Dahlias: planting and care
Dahlias are among the most attractive garden flowers. Currently, through the efforts of breeders, about 1,500 different varieties of this plant have been bred. All of them are distinguished by diverse shapes and a rich palette of colors. Let's figure out how to grow this beautiful flower yourself.
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Planting dahlias
To successfully grow this flower, you must take a responsible approach to choosing a site and preparing the soil. Dahlias react very poorly to drafts, but love good lighting. Therefore, select a site in a place protected from the wind, but not shaded. The soil in this place should have a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. It must be light, nutritious and with good drainage.
In the fall, compost or humus should be added to the selected area when digging. After the snow melts, the compost is added again. The area for dahlias should be changed annually and do not plant them in places where asters previously grew.
Once the soil has warmed well enough, the dahlia tubers planted into the ground. Dig a hole with sides and a depth of 40 cm. Place compost down and cover with soil. Place the pre-sprouted tubers in a hole and cover with soil so that the upper part of the stem is above the ground. If necessary, immediately place a support to tie up the stems. Then water the planting well and lay a layer of mulch on top from a mixture of crushed tree bark and peat.
Varieties of dahlias
As we have already noted, there are many different varieties dahlias. Some dahlias are biennials, others are annuals.
- The variety Merry Guys is one of the annuals. This variety is distinguished by its small growth and large flowers of bright colors. Single flowers grow up to 10 cm.
- The Alauna Claire Obscure variety belongs to the group of fringed dahlias. This variety is distinguished by the special beauty of its flower. Its petal color changes from the center to the edges from dark burgundy to white.
- The variety Melusa is a cactus dahlia. It grows up to 130 cm in height and has double flowers in the shape of a ball. The strongly cut petals are colored red at the tips, and yellow along the entire length.
- The flowers of Natalie's pompom dahlia also look spherical. Its flowers are crimson or light burgundy.
Home dahlias
Most varieties of dahlias are tall, so growing them at home not possible. However, there are special potted varieties of dahlias that stretch up only 30 cm, so it’s quite possible to grow them in your home.
It is better to place a pot with indoor dahlia on the east or west side of the apartment. At the same time, in the hottest time, do not forget to shade the plant from the sun so that it does not burn the flower. Be sure to ventilate the room where the dahlia is located. In the summer months, you can take the dahlia pot out to the balcony, having first protected it from gusts of wind.
Dahlias do not like too high temperatures, so keep them in the warm season at a temperature of about 18 degrees, and in winter lower the temperature to 12. The plant should be watered generously with settled water, preventing the soil in the pot from drying out. Spray the plant with water periodically.
A week after planting the plant in the pot, feed it by mixing mullein infusion and nitrogen fertilizers with superphosphate. Then periodically add a mixture of superphosphate and wood ash. From September, fertilizing should be stopped.
Dahlias in open ground
In open ground conditions, dahlias can be planted with tubers, cuttings or seeds. The site for their planting must be selected and prepared in the fall. The best time to plant these plants is evening. You can plant dahlias during the day if the weather is cloudy. Definitely plenty of it water plant after planting.
When planting dahlias, maintain distances between plants. So, in one row, the distance between two plants should be equal to half their height. Keep a distance of at least a meter between two rows.
Be sure to make a hole around each plant to help with watering. To better retain moisture, the soil can be mulched. To protect the plant from breakage, be sure to install a support to tie the stem. It is best to do this immediately upon planting, so as not to damage the root system later.
Caring for dahlias
Periodically you need to pay attention to dahlias so that they please you with their flowering longer. To obtain larger buds and form powerful stems, excess stems must be removed. It is best to leave two or three stems. This procedure is called stepsoning and must be carried out throughout the summer.
Dahlias should be watered regularly, but try not to overwater the plant. The soil should be moist to about 30 cm after watering. This will ensure optimal conditions for the development of the plant. Fertilizers can be added along with watering. If you applied fertilizers when planting, then you can wait until the leaves begin to form with the first fertilizing. If no fertilizing was applied, then the plant should be fertilized for the first time 10 days after planting.
Dahlia propagation
The easiest way to propagate dahlias is to divide the tubers. It should be taken into account that it is not enough to simply cut the tuber into several parts. It is necessary that the neck of the tuber remains on each part, from which green shoots will then appear.
To separate the tubers at the beginning of March, they must be removed from the basement and carefully examined. All affected areas must be cut off and covered with brilliant green. Then the tubers are laid out on moistened sand in a dense layer and covered with the same sand on top to the level of the root collar. When the emerging sprouts reach 2 cm, the tubers must be removed and cut into pieces so that a pair of sprouts remain on each piece.
Then the prepared tubers must be planted again in boxes filled with a mixture of earth and sand. Bury the tuber to the level of the sprout and water generously. Keep the boxes in a warm room, and when it gets warmer, plant the dahlias in the ground.
Dahlias: photo
