What could be more captivating than a garden filled with poofy dahlias? These stunning flowers are beautiful in arrangements or on plants. Adding them to your garden is easy as long as the timing is right.
Dahlias are members of Asteraceae, and they love warm weather and sunshine. These should be easy to grow if you live in USDA Zones 7-10. If you live outside this range, it is possible to grow dahlias indoors. However, the work involved may be more.
You may be a dahlia specialist or a Member of the American Dahlia Society that grows these beautiful flowers for your cut flower garden. Cactus dahlias and dinner plate dahlias are all beautiful cut flowers. They make large flowers that can be kept in vases. You may not have grown dahlias, but you still love them.
The time and effort you put into planting dahlias will be well worth it. We’ll talk about when and where to grow dahlias.
The Answer in Detail
Plant dahlias outdoors in spring after the danger of frost is past. Dahlias are not tolerant of cold temperatures. So, the soil and weather should be warm when you plant the tubers.
To prevent frost damage, the soil temperature must remain at 60degF (16degC) or above. Early spring soil that is too cold will prevent the seeds from germinating.
Dahlias grow best in zones 7-10. Dahlia tubers can be planted in these zones from April to June. In most places, you should not plant after June to avoid the heat.
The plants will also have enough time to flower after the first frost.
You can be flexible with your planting schedule by growing dahlias in containers or a greenhouse. Containers allow you to move the plants to the light, keep the soil warm, and bring them inside if there is an unexpected cold spell.
You can begin your dahlias earlier in a greenhouse, especially if it is climate-controlled. Consider using a greenhouse if you live in a zone colder than 7.
Dahlias are easy to grow.
Let’s look at the basics of growing dahlias now that you know when to sow them.
Dahlias have tuberous roots which can be easily harvested and divided for propagation. You can purchase dahlias from a store or borrow them from another gardener. You can watch the video below to learn how simple it is, step-by-step, to plant dahlias.
Dahlias need lots of sunlight, so pick a place that gets 6-8 hours per day of direct sun. Consider growing your dahlias inside a pot if you do not have a business that receives this light. Although they can tolerate partial shade and still produce stunning results, they might differ from what you were hoping for.
The soil must be well-draining and fertile. Compost or leaves can do wonders for your soil and flowers. Dahlias like rich soil that retains moisture and supports green growth. Water should not puddle near the plants, or the tubers may rot.
The stem that is used to collect the tubers should be pointing upward. It would be best to plant a dahlia tube with a stem attached, which may have some buds or nodules. This stem should be pointing upward. The greenery of your plant will grow here as it pushes through the soil to reach sunlight.
Watering
Dahlias should be watered at the surface of the soil. Remember to water deeply and that a well-drained garden is essential for giant dahlias.
Dig holes 6-8 inches deep and 6-8 inches wide to plant dahlias in your garden. This will allow them to spread out and develop roots. These holes should be spaced 1-2 feet apart.
Place one tuber in each hole with the sprouts facing up. The soil should be 3 inches below the surface. Plant the tubers not too deep, or they will struneed helpgrow. The depth of the hole only serves to help the plant.
Dahlias are commonly staked because many of the varieties can grow quite tall and require some support. When planting tubers, you can stake them in the ground to provide support right from the start.
You can also avoid puncturing tubers because you will be able to see what you are doing. You only need to put the stake beside the tuber and then cover the hole in dirt.
It would be best if you did not overwater your dahlia before the dahlias begin to appear from the soil. This will prevent the tubers from rotting. Fertilize your plants three to four weeks after they are planted. You don’t want to give your dahlias too much nitrogen, or they’ll grow more foliage than flowers.
Deadheading & Pinching
You can pinch dahlias when they reach about 15 inches in height to remove terminal buds, which may promote bushier plants. The terminal buds are located at the stem’s end, while the lateral buds are found on the side. Dahlias should be deadheaded after blooming and treated like other flowers.
Cuttings can be made from your favorite Dahlia plants. After the last date of frost, you can plant rooted cuttings. When you deadhead, you’ll have more flowers for cutting and a bushier overall plant. You can collect dahlia seeds from the spent blooms if you don’t want to deadhead.
If you water the plant from the top rather than the base, you may encounter Powdery Mildew. spider mites, slugs, and other pests like to eat the dahlia plants. Use organic slug and snail pellets, spray the plant with water, and knock off any mites.
Storing and Overwintering
You don’t need to purchase new tubers yearly when growing dahlias. You can either keep the plants in the ground over the winter or store them and plant them next year.
