Dahlia Care Tips

Grow these beautiful flowers and have blooms throughout summer!

 

Dahlia tubers, either individual tubers or clumps, can be planted when your ground temps are around, or warmer than 60 degrees. You want to find a planting location that is in full sun with well-draining soil. Avoid planting in cold, wet soil as your tubers may rot before they can start growing. 

Amend your soil adding compost or sand to ensure your planting site has enough nutrients to support a plant that blooms all summer. Plant tubers 4-6" deep, laying them horizontal in the planting hole. If you can see the eye, or new growth on the tuber, face them upwards. If you can't see the eye, that's okay, it will still grow! You'll want to give your tubers between 12-24" of space between plants. 

Watering is the only thing that needs a little more care in the early stages. Unless your soil is bone dry, you don't need to do much watering while the tuber is underground and working on growing roots and sprouts. If your soil is slightly damp at planting time, that will be sufficient. Once you see growth above ground, you can begin a normal watering routine. 

Dahlias benefit from staking and it's easiest to do your staking during planting (so you don't hit a tuber later). There are several methods for staking that work well: plant netting, corralling or individual stakes. 

Have a little patience after planting, it can take your dahlias several weeks for any growth to be seen above, three to five weeks is a general estimate. Once you see growth, the dahlia plant will grow quickly and you'll be enjoying blooms soon!