Dahlias are a hardy perennial tuberous bulb that may be overwintered in dry climates. Dahlias have caused mild mannered men to become obsessed madmen by the huge scope of colors, sizes and shapes Dahlias come in. Plus, they’re rather easy to grow.
Dahlias are native to Central Americas. It as an accidental shipment of the tubers from Mexico to the Netherlands in 1872 that began the broad array of cultivars we have today. The Dutch are surely the most adventurous Flower hobbyists. True Dahlias, the oldest sort, are 12 to 20′ tall, often with large white or soft pink but plain blooms. These original Dahlia Trees are hollow inside the stem and were often made into pipes. They go completely dormant in the cold winter and have along bloom time from July to November, some of the Dahlia Trees lasting until January if its a mild winter.
Dahlias require well drained soil and need regular water, especially when they are struggling to rise up in the Spring. Weekly weak fish emulsion feeding and good dose of a systemic once in the first cycle is all they need for feeding. Protect them from slugs, too. Many a worm loves Dahlias, especially the fist tender shoots, so be weary.
A sad but necessary ritual for the first bloom is to cut the first pre- bloom off, before it opens, down to the middle, at least two sections down, to make the plant stronger for the duration of the year. Don’t be shy about cutting long stems from your Dahlia, the longer the cut the longer the next shoot will be, and stronger. The more you cut the more they produce.
They’re a working plant and a beautiful addition to to your garden. If you plant the tubers in the winter, be sure to mark it with a bamboo stake so you know where it is in the garden as you wait. I often will write with a sharpie pen on the stake what kind it is, color, etc, to make sure of the color harmony when I plant others plants around that area. Use bone meal with your dormant tuber to give it necessary micro minerals to establish its roots.
Dahlias are susceptible to a virus and to mold from over head watering. A good rule of green thumb is NEVER water overhead, anything! To protect DAhlias from wet rot in the winter, simply take out when its through blooming, let it dry naturally for a week, then gently wrap inn a paper bag and stick it in a cold dry place for a few month. Mark the bag or you may forget what it is! As I mentioned, many a person has gone mad with Dahlias.
Dahlia Madness has evolved to rival Orchid Madness, with exhibitions and competitions world wide. Because there are several types of Dahlias there are several types of micro competitions within larger competitions. There are 19 types of Dahlia bloom types recognized by American Dahlia Society, “Novelty” being the most intriguing to me. I order mine from Dans Dahlias, they have a good way of listing the types by height or unusualness.
Dahlias are a true darling of the garden, a hardworking and rewarding plant, so beautiful, so large inn many cases. We can’t get enough! At Wendy’s Garden, we have the Dinner Plate varieties in hues of blush “Mocha” to “Purple Passion” and “Orange Sorbet”, with some very dark red almost black from years before that keep showing up. We also have a novelty type that is a cactus form ,”Sunburst”, just lovely in the vase with other flowers.I highly recommend Dahlias for any garden, a delight to have in the garden and within the home in a vase.
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