Other Species: There are around 35 original species in the Dahlia genus but thousands of named cultivars have been segregated into fourteen main groups to help identification. Powdery mildew can be a bother so try not to water the foliage, better to deep soak the roots only. Keep your tubers from drying out - storing in peat moss helps and try to maintain temperature around 7-8c.ĭiseases: Two spotted mite, aphids, slugs and snails. This also gives you the opportunity to remove any weakling tubers. In warmer climates they can be left in the ground over winter but Dahlias generally go better when lifted and kept in a cool, dry location over the cold months. When cutting flowers include plenty of stem, in fact the length of your forearm is best even if that includes side buds, this helps stimulate more flower production. Note: Fertilisers produce foliage and water produces blooms. Keep well watered as the buds set and from then on until they die back in autumn when you can trim back the dead foliage until next year. Pinching out smaller buds helps produce bigger blooms. Liquid fertilise with a low nitrogen formulation one month after planting and again a month later. Maintenance: Water sparingly after planting then increase to 2-3 times per week once the first sprouts come through. They will need around 80-100 days to bloom. Lay the tuber on its side and cover with soil around 10-15cms deep. Moisten the soil before planting but not directly afterwards - moist is good, overly wet is not. Plant after the colder nights have passed (end October in SE Australia - just before the Melbourne Cup). Ridging up the soil will assist drainage and help warm it too.Ĭhoose a sunny location, around 6 hours per day is ideal, with shade from the scorching afternoon sun. Some added organic matter like compost or animal manures will help, but not too much. Soil: Any average, well drained, friable soil will do. They make excellent border flowers providing amazing colour and are one of the very best cut flowers, a florists delight. Pompon Dahlias have fully double spherical blooms of miniature size, with florets largely involute along their length (longitudinal axis). They have attractive, mid green, lobed foliage, hollow stems and the flowerheads are beautifully colourful, though the number of shapes and sizes vary considerably. Dahlias are tuberous perennials that produce a spectacular display of flowers through summer and into autumn.
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