How To Grow Dahlias
Dahlias are grateful plants. The better they are cared for, the more they will reward you with their vigorous growth and exuberant flowering. This collection will enrich your garden with its colourful splendour, providing lasting enjoyment until November. These dahlias prefer a warm sunny position.
How And When To Grow:
Start dahlias off in a pot indoors from the beginning of March. Place the pots in daylight at a temperature of at least 17ºC.
Thin out the dahlia shoots as they emerge from the ground.
How And When To Grow:
Start dahlias off in a pot indoors from the beginning of March. Place the pots in daylight at a temperature of at least 17ºC.
- The pots can be moved outside from mid-May onwards (after the last night frost). They can be dug into the border or simply placed on the patio for added decoration.
- Before planting dahlia tubers straight into the garden, immerse the tubers in water and leave them for half a day to absorb as much water as possible.
- You can plant dahlia tubers outdoors in late April/early May. As they are planted below ground, they will not be bothered by a late night frost.
- Do not plant the tubers too deep. A thin layer of soil over the tuber is sufficient.
- When planting dahlia tubers, push stakes into the ground next to the tubers for extra support later on if needed. If the stakes are positioned at a later stage, they may damage the tubers.
- Dahlias like sunshine and fertile soil with good drainage.
Thin out the dahlia shoots as they emerge from the ground.
- As soon as the plants develop buds, regularly remove the side shoots between the uppermost two or three leaf axils. Remove the bud as well as the leaves. This will encourage the development of fine flowers on long stems, which are perfect for cutting.
- If you cut dahlias for the vase, dip the stems in boiling water for a few seconds, or sear them above a flame. This will keep the fabulous flowers fresh for longer.
- Give dahlias extra nutrition in the form of fertilizer and water.
- When the plant has three to four leaves, pinch out the top to make the plant more bushy.
- Scatter a layer of compost on the ground around the plant. This keeps the soil moist and hinders weed development.
- Pull up any weeds by hand to avoid damaging the roots of the plant.
- Dahlias that grow taller than 80 cm need to be tied to a stake for extra support.
- Remove the side buds of the dahlia plants with your fingers in order to obtain large flowers.
- Also remove side shoots that grow directly beneath the uppermost bud. Once this bud has finished flowering, new side shoots will grow from the stem and produce new flowers.
- If you remove the spent flowers, your dahlias will continue to flower well into autumn.
- Remove snails, slugs, earwigs and aphids by hand.