| Article number: | 2P-DAHLIA-6IN-CRNBZ |
| Availability: | In stock (7) |
| Delivery time: | Local Pick Up Only, Beginning Mid May |
HOW TO GROW DAHLIAS:
Dahlia pre-starts should be planted mid-May, after all threat of frost. The soil temperature should be approximately 60 degrees. Plant in a sunny location that is protected from strong winds. 8 hours of direct sunlight is best. They prefer a rich, fertile soil and regular watering and feeding. A mulch of 2-4 inches helps keep the shallow-feeding roots cool. Keep soil watered to a depth of 1 foot and continue throughout the active growth period.
Most varieties need support, as they can produce a great deal of heavy growth by season's end. A stout stake knocked in alongside the tuber at planting time will be hidden as foliage develops yet provide an anchor to which individual stems can be tied with twine.
Some thinning and pinching is necessary to produce bushy, branching plants. If you have tall-growing dahlias, remove all but the strongest 4 to 6 stems when the plants are about 6 inches high. When the remaining stems have three sets of leaves, pinch the top so that the stems form branches. Branches mean flowers, and that's the desired result of all this cultivation. Smaller types of dahlias need only tip pruning once during the season.