Beautiful Dahlias
Now, dahlias have been banished from 'gardens of taste' for years, snooty nosed gardeners wearing green wellies, aprons and gloves find them appallingly vulgar. Thought to be fine for allotments or other garden corners where the neighbours won't see them, to the posh gardening brigade's horror, they've been coming back into fashion. Personally, I can't understand why they haven't been embraced by the world much, much earlier. You see, these are flowers with a sense of humour, blooms for the soul, blossoms to make you chuckle. In startling shades of screaming red and eye-popping orange, they are ravishingly gaudy. Huge pompoms of noisy apricot, spiky pink cactus balls, or tarty red frilly flowers. I admit that dahlias are not for the faint hearted, these are plants so daring that they'd flash their knickers in public without batting an eyelid. But if you want to add personality, or to inject some vibrant colour into a space, then these little ladies are for you. Steer away from the designer-accepted 'Bishop of Llandaff' and go a bit wild with the tall-stemmed pink fireball which is 'Hillcrest Royal' or the wine-red petalled pompom of 'Moor Place' which the RHS encyclopedia takes great pride in pronouncing is 'great for exhibition', what kind I wonder? Either way, if you plant a dahlia, you'll definitely make your granddad proud.
After the intoxicating effect that the dahlias in Dilys' garden had on me, I set to thinking about other garden plants that could be considered as having a mind of their own; the anarchists of the flower border, the 'indie flowers' of the plant world. And on contemplation I realised that lots of these 'funnies' have the added bonus of taking you back to your youth; remember messing around with snapdragons in your mum's plant pots, what a great little pleasure in life. Antirrhinums are actually a short-lived perennial, but are treated as annuals - you can enjoy them for a season and chuck them away before you get bored. Take pleasure in making them talk to you like you did when you were a kid, and you'll be regressing with the best of them.
Pretty nasty I know, but these plants look slender, toned and gorgeous as a result! They remind me of Morticia from the Adam's Family; supremely gorgeous, but with a definite sinister side. Their flowers are otherwordly and have an ethereal quality that I can't resist; I've got three in a shady corner feasting on flying beasties.
So that's herbaceous curiosities, but there are trees too that just want to be different. Contorted hazels and willows, have wildly twisted stems than seem to defy reality - almost as if someone's sneaked into your garden and wrapped your favourite tree around some sort of post, the corkscrew effect is undeniably beautiful, particularly in winter. Plant Corylus avellana 'Contorta' or Salix babylonica 'Tortuosa' in a position where winter light will shaft through branches and give a soft glisten to frost sprinkled stems for maximum effect.
So, even on the dullest of days, if you plant one of these beauties, you'll soon have a smile on your face when you step outside. There really is nothing like a plant with a little bit of front, get yours now, before they've all taken up alternative careers down your local comedy club!
How to Grow Dahlias
WHERE TO PLANT DAHLIA TUBERS
Dahlias will grow in almost any location and in almost any soil.
However, to have outstanding plants and flowers, you must be selective of the planting placement.
Dahlia roots need a sunny location in order to thrive. They should receive at least a half-day of sun and even more is preferable.
Select a site for your dahlia garden that is away from trees, sunny, and yet sheltered from direct wind.
Dahlia tubers are surface feeders.
Since they don’t send down a tap root or long feeder roots the plants will easily be blown over by the wind.
Staking the plants is essential and will be covered later with planting instructions.
A further important consideration is the condition of the soil.
In most cases, a good everyday garden soil is adequate.
But good soil drainage is vital for dahlia plants.
If the soil holds surface water for more than several hours after a rain, the likelihood is that it should be augmented with organic matter.
Humus, peat moss, sand, or well-rotted manure will work well. A mixture of equal parts of all of the above makes an excellent addition to heavy soil.
HOW TO PREPARE THE DAHLIA GARDEN SOIL
If at all possible, choose the planting site in the fall.
Dig or till your plot and start working in compost, peat moss, sand, and rotted manure. Keep the site as weed free as possible during the winter months.
This will make your spring work and planting much easier.
Then as spring comes, the area will need a further digging, or tilling to a depth of at least six inches but eight to ten inches is better.
If you choose to use a commercial fertilizer, be sure to keep the nitrogen (the first of the three content numbers) to a low number.
For example, a 5-20-20 would be adequate.
This of course should be well worked into the area in a ratio of 3 to 5 pounds per 100 square feet.
Further fertilization should not be needed although some people apply a second mid-season application of the above formula to their dahlias or use a similar ratio in a liquid form.
HOW TO STORE DAHLIA TUBERS
The storage of dahlia tubers prior to planting is critical. Tubers must not be allowed to freeze or to be placed in a room that is heated above 50 degrees F. A temperature of around 40 degrees F is preferred. The tubers must be stored in a dark location, high in humidity. A root cellar or basement with a dirt floor makes an excellent storage area.
Continue to check your dahlia roots (tubers) weekly for rot or mould. As you handle the dahlia tubers be careful not to damage the growing point known as an ‘eye’. Remember, that is your future plant.
WHEN TO PLANT DAHLIA TUBERS
The dahlia tuber is unlike many other bulbs in that it wants to be planted in warm soil compared to say, tulips.
A rule of thumb for planting time is: plant dahlias when you would plant other root type vegetables such as carrots.
In other words, spring should be well on its way with the longer and warmer days.
PLANNING A DAHLIA GARDEN
Now that the area for planting your dahlia tubers is well prepared and your stock of tubers is in hand, it is time to prepare a garden layout plan.
Because certain varieties grow considerably taller than others, you should plot where you want tall plants and where the shorter than average should go.
Also, if colour mass is important, then get these details laid out before you actually begin to plant.
Many commercial dahlia suppliers indicate the approximate height of the plants in their catalogues.
Using this information can be a help in formulating your layout plans.
The layout plan will also need to take into account the number of varieties that you plan to plant.
The average planting space between plants is 18 to 24 inches, especially for the large flowering varieties.
The shorter varieties can be planted closer together, but remember, when you dig those clumps in the autumn, you definitely don’t want them intertwined with their neighbour.
Plan for the rows to be three to five feet apart, depending on the size of the plant.
When the rows are two to three feet apart, the plants will generally grow taller as they ‘reach’ for light and your access up and down the rows becomes more difficult.
Close planting also shuts down air circulation to the lower leaves, encouraging powdery mildew.
If you plan to use a hand tiller between the rows, then plan your rows according to its width and be sure to leave extra width so as not to till too close to the plants and damage those new tubers.
TIPS FOR PLANTING THE DAHLIA TUBERS
Prepared holes for planting should be 5 to 6 inches deep.
If you plan to stake the plants, NOW is the time to do this and not later when you may damage the tuber by running a stake through it.
Pound a sturdy stake, 4 – 5 feet tall into the ground beside the tuber hole.
Some have found tomato cages to be satisfactory in supporting the plants, but these too have wire spears and so they should be put in place when you can see exactly where the tuber is to be located. Tomato cages are generally only satisfactory for the smaller plants. With the stake or tomato cage in place and a planting hole on one or both sides of the stake, place the tuber in the hole laying longwise on its side, with the sprout or eye facing up. If the tuber has a sprout an inch long or more, care should be given not to damage the fragile shoot.
However, if this does happen, and it is very easily done, then don’t despair, there are auxiliary eyes at the base of the broken shoot and they will grow, but you will have lost some advanced growth in your future plant.
Do not add fertilizer to the hole as this may damage the new tender root system.
Cover the tuber with 4-5 inches of dirt. Some gardeners have found it helpful to hill the plants as they grow to provide support to the stems, but often this is not adequate in wind prone areas.
Tie a name-tag on your stake so you will know later which plant is growing there.
HOW TO WATER DAHLIAS
Unless it is a very dry spring, it should not be necessary to water at the time of planting. The tubers will begin growing with the warmth and moisture in the soil.
It is vital that they form a root system early in their planted life to assure a strong and healthy plant.
Watering at the time of planting may encourage rot causing you to wonder why that prized variety is not growing.
When you carefully investigate the problem, you may not even be able to find the tuber or you will find a lump of rotten muck.
Not a pretty sight!
Once the plant begins to grow you can begin to water every few days.
Watering will be necessary in most areas throughout the summer months.
Water dahlias at the root level using a drip system.
Deep watering or in other words, a good soaking is better than passing a spray on the plants for a short period.
In fact, it is much preferred in order to prevent disease on the foliage and to conserve water.
Many growers find the soaker hose in its various forms to be the best and then the water goes in the soil where the plant needs it.
HOW TO FIGHT DAHLIA PESTS
Once the shoot is above the soil surface, the first slug within a city block will ‘smell’ it. Be prepared!! Get out that slug bait and spread it liberally everywhere, or the slimy pests will devour every tender morsel for lunch! You may have other methods of taking care of these hungry critters, but I have found the slug pellets to be my favourite as I can broadcast them over an area very quickly and in most cases with good results.
MORE DAHLIA GROWING AND PLANTING HELP
Now that you have gone to all that work, you will want to care for your plants and see them produce beautiful prize-winning blooms.
Keep the area weed free, or at least as much as your back will tolerate.
Also remove any broken or damaged foliage.
Good air circulation, especially near the ground is needed by the plants to prevent powdery mildew.
Once the plants are several feet high the lower leaves can be removed to increase air circulation.
TYING DAHLIA PLANTS TO THE STAKES
When the plants get to be a foot tall, be sure to begin tying them to the stakes.
A wind will lay your plants flat from here on and may even break the stalk from the tuber. (Then you will be sad!) You will need to continue to tie them to the stake every 18 to 24 inches.
If you grow 4 or more plants of one variety, you may find it easy to run garden twine the full length of the row.
This can easily be done down each side of the plants using the existing name stakes.
The twine should be spaced every 8 – 10 “up the stake and can be secured on the stakes just with a single wrap around each stake as you go down each side of the row.
This fast method works well until your housemate snips the string while cutting a bouquet of flowers.
Disbudding Dahlias
In some cases, there will be three small buds and one
large bud at the tip of a lateral.
When this occurs, the third bud will be attached to the
stem of the central bud together with a small leaf.
The 1st and 2nd side buds will be in their usual place on
their respective stems.
When the buds are first visible,
all four are firmly packed together and hard to
differentiate.
All three of the smaller buds should be removed.
If a plant is not disbudded, all the buds will develop.
The picture on the right shows a central bud and two side
buds whose stems are lengthening.
Eventually, the stems will be 6 to 10 inches long and all
three buds will bloom. The three blooms will be
approximately the same size but smaller than the central
bloom would be if the two side buds were removed.
Ideally, when the blossom is mature, the length of the stem
of the central bud should be 1 and 1/2 times the diameter
of the bloom.
Technically, the removal of the side buds and the third
small bud, if it exists, constitutes disbudding.
However, in practice the activity of disbudding also
includes removing some laterals.
When the small side buds have been removed, two
questions need to be asked and acted upon when
answered.
First question is:
Will the stem for this bloom be long enough for the
purpose it is to be used?
Blooms are generally cut just above a node. In the picture
on the right, two side buds were removed from the first
node below the central bud.
The next node down has two laterals (sometimes two buds
instead of two laterals) and two leaves.
In the picture, the distance from the bud to just above the
second node is about three inches.
By the time the bud matures into a full bloom, that distance
may be estimated at 9 to 12 inches--not really long enough
to ensure good placement in a competition type vase.
Therefore, the two laterals at the second node would be
carefully removed--do not remove or injure the leaves.
Later the bloom would be cut just above the third node
and the stem would be 18 to 20 inches long.
Alternatively, if the distance from the bloom to just above
the second node was estimated to be 15 to 20 inches, the two laterals at the second node would be retained and the
bloom stem would be cut just above the second node.
The picture on the right is a similar view of another plant.
It is presented in the hopes that one of the two pictures
will be helpful in understanding disbudding and removing
laterals.
The second question is:
Do we want this plant to be on the tall side, the short side
or medium height for its type? If it is desired that the plant
be taller than the average, do not remove any more
laterals than is required to get the desired stem length.
If a shorter plant is desired, remove the laterals at the next
node down.
Some people remove laterals two and three nodes below
the node where the side buds were removed.
In the picture, the laterals at the second node are currently
about waist high.
They will grow considerably.
A little imagination suggests that leaving the laterals at the
second node would eventually result in a very tall plant.Removing laterals is an art not a science.
The beginner is advised to disbud and remove the laterals at the next node down if they are laterals.
If the growth at that node appears to be additional buds, they should be removed. Beginners will not be
beginners for long.
They will very quickly develop their own disbudding and lateral removing strategies once they see the
results.
