doused with powdered captan, obtained from a garden store
or sulfur, obtained from a drug store. To insure that your entire clump or divisions can be identified come spring, they need to be marked with a
magic marker by name or coded number.
| Root Storage. |
drying out or freezing is key. No one method is better than another. The quantity of clumps or divisions and your storage area will determine in
large part what method is used. A dry area that stays between 45-50 degrees is ideal. If such conditions do not exist, then one's priorities should be
these: In an unheated garage, place your root container next to the warmest wall and wrap it with an old blanket. If the storage area is in a heated
basement, then place the container as far as possible from the heat source. Otherwise, the roots will sprout prematurely. Six weeks or so after
storage it is a good idea to check the clumps and/or divisions. If they appear to be okay then nothing else needs to be done until mid March. Then
it is time to move the storage container into a heated area to stimulate the formation of eyes. This process can take several weeks, depending on
the variety. Planting will follow once the threat of first frost is gone.
| Fall Garden Maintenance. |
Second, it helps loosen the soil and this is key because the looser the soil the easier it is for the tuberous dahlia roots to grow and support healthy
plants, which in turn yield show-quality blooms.
Fall is also a good time to do a soil test. The test will provide pH results and it measures the amount of usable phosphorus and potash. Ample
phosphorus is crucial for the development of quality blooms and ample potash is required for healthy root development. A pH of 6.3-6.5 is what
every top dahlia grower tries to attain and maintain. The fall allows time to begin fixing whatever deficiency one's soil might have. Remember,
however, that fixing one or more deficiencies must occur over a period of time. IT CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED IMMEDIATELY.
Also remember to avoid working in your patch when it is either to wet or to dry. Either will only produce hard clumps of unmanageable soil, making
your job that much more difficult later on or in the spring. Fall really is the time to jump start whatever maintenance one might be planning in the
spring.
