Gardening Tips

Depending on where you live a little frost is not a big deal. Living on the California Central Coast I don’t ever dig up my dahlias I cut them back after they have died down and compost my bed with rich organic compost. Then I add a layer of mulch to keep the moister in and the freezing to a minimum. The first frost of the year you will notice that all of the foliage is dead. I clean that up by cutting or pulling the stems off the tubers.

One great aspect of not digging up your dahlias is that the tubers grow big and multiply. Then you can always separate them out for more plants or to share with gardening friends. I have found that the Dahlia plant gets bigger and taller in the growing season, summer. You will find that you get a lot more blossoms and longer stems.

If you live in snow country dig up your dahlias a frost will turn them into mush and it is yucky. I lived in Bend OR and I would keep my dahlias in black planters so that I could bring them in easily. It can be frustrating and time consuming to dig up all of your dahlias. A friend of mine she always puts them in painted plastic containers so they look pretty and are decorative.

Remember snails, slugs, and mildew love dahlias… see related future articles on the battle between me and the mildew.

Spectacular, this is the word I would use to describe dahlias. They will give you wonderful cut flowers all summer up until the first frost. They originate from Mexico, Central and South America and were transported to Europe during the 16th century. This tuberous perennial has numerous varieties, rich with amazing colors. Some people are intimidated by the care that dahlias require, but I feel that any garden takes care. The flowers are so amazing with an incredible amount of variety whatever care they need is worth it.

Storage:

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The tubers need to be stored in a cool, dry, and dark environment. The frost will turn them to mush; dig up the tuber before the frost comes. Dahlias can be stored in different materials: paper bags, peat moss, vermiculite, and many more. Find out what works for you, I use paper bags or recycled paper. Keep them dormant until the last frost has is over.

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Growing Tips:

Plant the tubers after the last frost and in a full sun environment. Dahlias love their faces in the sun and will grow fast in the sun. Plant the tuber about 6″ into the soil and don’t worry too much about the direction the tuber is in. Dahlias will grow up towards the sun. Slugs, snail, and pests love to eat Dahlias sprinkle snail bait on the soil. When the Dahlias are growing make sure there is an adequate about of snail bait. I use “Slugo” because it is great if you have pets. Other wise you can use the hard core stuff. Keep them watered, but don’t over water. They can do well on less water, but will rot if over watered. Add fertilizers to the soil before you plant and keep the nitrogen level low. If you are going to stake them which is recommended do this before they grow. It is always great to establish the support before they get too big. Remove the finished blossoms throughout the season to ensure lots of blossoms.