Dahlia is rightfully considered one of the most decorative flowers due to the long flowering period from mid-summer to the very frosts, a variety of colors and many forms. A representative of the Aster family became an inhabitant of European gardens in the 17th century, after it was imported from Central America. Europeans appreciated the beauty and grace of the plant, taking into account the fact that planting and caring for dahlias in the open field does not require special skills and efforts.
In the wild, the genus unites under its name about 30 species, which have become the basis for breeding work and breeding more than 15,000 varieties, which are divided into 12 classes.
Among the huge variety of shapes and colors, the following varieties stand out:
- Collared dahlias are varieties that range in height from 70 to 120 cm, with one row of outer petals covered by a second row consisting of short, twisted flowers of a different color. Noteworthy: Chimborazo, La Gioconda, Claire de Luna.
- Needle - varieties that stand out with petals twisted into a tight tube that resemble needles. Danny, Pirouette, Visit, Doris Day are popular.
- Peony - varieties with multi-row inflorescences, the lower tier of which is represented wide petals, and the center - short, twisted into a tube. Fascination, Symphonia are widespread.
- Spherical dahlias - representatives have lush rounded inflorescences with a loose structure up to 15 cm in diameter. Doreen Hayes, Esmonde, Crichton Honey stand out.
- Simple dahlias - varieties with simple single-row inflorescences with a diameter of 10 cm, not exceeding 60 cm in height, among which Yellow Hammer, Princess Marie Jose, Orangeade are common.
Dahlias: the nuances of growing
An unpretentious flower will decorate the garden with long and lush flowering, given a number of features:
- providing the necessary soil composition;
- competent choice of seedlings and cultivation sites;
- timely preparation for winter;
- regular feeding and water procedures.
Landing in open ground
Planting work includes a number of activities important for the full development of the dahlia - site selection, its preparation and direct planting of tubers.
Soil preparation and site
When choosing a site, preference should be given to sunny places, protected from drafts, with fertile, loose soils. Acidity is not a very significant parameter, however, with its excess, the soil is limed, and in case of deficiency, it is acidified with peat.
Site preparation is carried out in two stages:
- In autumn, when digging, compost is added at the rate of 3-5 kg per 1 m2.
- In the spring, another portion of compost and a little wood ash is scattered over the dug-up area, after which the territory is harrowed with a rake.
Selection of planting material
The issue of choosing planting material must be approached responsibly: the success of cultivating the crop depends on it.
When buying, consider the following:
- terms - seedlings are purchased no earlier than mid-April;
- appearance- the tuber must be fleshy and strong, without visible damage;
- the presence of sprouts - they should be short enough.
How and when to plant?
After the soil warms up, you can start planting tubers in open ground. As a rule, landing is carried out in late spring - early summer.
During the procedure:
- Holes are dug with dimensions of 40x40x40 cm, exceeding the size of the tubers at least three times.
- Manure is laid out at the bottom, which is sprinkled with soil.
- Then tubers with sprouts are placed and closed so that the stem is 2 cm deep into the ground.
- In the case of planting a tall variety on this stage an additional strong support is installed.
- soil in trunk circle watered abundantly and mulched with a 5 cm layer of a mixture of sawdust and peat.
Dahlia Care
In order for dahlias to grow up healthy and not waste their energy on the struggle for survival, it is necessary to follow simple care requirements.
Watering plants and hilling
Dahlias need abundant watering 1 or 2 times a week, depending on the weather, in which it is necessary to ensure that there is no stagnation of moisture in the roots that are prone to decay.
With the advent of hot summer, dahlias spud after each watering, which allows them to retain moisture longer.
Loosening, weeding and mulching
To provide good level air permeability one day after the next watering, the soil in the near-stem circle loosens, while weeds are removed. To reduce time and effort in these procedures, as well as to avoid rapid evaporation of moisture, the near-stem area is mulched.
Top dressing and fertilizer
During the period of active development, dahlias need regular top dressing, which is carried out twice a month with alternating mineral and organic fertilizers.
- At the beginning of the month, ammonium nitrate is added at the rate of 15 g per 1 m².
- In the second half - solution bird droppings prepared in a ratio of 1:20.
Important! After the formation of the first buds, nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizers are replaced by phosphorus-potassium fertilizers - 15 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate per 10 liters of liquid.
Shaping and garter
Pasynkovanie, allowing to form beautiful bush from 2-3 powerful stems, carried out throughout the season as lateral shoots form. A mandatory procedure is to tie tall dahlias to the support installed during planting: strong wind or precipitation can break the hollow stem of the plant.
Advice! If the dahlia stem is broken, you should immediately support the damaged shoot with a branch, and then fix it well.
Such treatment in the form of applying a tire will save the plant, which will surely thank the grower with its flowering.
plant pruning
The dahlia bush is pruned to achieve high quality buds that will be much larger while retaining only 2-3 shoots. After the formation of buds, no more than 2 pieces are left on each peduncle. It is mandatory to remove lateral shoots from tall varieties and faded inflorescences, which allows you to speed up the budding process.
Transfer
When growing dahlias, one should not forget about observing crop rotation: representatives of the culture return to their original place of growth no earlier than after a three-year period.
Caring for dahlias in the fall: when to dig up tubers for the winter
When the first frosts come, the tubers of the plant are to be dug up:
- The stems are shortened to 10 cm in height and covered with foil to prevent moisture from entering, provoking the development of rot.
- After 2-3 days, on a dry morning, the plant is dug in with a distance of 30 cm from the central shoot.
- Villas are being built under a lump of land.
- The tuber is pushed out of the soil and carefully cleaned of it.
- After digging is completed, the tubers are washed from the remnants of the soil, which may contain pathogens and pest larvae.
Carefully! Delay in digging tubers, when short-term heat returns after a cold snap, can lead to the awakening of the kidneys, which is unacceptable.
Plant protection from diseases and pests
Among the pests on dahlias, slugs and earwigs are often noted, which are attracted by the succulent stems and buds of the culture. To combat them, apply weekly folk remedy- a decoction of wormwood.
When attacked by aphids, thrips, mites and caterpillars, plantings are treated with a systemic insecticide as a protective measure.
Of the diseases that often affect dahlias, rot is the most common. The reason for the development of this disease is an excess of moisture, the prevention of which is the best preventive measure.
Reproduction dahlia
Dahlias reproduce in a generative and vegetative way.
seed way
If the owner land plot there is no time or desire to dig up and store tubers every year, then you can grow annual dahlias, which are so called conditionally - the name implies the annual sowing of dahlia seeds, which are cultivated in the garden as an annual crop.
The direct procedure for sowing a crop with seeds in open ground is carried out according to the standard scheme:
- Seed material is sown in shallow grooves, then the crops are moistened.
- After the formation of two pairs of true leaves in the seedlings, the seedlings are seated.
Tuber division
The procedure is carried out in the second half of April 1-1.5 months before planting in open ground:
- The germinated tuber is planted in a nutrient substrate in such a way that it protrudes 2-3 cm above the soil level.
- Landings are kept in a well-lit place with a temperature of 18 ° C.
- After bud formation, the tuber is divided into parts, each of which must have at least one bud with a root collar.
- Then the delenki return to the same container where they grow.
- When side shoots reach a height of 10 cm, they are removed, and the delenki are planted in open ground.
cuttings
Side shoots that are cut before planting delenok can be used as cuttings:
- Cuttings are planted in a container with nutrient soil.
- The box is moved to a dark place, and the plantings are systematically watered.
- After rooting, new specimens are planted in garden soil.
These plants are in great demand among gardeners. And this is quite understandable. Dahlias are beautiful and amazing flower. No other garden plant you will not meet such a huge color scheme, various forms, like these fabulous flowers. Dahlias with their dense and long flowering will embellish the front garden of any style, and the bright flowering bushes look great both solo and as border lines in flower beds or as potted plants.
Features of growing dahlias of different varieties
Dahlias are dazzlingly beautiful and diverse, there are 42 species of these beautiful perennials and annual plants. They are not at all demanding in care, so even the most inexperienced flower growers can handle their breeding. In order for the bushes of these flowers to be lush and attractive, you need to know the rules for growing them:
- Three ways to propagate flowers. Dahlias are bred by dividing tubers, cuttings or seeds.
- Almost any type of soil is suitable for growing flowers.
- Always plant flowers in the same place.
- Unpretentiousness. Planting dahlias, caring for them is not difficult.
- Watering flowers is rare, but plentiful.
- To obtain fluffy bushes, pinch or pinch dahlias by removing 3-4 pairs of lower leaves.
- Plants begin to bloom 1-2 months after planting in the ground and continue until the second decade of October.
- So that the root tubers of dahlias do not freeze in the cold winter soil, they are removed from the soil and stored until warming.
Rules for planting dahlias at home
Colorful spots of flowering dahlias - a common picture for country and rural flower gardens and front gardens. But if the root tubers are not planted correctly, there is a chance that the plant will not bloom. It would be a shame if expensive and high-quality planting material was used at the same time. To prevent this from happening, you need to know and use in practice some of the nuances and rules for planting dahlias.
Location
When choosing a site for planting dahlias, consider the following factors:
- Ideal for these flowers are bright, sunny, spacious areas.
- It is permissible to plant dahlias in partial shade, where there is the possibility of light entering for 6 hours a day.
- The flower does not like drafts, but the area should be well ventilated.
- Dahlias can be planted in the shade of larger plants, but there is a risk of loss of flowering quality.
- Do not plant these flowers in places with a high level of humidity.
Soil and planting hole preparation
It is advisable to think about planting dahlias in the fall, dig the soil in advance, add to it wood ash, manure or garden compost. In spring, the soil is loosened with a pitchfork, generously fertilized with bone meal. Do not plant dahlias in the soil where asters or other plants damaged by fungal diseases grew before them. To protect dahlia crown tubers, fertilize the soil with granular insecticides.
Depending on the size of the tuber, a hole is dug to plant the flowers. In addition to the root itself, fertilizers will be placed in the hole. Approximate size holes: depth - 25-30 cm, diameter - from 30-35 cm. Pour the dug hole with water, add fertilizer. The distance between the pits must also be correctly maintained, approximately 50-90 cm.
Best time to drop off
Dahlias are very afraid of the cold and are sensitive to even slight frosts. Therefore, planting flowers falls on the third decade of April or May 1-20, when the danger of frost has passed. It all depends on the climatic conditions of your area. You can plant dahlias earlier, but when the first cold snap or frost, you need to cover the plants with a covering material.
Division of dahlia root tubers in spring
Before planting, be sure to divide the dahlia tubers. This affects the formation of the bush, the strength of its growth and beauty. To get quality root tubers, follow these steps:
- In April, dahlia tubers, set aside for the winter in storage, put in warm room where the temperature is maintained within +18...+20 °C.
- Prepare a pruner or garden shears, a sharp knife.
- planting material carefully inspect, remove dry or diseased roots with secateurs, treat damaged areas with brilliant green.
- With a knife, divide the stump of the tubers into two parts, the kidneys should remain on both halves of the stump.
- Stretch the root slowly in different directions to divide it in half. Buds should remain on each piece of root, as well as on the plot.
- Sprinkle the cut points with powdered activated charcoal. Wait a while for the treated incisions to dry.
- Then, if the original size of the tubers allows, divide them in half again.
Planting dahlias in open ground
It is allowed to plant flowers in the ground when the soil is completely warm. We make the hole for the plant three times wider and higher than the lump of roots, so that after the root tuber is completely lowered into the hole, about 7 cm is left in stock. For tall flowers, immediately install a peg for which the future stem will rest. After planting the dahlias, water them well with water. Sprinkle the soil around the seedling with a five-centimeter layer of small tree bark mixed with peat.
Dahlia Care
In order for flowers to grow well and bloom densely, they need fertile soil, plenty of sunlight, and enough water. To get a beautiful, wind-resistant plant, you need to learn how to form bushes. During the growth period of the flower, so that the dahlia inflorescences are large and bright, remove the growing shoots. Tie very tall bushes to a peg, otherwise the wind may break the stem.
Dahlia care includes:
- Watering. The plant needs systematic irrigation. It should be watered so that the water moistens the soil to a depth of 25-30 cm. Overflowing water, flooding, stagnation of moisture around the flower will lead to its illness or death, since the roots of dahlias do not tolerate high humidity.
- Fertilizer and top dressing. In the process of growth, top dressing of dahlias is carried out every two weeks. During the period when sprouts appear, they are watered with slurry diluted with water (calculation 1:10). With the advent of buds, fertilizers containing potassium and superphosphate are applied (calculation of 30 g of fertilizer per 10 l of water). If the soil was well fertilized before planting dahlias, then it is possible to do without top dressing. Whether there is a need to feed the plant, you will determine by its development.
- Garter and support for dahlias. These flowers have a fragile hollow stem, with a strong gust of wind or rain it is easy to break it, so you need to tie the flower. Pegs made of wood or metal, arches, walls of a terrace or veranda, fences made of decorative wood are used as a support. This must be done when planting flowers, before the stalk begins to grow.
- Pruning and shaping the bush. To get beautiful large buds, it is necessary to leave no more than three shoots on the bush. Each peduncle should have 1-2 buds. Remove faded buds immediately with garden shears, otherwise the growth and formation of new inflorescences will be delayed. In tall dahlias, separate the lower side shoots throughout the flowering period. In undersized, bushy plants, leave shoots to make them appear more magnificent.
Diseases and pests. The most common diseases of dahlias are viral leaf mosaic, gray rot, black leg, bacterial canker, white rot and smut. At the first disease, the leaves are deformed, acquire a yellowish color. Gray rot infects tubers during wintering. A flower infected with a virus is completely removed from the site. The black leg affects cuttings or young flowers. In this case, the plant is treated with a fungicide. Bacterial cancer, smut and white rot affect the roots of the plant.
Of the pests, plants are annoyed by:
- Mice, rats. May gnaw on tubers during storage.
- Aphids - "Enemy No. 1" of dahlias. Damages cuttings, lower parts of stems, buds.
- spider mite, bedbugs. Leaves of flowers are affected.
- Slobber-pennitsa. It feeds on the cell sap of the flower.
- Thrips. Eating the tissues of leaves, flower petals, makes moves there, disfiguring them.
- Slugs. Young stems of flowers are affected.
- Wireworms. They eat plant buds, harm root tubers.
- Medvedka. Damages the root of the flower.
- Earwigs. They eat buds.
Digging up and storing dahlias in winter
Dahlia is a heat-loving plant, the temperature of +1 degree is very low and dangerous for it. Therefore, in our country this plant is grown as an annual, and in winter the root tubers of dahlias are dug up and stored until spring to plant again. The following instructions will help you to properly dig the root of the flower and not damage it:
- Around the plant with a shovel, within a radius of 30 cm from the stem, make a trench, bayonet-deep.
- Start carefully digging under the roots with a shovel until you can push the root tuber out of the ground.
- Thoroughly clean the dahlia root from the breasts of the earth, cut off the small roots.
- When you dig up all the tubers, under weak pressure water, gently rinse them from the ground, then dip for half an hour in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to disinfect and cleanse from microorganisms that carry diseases.
90% of success in growing dahlias depends on proper storage them in winter. Optimum temperature 3-5°C is considered for good root preservation, and the required air humidity in a ventilated room, such as a basement, is 60-70%. Before sending dahlia tubers for wintering, do the following:
- Rinse the dug up tubers so that there is no earth on them.
- In sunny weather, the tubers must be dried in the fresh air for about 4-5 hours or brought into a warm room.
- Then generously sprinkle the roots with sawdust, carefully pack in boxes for safekeeping.
- Place them indoors for the winter.
Everyone wants to decorate their garden in the best possible way so that it will please the eye for a long time with a variety of flowers. Such a colorful flower as a dahlia looks enchanting in the gardens. A huge number of varieties, different in height, shape and color of inflorescences, will allow you to create dazzling flower beds on any site. Although the plant is unpretentious in terms of planting, there are still some difficulties. Watch the video tutorial below to learn more about dahlias, how to care for them, and how to easily grow beautiful and lush flowers.
A garden in which dahlias bloom always looks beautiful and attractive. Beautiful flowers do not lose their attractiveness until the very end of autumn. However, not a very large number of gardeners plant dahlias, as they are unfamiliar with the technology of growing dahlias from tubers and storing them.
Features of growing dahlias from tubers
The first reason for the reluctance to grow dahlias is the storage of tubers. Gardeners always doubt that they will be able to create all the necessary conditions for storing tubers until next spring. They believe that they can easily buy tubers in stores, the cost of which is low.
In principle, this is exactly what is done in all European countries. Foreign gardeners do not store roots in winter time. With the onset of autumn, they dig up the tubers and throw them away. With the onset of spring they buy new dahlias, cultivation and care, which is carried out constantly.
We don't do that in our country. late autumn dahlias are carefully dug up, put in a well-closing box, then the tubers are sprinkled with sawdust. Store tubers of flowers in a deep cellar.
With the onset of spring, the tubers of these flowers are taken out of the cellar and carefully examined. Rotted parts can be removed by cutting with a sharp knife. Small wounds can sprinkle with wood ash.
The first question that always worries gardeners is how to grow dahlias from tubers, when should you start germinating flowers? Early varieties you can start "awakening" at the end of March. Late varieties are planted directly in open ground.
The earth must be well warmed up when no more frost is expected. This usually happens in the last days of May.
When buying dahlia tubers in the store, you need to make sure that each of them has live "eyes" that sprout. Dahlia roots are sold by weight, regardless of the number of sprouts. Very often in colorful bags you can find dead tubers, all kinds of debris and dry stems.
In this regard, it is necessary take a good look at the root. It is very important that the cervix has green buds that will soon begin to grow.
Large tubers must be divided into several parts. If this is not done, the growing stems will begin to interfere with each other.
Undoubtedly, the bush will grow large, but the flowers will be small and inconspicuous.
Tubers that have been prepared planted in pots. Soil for dahlias can be:
- Sand mixed with sawdust.
- Coconut substrate.
- A mixture of peat and sand.
For good growth the soil must be well moistened with water. Planting of tubers is carried out so that the neck with the kidney is not very deep.
The tubers germinate within a few weeks. The kidneys finally wake up, appear green shoots. After the length of the sprouts reaches 15 cm, allowed to start cuttings.
The shoot, which has several internodes, is cut off and immersed in water. Usually a couple of drops of a growth activator are added to it. Gardeners often use epin for this.
A tuber, with a cut cutting, will wake up another "eye", a new shoot will appear. By constantly cutting cuttings, you can get more than 30 new dahlias from one tuber.
If there are two eyes on a tuber with a cut cutting, it is also can be divided into parts. Each should have one eye.
After all operations, sprouted roots, well-rooted cuttings are planted in the ground. When planting, the neck of the dahlia should have a slight depression so that it can breathe easily.
For convenience, each well should have small pole, to which it will later be possible to tie a bush. Of course, the pole can be installed in the summer, but there is a danger of injury to the rhizome of the dahlia. In winter, it just rots.
Soil preparation
If you are planning to start growing dahlias, then you need to start thinking about planting them with the onset of autumn. The soil must be dug well in advance. She needs to be fertilized garden compost or manure.
With the onset of spring, the soil must be loosened with a pitchfork and add bone meal. It is forbidden to plant dahlias if plants that were infected with fungal diseases grew in this soil. To protect dahlia tubers, the soil needs to be fertilized with granular insecticides.
landing pit. The size of the recess depends on the size of the tuber. In addition, space for fertilizers is also taken into account. The hole should have approximately the following dimensions:
- depth - 25–30 cm;
- diameter - 30–35 cm.
The planting hole is watered with water and fertilizers are added. There should be a distance of at least 50 cm between the pits.
When to start planting dahlias
Dahlia tubers are afraid of even small frosts. Usually, frosts completely disappear with the onset of May. Therefore, dahlias are best planted at the end of the month. Of course, these terms are highly dependent on the climate of a particular area.
You can, of course, plant dahlias earlier, but with any, even the smallest cold snap, they need to be covered with some kind of material.
What care is needed for dahlias
In order for the flowers to be stable in strong winds, it is necessary to form bushes. When the flower begins to grow, to get a bright and large inflorescence, you need cut off growing shoots.
Bushes that have reached a great height, be sure tied to a pole so that strong winds do not break the stem. Proper care of flowers consists of several operations.
For good growth and dense flowering, flowers must have:
- Fertile soil.
- Sunlight.
- Much water.
Growing dahlias requires constant watering. Water should moisten the soil to a depth of more than 25 cm. If water is poured, the flower may get sick and die. The reason is very simple high humidity, the enemy of dahlia roots.
Fertilizer and top dressing
When the plant begins to grow, it is necessary to feed it once every two weeks. Dahlias are watered with slurry.
When buds appear, the soil is fed using fertilizers, which include superphosphate and potassium. For ten liters of water, 30 grams of fertilizer is enough.
If fertilizers have already been added to the soil before planting dahlias, you can not do top dressing. The development of the plant will tell you if you need to do additional feeding.
Garter and flower support
Dahlias are distinguished by a hollow and very fragile stem. It breaks easily in strong gusts of wind, even jets of rain can break it. Because of this, the flower must be bound. Any material can become a support:
- Wooden pegs.
- Metal pipe.
- Arches.
- Veranda walls.
- Wooden fences.
The garter must be done before the flower stem begins to grow.
Pruning and shaping the bush. To make the buds large and beautiful, only three shoots are enough. Each peduncle should consist of 2 buds. All flowering buds must be cut with garden shears, otherwise the growth of new inflorescences will be stunted.
Growing high varieties of dahlias requires the removal of lateral and lower shoots during the flowering period. If the plant is undersized, to create splendor, the shoots can not be cut.
How to store dahlias in winter
Usually tubers stored in a box where they are sprinkled with sawdust or sand substrate. It is best to store dahlias by sprinkling them with ashes. It will protect the tubers from the occurrence of all kinds of diseases. The tubers should fit snugly into the sand. There should not be any empty space in the box.
To protect the tubers from drying out in the winter, they can be stored in plastic bags. In this case, the tuber and the film should be separated by a layer of sawdust or sand. This is necessary, because during storage, the tubers do not emit a large number of moisture. It settles on the film, the tubers begin to rot.
Storage of tubers in plastic bag requires constant monitoring of the state of the substrate. With its high humidity, the packages need to be opened and well ventilate the contents. If the substrate is very dry, it needs to be slightly moistened.
If a rotting area is found on the tuber, it must be cut off. Sprinkle the cut with powdered charcoal. This tuber is left for 24 hours in the air to dry. Then it is again placed in a plastic bag.
If you follow all the rules described above and adhere to the technology, then growing dahlias will be a common thing, and good care for a flower, will allow you to decorate your garden with beautiful flowers that delight the eye before the start of frost.
18.12.2012
Dahlias, which even a beginner can grow, can decorate almost any area with themselves. But in order for the bushes of these flowers to be lush and beautiful, you need to know some features when growing dahlias. From today's article, you will learn how to plant dahlias, how to care for them, and of course, how to store dahlias in winter.
Agrotechnics of growing this plant is quite simple. For planting dahlias should be chosen open areas protected from the wind and with enough light, as these flowers are photophilous.
This culture prefers humus-rich soil with a slightly acidic or neutral environment. In the spring (April - May), dahlia tubers are planted in the ground. To do this, prepare holes with a depth of no more than 30 cm and water them abundantly. Then rotted manure mixed with soil is added to the hole, the tubers are lowered and covered with soil. The soil layer above the root neck should be about 3 cm.
Immediately upon planting, provide support for your pet, if necessary. Usually such a support is necessary for tall and giant varieties, as they have a tall stem that can break in the wind. In the previous article, you could already familiarize yourself with how they are divided into species according to the type of flower and the height of the plant.
If you intend to plant several bushes side by side at once, then keep in mind that the distance between them should be as follows:
- between dwarfs and undersized varieties- 50 cm;
- between medium, tall and giant varieties - 75 cm.
Somewhere in 60-90 days, the plant will delight you with flowers. Flowering usually continues until the first autumn frosts.
Reproduction dahlia
- Tuber division
Healthy tubers are cut into pieces at the rate of: 1-2 eyes - one division. Delenki are marked, tied with tags and planted in specially prepared boxes with a wet substrate (a mixture of sand with peat or sawdust). Delenki are lightly covered with a substrate, and the root collars are left open. - Propagation of dahlias by cuttings (cutting stems)
A cutting is a sprout with several internodes. The cuttings are planted in a moist substrate and covered with a film. After the cuttings take root, they are transplanted into specially prepared pots of small diameter with nutrient soil and grown in them right up to planting in the ground. - Reproduction by seeds
This method is mainly used in breeding to obtain new varieties. And also for reproduction mainly annual varieties dahlias.
How to care for dahlias?
Caring for dahlias consists in observing the following agricultural practices: watering, weeding and regular loosening of the soil. Although weeding and loosening can be excluded with the soil around the plant.
Watering should be plentiful with a frequency of 1-2 times a week (of course, if you do not have a rainy season). Dahlias can be fed with cow dung infusion (1:10) no more than 3-4 times during the entire growing season (feed the first time after the first shoots appear, and then no more than 10 days later, but preferably every 2-3 weeks). The last time you need to feed no later than August 20.
As soon as the first shoots appear, 1-2 of the strongest ones should be selected, and it is recommended to remove all other shoots. This technique contributes to the formation of strong shoots and abundant flowering. When the dahlias grow to 30-50 cm, tie them to the supports.
Some varieties, usually large-flowered, need pinching - the removal of side shoots located in the axils of the leaves. Pasynkovanie must be carried out 2-3 times. The root neck must be protected from frost. Therefore, in the second half of August, the bushes spud by 10-13 cm.
How to store dahlias in winter?
When to dig up dahlias for storage? This will help you determine the first frost. It is they who give the signal that it is time to dig up the dahlias for storage. Usually this is the end of September - the beginning of October.
Before sending dahlias for storage, do the following:
- Trim the stems, leaving 10-15 cm. Label the plant so you know what variety it is and what it looks like;
- Dig up the tubers (preferably with a shovel) and wash the soil off them with water from a hose or watering can;
- Dry the tubers for 4-5 hours in the fresh air (in sunny weather) or in a warm room. Dahlia tubers do not like frost;
- Sprinkle the tubers with sand or sawdust, putting them in storage boxes. IN Lately vermiculite has gained popularity and many gardeners advise pouring it to them;
- Move the boxes to the storage room.
Storage of dahlia tubers is best done in ventilated rooms with a temperature of + 5 ... + 7 ° С and air humidity not higher than 60-75%.
Diseases and pests
Of the diseases that affect dahlias, there are viral mosaic, oak mosaic, black leg, white and gray rot, leaf spot and bronze, bacterial cancer. Diseases can be caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi.
The only thing effective remedy disease control: culling and burning affected plants. Disease control and prevention measures also include soil disinfection and garden tool, pest control and cultural rotation.
The main pests of dahlias are various insects (drooling pennitsa, aphids, thrips, flower beetles, scoop caterpillars, wireworms), slugs and nematodes. They affect the ground and underground parts of plants. The main pest control measures are manual collection and their destruction. Feathered helpers of the eco-gardener will also help to cope with insects, but it will help to fight slugs. The cleanliness of the site, the observance of crop rotation, and the cultivation of marigolds in the aisles also contribute to the reduction in the number of pests.
The secret of growing dahlias lies in the observance of agricultural technology, proper care and storage of root tubers. The variety of varieties allows you to use dahlias for decorating flower beds, landscaping balconies, creating flower arrangements and bouquets.
Growing dahlias is not difficult, but as you can see, there are a few things to keep in mind. You already know about the features that should be taken into account when growing dahlias, as well as how to store tubers so that next year there will be an opportunity to grow from them beautiful flowers. Good luck!
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The move for dahlias is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. These plants are unpretentious. However, about some important points when growing these vibrant flowers should always be remembered. So, an article on how to care for dahlias.
Dahlia is perennial, but winter frosts are detrimental to its fragile shoots and tender tubers. Therefore, they are dug up for the winter and stored in frost-free rooms.
The plant is quite demanding sunshine. Dahlia cannot be planted in the shade, otherwise the shoots will stretch out due to lack of light and the bush will not be so decorative. Choose a sunlit place for the flower, protected from cold drafts, but at the same time with good air circulation. Dahlias do not like overly wet areas. They are unpretentious to soils, however, they grow better on loose and fertile lands.
Root tubers are taken from the storage in the spring around mid-April. Dried roots and rotten areas are removed, the cut is sprinkled with a crushed activated carbon tablet. This is followed by a two-week germination of tubers. Expanding them into wooden boxes, sprinkle with a small layer of moss or peat and put in a well-lit place. After a specified time, buds form on the root neck of the tuber. Before planting in the ground, dahlia root tubers are separated.
A bed for planting dahlias should be dug up in advance in the fall, carefully fertilizing it with humus and ash. When planting tubers, keep a distance between the bushes - 50 cm for miniature varieties and 100 cm for tall large-flowered dahlias. Tall varieties will need support, so a wooden peg is driven in next to the planting hole to tie the stems of the plant. When planting, the root neck should be deepened 3-5 cm below the soil level, the soil around the planting should be poured abundantly with water and mulched.
The division of dahlia root tubers allows you to quickly get a large number of new plants, as well as significantly improve them (too thick a bush degenerates over time and blooms poorly). Leave no more than two buds on the tuber.
A large uterine tuber, if necessary, is cut into several divisions with 1 or 2 buds, a small section of the root collar and 1-3 thickened roots. The cut point is treated with crushed charcoal and dried for several hours. If the weather allows, then the delenki can immediately be planted in open ground.
Planting tubers in open ground is carried out only when spring frosts have passed. To get early flowering, dahlia root tubers are planted in mid-April in flower pots and put in a warm bright place. For a month, the tubers form young shoots and around the middle of May they are planted in a permanent place.
Dahlias, at the beginning of their growth, should be formed, leaving no more than three shoots on the bush. During the growing season, new shoots sometimes appear from the ground, which are subsequently able to drown out the main shoots. They should be removed promptly.
To get more inflorescences, you need to pinch the main shoot above the 4th pair of leaves. This method promotes the appearance of side shoots. Be sure to remove the faded inflorescences - they draw nutrients from the tubers and spoil the appearance of the plant. In mid-August, the stems of dahlias at the base should be covered with earth by 20-30 cm in order to protect the tubers and root neck from freezing during the first autumn frosts.
Dahlias require regular feeding. During the summer period, they are fed 3-4 times, depending on the fertility of the soil. The first time the bush is fed two weeks after planting in open ground, the second - during the budding period, the third - at the beginning of flowering. The nutrient solution is prepared in this way: 20-30 liters of mullein are poured into 50-70 liters of water and thoroughly mixed, left to ferment for 7 days. After that, 8 liters of the fermented solution are mixed with 7 liters of ordinary water, 20 g of ash and 15 g of any mineral fertilizers. Bushes are poured with this nutrient mixture, depending on their size.
During active growth and budding, especially in hot, dry weather, dahlias will need additional regular watering.
With their bright inflorescences dahlias are able to decorate any garden. They are used both in group and in single plantings. Bushes with dark foliage look spectacular against the background of variegated perennial crops even before flowering. Low growing dahlias look great in garden vases and portable containers.
