by Hamna Ali
When you look at and consider the kind of amazing flowers and plants you can add into and grow in your garden, there are so many endless possibilities that you can actually enjoy! Set the mood for the cold and enjoy Dahlias in your beautiful green space.These are gorgeous flowers that bloom from midsummer through autumn. Available in a rainbow of colors and a number of sizes, dahlias are a lovely flower to grow in any garden. Here’s how to care for them! Dahlias love moist, moderate climates and can brighten up any sunny garden with a growing season that’s at least 120 days long. The tubers are planted in the ground in late spring. They are reliably winter hardy in hardiness zones 8 to 11, although gardeners in zones 6 and 7 may have luck keeping them in the ground as well. In colder zones, dahlias can either be treated as annuals or dug up after the first frost and stored indoors for winter.
Dahlias thrive in 6 to 8 hours of direct sun, especially morning sunlight. They benefit from protection from wind, as strong winds can blow over tall dahlias if they are not supported. Consider their size at maturity when planting. These fantastic flowers will do best in rich, well-draining soil with a pH level of 6.0 to 7.5. Amend heavy clay soil with aged manure or compost to lighten and loosen the soil texture for better drainage.
HOW TO PLANT DAHLIAS:
Avoid planting dahlia tubers that appear wrinkled or rotten. Pink “eyes” (buds) or a little bit of green growth are good signs. Plant large dahlias and those grown solely as cut flowers in a dedicated plot where they will be free from competition from other plants. Set tubers in rows spaced 3 feet apart. If you plant dahlias about 1 foot apart, they make a nice flowering hedge and will support each other. Plant medium- to low-height dahlias, usually in the 3-foot tall range. Set them 2 feet apart. Plant the smallest bedding dahlias, grown from seed, 9 to 12 inches apart. To plant the tubers, start by digging a 6- to 8-inch deep hole. Set a tuber into the hole with the growing points, or “eyes,” facing up. Do not break or cut individual dahlia tubers (as you would with potatoes). Cover the tuber with 2 to 3 inches of soil. (Some say 1 inch is adequate.) As the stem sprouts, fill in with soil until it is at ground level. Do not water the tubers right after planting. This encourages rot. Wait until the sprouts have appeared above the soil, then water. The planting hole should be slightly larger than the root ball of the plant and incorporate some compost or sphagnum peat moss into the soil. It also helps to mix a handful of bone meal into the planting hole. Otherwise, do not fertilize at planting.
DAHLIAS CARE
The more you cut dahlias, the more they’ll bloom—and dahlias are beautiful in a vase. For a bouquet, cut stems in the morning before the heat of the day and put them into a bucket of cool water. Remove stems’ bottom leaves and place the flowers into a vase of water. Place the vase in a cool spot and out of direct sun. Check the water daily. The bouquet should last about a week. Dahlias need to be kept weed-free. Use organic mulch around the plants to prevent weeds and conserve moisture. Pinch back the terminal buds when the plant is 15 inches (38 cm.) tall to enforce good branching and structure and increase budding. Provide plenty of water to your plants. Water plants deeply once or twice per week. Big dahlias need a support structure to keep the heavy blooms from bending to the ground. Fertilize monthly with a water-soluble fertilizer or twice during the growing season use ½ cup (120 mL.) 5-10-10 scattered around the root zone of the plants.
