Cooperative Living August 2016 - 27

Plot of Dahlias.
Spectacular
Dahlia
Blooms
stately grand old dahlias, even sporting
bi-color petals that echo paintings of the
Old Masters, two of which are aptly
named " Rembrandt " and " Leonardo. "
The slightly larger impression series (12
to 20 inches) offers the classic charm of
the collarette type in a glorious range of
color combinations. In the dahlia world,
it's " Bert Pitt " (not Brad) that is so
attractive, hearts flutter. Some dahlias are
appreciated for unusual foliage such as
" fire mountain " with bright-red blooms
atop nearly black foliage.
The Farmer's Almanac warns against
being in a hurry to plant dahlias. Wait to
plant them until after you have planted
tomatoes - they require about the same
culture as those warm-weather lovers.
Grow dahlias in full sun. They especially
love morning sun, and need at least 6
hours of direct light. Dahlias prefer
slightly acidic soil with good drainage; if
your soil is heavy, add sand, peat moss or
manure to lighten it. Plant tubers lying
flat, 6 inches below the soil line with the
eyes up, and add a scoop of bone meal.
If you want to give your dahlias a head
start, plant in pots first, then transfer to
the garden. Do not water tubers right after
planting to prevent the chance of rotting.
Wait until sprouts have appeared above
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the soil to water the plants and mulch.
Tall varieties do require staking, so if you
grow a tall type, do your staking at the
time of planting. Slugs love a dahliafest,
so do not use bamboo stakes that have
hollow insides where the slugs like to
hide. It's a good idea to protect the plants
with slug killer or to check for slugs as
a morning routine. After dahlias become
established, they appreciate a deep
watering two to three times a week in
hot weather.
The American Dahlia Society has
suggestions for garden-type dahlias that
grow well in every part of the country as
well as lists of varieties that are best for
cut flowers and for containers. Consider
your objective. Do you want to maximize
the size and quality of the plant's
individual blooms as exhibitors do for cut
flowers, or are you more concerned with
the overall appearance of the plant in the
landscape? Disbudding is the technique
of removing all but the main, terminal
bud while buds are small, sending all the
plant's energy into producing large
blooms. Double stopping is a reverse of
this process where growers pinch out the
terminal bud in its infancy to encourage
branching of the plant, then pinch again
(making a second stop) a few weeks later
to assure a plant fully covered with
blooms. The dahlias will bloom profusely
right up until frost.
Dahlias are only hardy to USDA Zone 8,
so they are usually dug up after frost and
stored. Experts at Swan Island Dahlias
suggest an alternative, though, for digging
up tubers in colder climates: cutting plants
in November and covering them with
plastic to protect them from water and
cold. Some gardeners plant the tubers
about 8 inches deep to begin with and
choose to leave them in the ground over
the winter.
Even if you gamble on a mild winter
and get a severe one that freezes your
tubers, dahlias are inexpensive to replace.
If you are not concerned with showquality
blooms, purchase a mix of seeds
to grow your next crop of dahlias.
If you do choose to dig up the tubers,
treat them with a fungicide, label for
identification, and store in a cool, dry
place. For lots of plants the following
spring, take nodal cuttings just below
a pair of leaves at the leaf joint, dip in
rooting hormone and plant in equal
parts peat moss and sand.
No matter your technique, you'll
get a big bang for your buck and dahlias
that dazzle. 
August 2016 | Cooperative Living | 25
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Cooperative Living August 2016

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