Dahlias: Planting, Growing, and Care in the Open Ground (Photo)

Dahlia

Dahlias are heat-loving flowers; their tubers are sensitive to frost and cold soil, so they are planted when the soil is already well warmed. This is usually the case in late May or even early June. In southern regions, the ideal time is about a month earlier. In any case, dahlias are planted only in the spring. In the fall, the tubers are not left in the ground or replanted for the winter. Flowering occurs in approximately 60 days. The plant delights with its colorful buds until the first frost.

Selecting a site and preparing the soil

Want your dahlias to delight your eyes with vibrant blooms for a long time? Pay careful attention to the planting location. Partial shade is ideal, meaning the flowerbed should receive half the day's sun and be shaded during the afternoon. This placement won't prevent the flowers from fully blooming, but it will prolong their blooms. Another important consideration is protection from the wind, as these plants don't tolerate drafts.

Soil preparation for future dahlia plantings should begin in the fall: dig over the soil and fertilize with compost. In the spring, add fertilizer and wood ash. While dahlias are generally unpretentious in terms of soil composition, fertile, neutral or slightly acidic soils are considered best. Acidifying the soil can be achieved by adding peat, while adding slaked lime will have the opposite effect, reducing excessive acidity. Dahlia tubers do not tolerate soils that retain moisture.

Don't always allocate the same spot for dahlias. Even annual fertilization won't prevent the variety from gradually degenerating. Dahlias shouldn't be grown in the same spot as plants that are highly susceptible to fungal diseases, such as asters.

Another factor to consider is whether dahlias tolerate neighboring plants. The advantage of this quality is that a bed with these regal flowers is usually free of weeds. The disadvantage is that you need to be selective in choosing garden plants for their neighbors. Marigolds, gladioli, salvia, cosmos, cleome, and rudbeckia all thrive with these queens of the flowerbed. Dahlias of different varieties also get along well.

Preparing dahlia tubers for planting

As early as April, dahlia tubers should be inspected and prepared for planting. This involves clearing them of soil, sand, and sawdust. Dry stem parts and dried and rotted roots are removed. Damaged areas on the tubers can be treated with brilliant green. To speed up flowering, it's advisable to germinate the dahlia tubers before planting. To do this, move them to a warm location, place them in boxes filled with soil, peat, or regular sawdust, and lightly moisten.

You can make a mini greenhouse: a small depression in the ground. Place the roots in this trench and cover with plastic wrap. Periodically, open the plastic wrap to allow air to enter, and mist the tubers. Once sprouts appear, the tubers are ready for propagation and planting. A bush dug up in the fall can be planted whole, but division and propagation are carried out during the preparation period for planting—more on that later.

Planting dahlias in open ground

To plant dahlias, dig holes in the chosen location. The distance between them depends on the variety. For dwarf and low-growing varieties, 50 cm between bushes is sufficient, while for medium and tall varieties, at least 75 cm is needed. The hole for planting the tuber should be approximately three times larger than the root ball. The hole should be filled with compost, allowing enough room for the tubers to rest on it, and leaving a little space for covering them with soil. The roots are covered so that the root collar is a couple of centimeters above the surface.

Covering the soil too deeply will prevent the sprout from rising and will lead to tuber rot. It's advisable to mulch the area between the bushes with bark or sawdust. Mulch will eliminate the hassle of weed control and loosening the soil, protect against slugs, and help retain moisture longer during dry periods.

Dahlias - care

Features of watering

These kings of the autumn garden don't tolerate either severe drought or excessive waterlogging. Watering should be regular but moderate. In the absence of natural precipitation, water twice a week, with enough water to moisten the soil to a depth of 30 centimeters. When mulching, water as the soil dries out completely.

Feeding rules

If sufficient fertilizer was added to the planting hole, the first feeding should be delayed until the bush has developed a lush, green appearance. Otherwise, the plants should be fed within the first week after planting. This is easy to do: after watering and loosening the soil around the perimeter of the bush, make small depressions in which fertilizer is added, or water with liquid fertilizer. Fertilize every two weeks thereafter. If dahlias are growing in fertile soil, they can be fertilized less frequently—when the first buds appear and then throughout flowering, this will be sufficient. Organic fertilizers, superphosphate, and wood ash are used as fertilizers for dahlias.

Support for dahlias

Tall varieties of dahlias require support and staking. Even thick and seemingly strong stems are actually very fragile and break in the wind or simply under the weight of the flowers. The stake should be sturdy; the height of the stake depends on the variety and the height of the bush. Ideally, the stake should be buried along with the tuber when planting – this will ensure that the root is not damaged when the stakes are installed.

Reproduction

Dahlias can be propagated by seeds, division, and cuttings. Annual dahlia varieties are grown from seeds, either by sowing directly into the garden bed or by growing seedlings. Perennial dahlias are divided or propagated by cuttings in the spring, before planting.

Dividing tubers

During germination, buds appear on dahlia tubers. The root is divided into sections so that each individual tuber has a bud. Sometimes there may be several such shoots, in which case the tuber can be divided into several sections. Each section with a bud is a separate shoot for a new bush.

Cuttings

During germination, before planting in soil, a shoot up to 10 cm tall may develop from the bud. These shoots are removed before planting and used for further propagation. To do this, the sprout is buried in a separate container, placed in a dark area, and watered. After the cutting has rooted, it is planted in open ground and cared for according to the usual dahlia care guidelines.

Possible diseases and pests, methods of control and control

Dahlias are fairly resistant to all kinds of viral diseases. They can become infected with spotted wilt or mosaic wilt viruses through contaminated soil. Unfortunately, in these cases, saving the plant is impossible. The affected bush should be removed and destroyed as quickly as possible to prevent the virus from spreading to neighboring plants.

The main pests of dahlias are slugs, aphids, spider mites, earwigs, and blind bugs. They can be controlled with a soapy solution or decoctions of wormwood and celandine. These decoctions can be combined with a soapy solution. In severe cases, spray with specialized chemicals according to the instructions.

Reviews

Their elegance, multitude of shapes, varieties, and varieties have made dahlias a favorite among gardeners for centuries. Reviews range from enthusiastic praise for this Mexican native to complaints about the hassle associated with growing them. The undeniable advantages of growing dahlias include:

undemanding to soil,
simple agricultural procedures,
the opportunity to enjoy flowers until the frost,
a diverse palette of shades, shapes and varieties.

https://youtu.be/WenN84Z93HU

However, many are hesitant to plant these flowers in their gardens due to the numerous concerns associated with overwintering and storage. The necessary digging and spring planting take time, and storage requires a suitable location.