Description of the decorative dahlia "Bohemian Spartacus"

The dahlia is a beautiful and long-blooming plant that delights with its luxurious blooms all season long. Native to Chile and Mexico, these beautiful dahlias are native to the mountains. Breeders have developed around 15,000 varieties of these mountain flowers from the Asteraceae family, each offering a variety of shapes and colors.

The most common type of dahlia is the decorative double dahlia, which is distinguished by the original color of its leaves, petals, and the shape of its inflorescences.

Description and characteristics of the flower

Dahlias of the Maxi subgroup belong to the ornamental genus and are distinguished by their spectacular, gigantic flowers—22-30 cm or more in diameter. A striking representative of this class, Bohemian Spartacus, is a perennial with pinnate, dark green leaves and a lush, double inflorescence of a rich burgundy color with beige-yellow petals. Spartacus Orange, for example, differs from its relative only in its bright, sunny orange flower color, while Spartacus Gil has a lemon-yellow flower. Dahlia petals are wide, ribbon-like, curved, and pointed at the tip. The stems are straight, hollow, and reach a height of 110-150 cm. They are propagated by seeds, tuber division, and cuttings.

Dahlias are considered one of the most easy-to-grow flowers. Hardy and resistant to diseases and pests, they require little fertilizing or watering. They prefer sunny, sheltered locations, but will also delight with beautiful blooms in partial shade and fertile, well-drained soil.

The first flowers can be seen a month after planting outdoors. Flowering continues until the end of September, until the first autumn cold snaps.

These graceful flowers are used to decorate flowerbeds, planted along borders, and also as individual plantings in pots.

The advantages and disadvantages of Spartacus

The luxurious Bohemian Spartacus dahlia is a beautiful addition to any blooming garden. Its main advantages, besides its impeccable beauty, include ease of cultivation, a long bloom period, and a huge variety of species.

Minor drawbacks include the lack of fragrance in the flowers, the hollow tubular stem, and the impossibility of overwintering in open ground in our climate.

Features of growing a luxurious dahlia

Reproduction of Spartacus does not require much effort and is within the power of even novice gardeners.

• First of all, you need to purchase high-quality seeds or tubers to ensure you get the desired variety.
• Choose a planting site with adequate sunlight, protected from wind and drafts, and fertilized, slightly acidic soil with good drainage. Improve the soil composition by adding leaf mold, manure, and various composts.
• When preparing tubers for planting, remove damaged and dry roots and treat them with an antiseptic (iodine, brilliant green). In late spring, when the soil has warmed up well, plant the tubers in a fertilized hole three times larger than the tubers themselves. Dig the tubers in, leaving the root collar shallow to prevent rot. Then water and cover with sawdust mixed with compost, to a thin layer of up to 5 cm.
• When planting tall dahlia varieties like Spartak, immediately provide a support for the future bush. Since dahlia stems are tubular and tall, they can break. In such cases, the plant can be saved by applying a splint to the damaged stem and then securing it to the support.
• You can speed up the first bloom of dahlias by pre-germinating them before planting. To do this, place the tubers on a layer of sawdust, moisten them, and cover them with plastic, leaving small holes for proper air circulation. It's important to prevent the roots from drying out; they should be kept moist. This mini-greenhouse will quickly awaken the buds after their winter dormancy, and flowering will occur several weeks earlier.
• In the fall, after flowering, the dried stems are cut off, the tubers are carefully dug up, washed to remove any dirt, air-dried, and prepared for winter storage. Proper storage of tubers during the winter is the key to successful cultivation. The temperature in the room where the tubers are to be stored should not exceed 5-7°C, with a humidity of 80-85%. This can be a basement, garage, or balcony. The tubers stored over the winter are placed in boxes filled with peat or sand, or wrapped in plastic film to prevent drying out and improve the shelf life of the tubers.
• To protect dahlias from potential diseases, rotate the planting site annually; do not plant them after asters. Spartacus can be returned to its original location after 2-3 years.

Care instructions

With simple care, dahlias can be grown in almost any garden plot. Caring for these flower beds involves regular fertilizing, loosening the soil, and watering.

Top dressing

After planting, it is necessary to fertilize in a timely manner, every 2 weeks, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers.

Watering

Dahlias require regular, thorough watering 1-2 times a week, moistening the soil to a depth of 20-30 cm. Increase the frequency during hot weather. To prevent root rot, avoid allowing water to stagnate in the roots.

Pest control

Sawdust mulch protects the soil from drying out and acts as a barrier against slugs. To avoid their presence, inspect the flowers regularly and treat them with protective compounds if necessary. To prevent spider mites and aphids, spray the plants with a soapy solution.

Trimming

To maintain the dahlia's decorative appeal, leave no more than three shoots on the stem, and no more than two buds on each flower stalk. Lower lateral shoots, dried buds, and finished blooms are also removed throughout the season to avoid inhibiting the growth of new inflorescences. To obtain the largest flowers possible, avoid bushy growth and cultivate them on a single stem, leaving two to three shoots.

Growing dahlias is quite simple, and the results exceed all expectations. Once you start, it's hard to settle on just one type.

Reviews

1. My favorite flowers. Almost every vacant spot outside the vegetable beds is taken up by dahlias. Mine grow in both sun and shade. Minimal maintenance, but such beauty all around.
2. I planted dahlias from seeds for the first time. They bloomed late and the flowers weren't as large as the variety description and packaging suggested. I put the tubers in the basement for the winter. If they survive the winter well, I'll try growing flowers from them this year.
3. I have a similar dahlia, only a slightly different variety, Spartak. My neighbor at the dacha is waiting for me to divide the tubers so she can get some too.