Bonnie
Fraley
1230 NW Prospect
Grants Pass, OR 97526
Email:
shilohdahlias@hotmail.com
Planting and Care of Dahlias
For your protection shipping start April 15
Location:
Dahlias should be planted in an airy, sunny place protected from high
winds.They like at least 8 hours of sunlight. In hot climates you may
need to pick a place that gets some afternoon shade.
Soil:
Dahlias do well in fertile, well-drained garden soil. you can improve
heavy clay soils by incorporating well-rotted manure, peat, compost or
sand. Reject sand from any sand and gravel yard worls well, because it
is coruse.You can work a two to four inch layer of organic material into
the soil in the fall or three to four weeks before planting in the spring.
When preparing the soil, a commercial 5-10-10 fertilizer works well you
should till that in. Put a tea spoon of bone meal in each spot you plant
a tuber, mix it in a little with your hand.
When:
You need to wait until the soil is warm in the spring time. They are
not like bulbes, tulips, or daffodils etc. that you can plant in cold
wet soil like in the fall. They will rot if you don't wait untill the
soil is warn. In most climates mid April thru May is best.
How:
Your dahlia should be laid on their sides, with buds facing upward, in
holes four to six inches deep. Cover with about two to three inches of
soil. Use the deeper planting on sandy soils and the shallower one on
clay soils. DO - NOT - WATER - UNTIL AFTER - YOU - SEE - A - SPROT - BREAK
- THROUGH - THE - GROUND. To much water will rot the tuber. After you
see sprouts come up you can draw soil toward plant until the tuber is
covered with about five inches of soil. Keeping soil to wet will rot your
tubers also.
Staking:
Insert a four to six foot stake into the ground at the edge of the hole
before the dahlia is planted. Dahlias are large plants and require support.
The tall dahlias cannot support themselves and the plants could break
without support. Some of our customers have used tomato cages. We use
a strong 4' stake at planting then tie thick twine around plant and stake.
Be careful not to damage the plant when tieing.
Care:
When your dahlias reach about 12" or so with at least 3 sets of branches
you should top your plants. It will produce better stems for cutting flowers.
Just break off the center after the third set of leaves with your fingers
it should snap right off. Dahlias need a good drink of water twice a week
in warm climates. Do not over feed your dahlia. If you perpared your soil
in fall or spring you will not need to add anything. If you feel you must
a 5-10-10 or a 10-20-20 can be used. Avoid any thing high in nitrogen,
use only once or twice during the season. You can love them to much.
Cut Flowers:
To use dahlias as cut flowers, cut stems in early morning or late afternoon.
Blossoms should be almost fully open when they are cut.. They do like
fresh water every day, or use a floral preservative. The more flowers
you cut the more flowers your plant will provide
Preparing
Tubers For Next Year:
Do not dig dahlia roots until the tops are destroyed
by frost. Then cut the stems to within two inches of the soil surface. On a sunny
day dig up the clumps.
In lifting be careful not to injure the roots by bruising or by breaking them from the crown. Carefully remove as much soil as possible with a pointed stick, allowing the roots to dry in the air for a few hours, or wash with a hose. Label roots with cultivar name. Store the tuberous roots in a dry, cool, frost-proof place. An ideal storage temperature is 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pack the clumps in peat, vermiculite or sand. The packing material should be dry when used. It will reduce the likelihood of the roots drying out or shrinking.
For more information see the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Web Site