Dahlias Come in An Assortment of Colors and Flower Shapes

In our garden, the dinner plate Dahlias are  really performing this year.

If you have not grown dahlias, you are indeed missing a great garden plant. It has been said that if you can grow tomatoes, you can grow dahlias.
　
Dahlias are native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia and were introduced to Europe first by oral accounts by Spanish explorer, Francisco Hernandez and then finally in the late 18^th century dahlia seeds were finally introduced to the Madrid botanical gardens.

When the Dahlia was introduced to Dutch florists again also in the late 18^th century, the flower caught on in popularity and was cross-bred to develop varieties that are the progenitors of the current varieties.

Dahlias can be started from seed or by tubers.

In the garden center, flats of seed dahlias are offered in a variety of colors and these plants generally grow 3-6 inches in height.

The other way to begin dahlias is by purchasing dahlia tubers. Dahlia tubers are readily offered in garden retail centers starting as early as February or can be ordered over the internet and successfully shipped to the consumer.

The tuber is the fleshy underground stem of the dahlia and when dug can survive periods of dormancy. A dahlia tuber is probably the most common way that gardeners begin their first experience growing dahlias. Purchasing dahlia tubers will also provide the greatest opportunity to purchase different varieties of dahlias.

In the fall after the first frost has killed the tops of the dahlia, the tubers are dug and stored in a cool frost-free part of the basement or heated garage in a peat moss or sawdust mixture. Only light sprinkling of watering is required during this period so as not to stimulate a tuber from sprouting or rotting.

In the spring, the collected tubers can be successfully replanted out into the garden allowing the gardener to keep growing their very favorite dahlia year after year.

The basic  cultural requirements for growing dahlias are:

• Plant dahlia tubers around 6" deep with the 'eye' up with a little bone meal mixed in with the soil. Whether purchased as already grown plants from flower flats or from tubers, dahlias like full sun in most parts of the country,  can tolerate a little shade and need to watered regularly during the summer.

• If you are growing one of the taller varieties,  it is best to set the supporting stakes when you plant the tuber to avoid  puncturing  the tubers when inserting the stakes into the ground around an actively growing plant.

• Keeping  the soil moist is importants as the plants grow. For larger flowers, pinch out side shoots and buds to leave one major bud. Pinching through the season of the smaller varieties will encourage greater flower production.

• As already noted dahlias are not tolerant of frost,  so dig and lift out the tubers carefully after the first light frost has blackened the dahlia leaves.   Even those dahlias purchased in the flower packets or growns directly by seed in the garden will have produced collectable tubers.

Tubers can be divided carefully by making sure you leave at least one 'eye' on each division. Store tubers in perlite, sawdust or vermiculite in a cool spot in the basement or heated garage.  I use old plastic buckets packed with the sawdust or perlite mixture.
Check on the tubers sporadically to make sure they don't shrivel (and if needed sprinkle them with a little water)or show signs of mildew (dusting  with a fungicide could be useful).
　

Dahlias Come in An Assortment of Colors and Flower Shapes