These long-season bloomers come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
But their flowers are worth the extra effort.
They bloom nonstop from summer until frost in a variety of bloom colors, shapes, and sizes.
Credit: Jamie Hadley
Ascut flowers, they last several days, making them excellent forhomegrown bouquets.
Some cultivars have burgundy foliage that provides a pretty backdrop for the showy flowers.
Here is all you should probably know about caring for these showstopping summer flowers.
Credit:Kim Cornelison
If you want to save them for next year, select a location with easy access.
To get a head start on the growing season, start them indoors in early spring.
Plant the bare-root tubers in well-draining potting mix about six weeks before the last frost.
Credit: Kindra Clineff
Place the pots in a warm, sunny window.
Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet to avoid rot.
When the foliage emerges and thedanger of frost has passed, transplant them into the ground.
Credit: Jim Krantz
Dig a 6- to 8-inch-deep hole for each tuber and add some compost or bonemeal.
Loosely cover the tuber with 2 to 3 inches of soil.
Dont water it immediately; wait for the sprouts to poke through the soil.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
As the sprouts grow, gradually add more soil until the hole is filled.
The spacing depends on the variety.
Most dahlias need staking.
Credit: John Reed Forsman
To prevent injury to the tubers, put the support in the ground before planting the dahlias.
Staking Dahlias
Most dahlia flowers are 2 to 10 inches wide, so some need extra support.
Position the stakes before planting so you dont accidentally drive them through the tubers.
Credit: Bill Stites
Begin tying the dahlias when they reach 1 foot tall and keep tying at 1-foot intervals.
Dahlia Care Tips
Light
Dahlias needfull to partial sun.
Full sun encourages upright plants that need less staking, but these plants will flower in part shade.
Credit: John Reed Forsman
If planted in shadier areas, the foliage of dark-leaved cultivars tends to look more green than burgundy.
Partial shade, especially during the afternoon hours, is a good idea in hot climates.
Right after planting, dahlias dont need a lot of water.
Credit: John Reed Forsman
Overwatering in the early stages causes the tubers to rot.
Once established, they need about 1 inch of water per week, more in hot weather.
Always water them at the base, never from overhead.
Credit: Emily Followill
They are not frost-hardy; below Zone 8, they are grown as annuals.
Dahlias do not have any particular humidity requirements or issues.
Any fertilizerrecommended for vegetablesis suitable for dahlias.
Credit: John Reed Forsman
confirm the container has large drain holes, and use a combination of well-draining potting mix and compost.
Pests and Problems
Snails andslugs are often a problemfor young dahlia plants.
They are especially attracted to wet soil around them.
Credit: John Reed Forsman
Insects that feed on dahlias includeJapanese beetles, aphids, thrips, and earwigs.
Dahlias are prone to a range of fungal diseases, including gray mold on the tubers.
In the worst case, youll have to restart with newly purchased tubers from a reliable source each year.
Credit:Lynn Karlin
How to Propagate Dahlias
Gardeners propagate dahlias throughstem cuttings,division, orseed.
Both stem cuttings and divisions produce plants identical to the parent.
Propagation from seed is the least reliable method, as the plants won’t be true to the parent.
Credit: Bill Stites
Leave two sets of leaves at the top of the cutting and remove the others.
If the remaining leaves are longer than 2 inches, trim them to half their size.
Fill 4-inch pots with moist sterile potting medium and create a hole in the center with a pencil-sized object.
Credit: Mike Jensen
Place the pots in a warm placeunder a grow lightwhere they receive at least 14 hours of light daily.
Mist them occasionally until you see new growth.
Alternatively, take cuttings from tubers as they grow in the garden.
Credit: Eric Roth
As shoots appear above ground, cut them at the base and handle them as stem cuttings.
Leave the tuber in place to produce additional growth.
It is easier to do this if you wait until the eyes sprout in storage.
Credit: John Reed Forsman
Seed
Sow dahlia seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date in spring.
Because they have a low germination rate, sandwich the seeds between two wet paper towels.
Then, check daily to see if they have started germinating.
Credit: David McDonald
Put the seed tray under grow lights.
The seeds must be kept warm.
Continue to check the paper towels each day to see if more seeds have germinated.
Credit: John Reed Forsman
They dont all germinate at the same time.
After a couple of weeks, discard any remaining ungerminated seeds and the paper towels.
When the seedlings are large enough, transplant them intoindividual pots.
Credit: Laurie Black
Wait until after the weather warms in spring to move them outside,hardening them offfirst.
Cutting dahlia flowers for bouquets encourages the plant to produce more flowers.
Be sure to deadhead any spent blooms, too.
Snip horizontally with clean pruners or scissors, takingstems long enough for your bouquet.
Choose open or nearly open flowers because the buds will not open after theyre cut.
New shoots will grow from those nodes.
Leave the stems in the water for at least one hour.
This hot-water treatment conditions the stems so the blooms last four to six days.
Next, strip off all the leaves that would be below the water line in your vase.
(This is true for all flower arrangements, not just dahlias.)
When leaves stay underwater, they decay and release bacteria that shorten the vase life of the flowers.
Types of Dahlia
Dahlias are classified into 14 groups based on blossom punch in.
Here are some popular varieties.
This prize-winning dahlia grows 4 feet tall.
It grows 5 feet tall.
It grows 3 to 4 feet tall.
Jessica Dahlia
Jessica is a cactus-bang out dahlia that unfurls butter-yellow petalstipped in flame red.
It grows 5 feet tall.
Envy Dahlia
Envy offers large, deep red blooms.
It grows 5 feet tall.
Duet Dahlia
The Duet variety of dahlia features medium-sized red blooms tipped in white.
It grows 3 feet tall.
The plant grows 4 feet tall.
It grows 5 feet tall.
The multi-branching plants grow 16 inches tall.
It grows to 8 inches tall.
It grows 5 feet tall.
It grows 4 feet tall.
Suffolk Punch Dahlia
Suffolk Punch offers cherry-red flowers with an iridescent pink overtone bloom on dark stems.
It grows 4 feet tall.
It grows 5 feet tall.
Dig carefully because the tubers are fragile and may break into pieces.
Wash excess soil from the roots and let them dry.
Store tubers in slightly damp peat moss or sawdust in a cool, dark place.
They also represent inner strength, creativity, and elegance.
