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They were first brought to Europe in the 18th century from Mexico. Today, these long-flowering plants from the Asteraceae family decorate the gardens of many gardeners. We are talking about dahlias or Dahlia. As a rule, perennial flowers are planted in the plots. This is due to the fact that they are unpretentious and take root well in the vast expanses of Russian soil. This article will talk about how and when to plant dahlias, and will also provide information about the assortment and the features of caring for them.
Plants bloom from mid-summer until frost. There are approximately 30 species of dahlias and about 15,000 varieties in the world. Your attention will also be provided with visual photos and instructive videos.
Main characteristics
Dahlias have pairs of simple leaves. The height of the hollow stems can reach a height of 2–2.5 m. The plant has a well-developed root system. Perennials have tuberous, fleshy and thickened roots.
The above-ground part of the plants dies down to the root collar each year in the fall.The stem part can be smooth or rough, branched or straight. Most species and varieties have pinnate leaves, however, there are plant species with pubescent leaves.
A distinctive feature of dahlias is the presence of inflorescences-baskets. The middle flowers are brown-red or golden-yellow in color, reed type.
Color classification
Thousands of varieties of dahlias are classified into several species. The shapes and colors of plants can be very different, which will allow you to create a real fairy tale on your site. You can plant tall plants or mini flowers.
Collar
This species is distinguished by the presence of petals of different sizes. In the middle they are tubular and short, and on the outside they are flat and long.
Needle-shaped
They have thin petals, tightly twisted into a tube. The length of the petals may vary depending on the variety. A subspecies of needle-shaped plants is semi-needle-shaped. The petals of these flowers resemble graceful cones.
Globular
It is distinguished by round lush inflorescences, with fleshy, tubular and large petals.
Pompon dahlias
These are relatives of the spherical type of flowers. They have fluffy inflorescences with slightly curled petals. However pompom dahlias smaller in size than spherical ones. They have denser inflorescences.
Nymphaeal
The flowers have flat inflorescences, which makes them very different from other types of dahlias. The center of the flower is fluffy due to the tubular petals. The flower of the plant is surrounded by a number of flat and wide petals.
Anemoids
They resemble the collared type of dahlia. In the middle there are short tubular petals, and around them they are flat and wide.
Peony-shaped
The flowers are distinguished by lush inflorescences that resemble peonies in appearance.Each inflorescence has several rows of oval petals, and in the center there is a group of twisted, tubular, short petals.
Dahlias differ not only in shape, but also in color. Due to the accumulation of anthocyanin pigments in the plant, a new color appeared - red-black. Breeders have the goal of breeding blue dahlia. Although at this stage it is just a pipe dream.
Features of cultivation
Due to the variety of varieties, colors and shapes of dahlias, they can be used for arranging flower beds, as well as border lines. They are also grown as solo and potted plants.
Generally speaking, the plants are unpretentious, although you should choose the right planting location for planting them. With proper watering and timely feeding, dahlias will delight your eye with lush blooms throughout the season. You can grow plants from seedlings, which need to be purchased no earlier than mid-spring. Healthy tubers are strong and fleshy. Buy seedlings with short sprouts on tubers.
When to plant dahlias in open ground?
For abundant and long flowering, dahlias should be planted in partial shade. Soil moisture should also be taken into account, since plant tubers will rot in a waterlogged environment. Dahlias take root best in drained soil - in black soil, loam or sandy soils.
How to prepare tubers
Prepare the tubers that you still have after winter, follows in April. First, they need to be cleaned of dried roots. Treat damaged areas with brilliant green.Planting is carried out in a container with nutritious soil or peat. In this form, dahlias should be stored at 18ºC for two weeks. The tubers should protrude 2–3 cm above the surface.
After buds appear on the tubers, they need to be divided. Each division should have a bud with a root collar. Such cuttings should remain in containers for some time. Before planting dahlias in open ground, remove their side shoots, which can reach a height of about 10 cm.
We invite you to watch interesting videos on how to prepare plant tubers for planting:
How to prepare the soil and plant tubers
In order for dahlias to be strong and healthy, the soil for planting them should be prepared in the fall. To do this, you need to add compost and humus to the soil, after which the area is dug up. In the spring before planting You need to scatter non-leaf mature compost and wood ash over the ground. Flatten this layer with a rake.
We invite you to read the instructions, from which you will learn how to plant dahlias correctly.
- The roots of the plant should be completely immersed in the holes. There should be room left in them for applying fertilizers.
- At the bottom of the holes you need to pour a little rotted humus or manure, and then lightly cover it with earth so as not to burn the roots.
- Bury the plant tuber so that the shoot remains a few centimeters above the surface.
- After this, the seedlings should be watered and sprinkled with mulch (this can be peat mixed with sawdust or compost with tree bark).
- When planting tall plants, immediately install a support. This must be done immediately, because after a few months, you will not be able to drive a peg into the ground without damaging the root system.You can use several pegs for one seedling, which will allow you to secure even the most voluminous bush.
It has been noted that growing dahlias from tubers is the most effective way to grow these plants in open ground.
Features of growing from seeds
To grow strong and beautiful dahlias from seeds, we invite you to familiarize yourself with several features of this process:
- Soak dahlia seeds in a light solution of potassium permanganate. The water should be light pink. So, you will disinfect the seedlings.
- Sowing should be done in the last ten days of February or early March.
- Place the plant seeds in a suitable container, lightly sprinkle them with soil and cover with plastic or glass.
- In order for seedlings to appear as early as possible, maintain a certain temperature in the room, up to 15ºC.
- After plant sprouts appear, remove the glass.
- You need to water the sprouts with a spray bottle to prevent the soil from drying out.
- Before 2-3 mature dahlia leaves appear, pick and transplant the plant into separate containers.
- Transplantation into open ground can be carried out in late May - early June.
How to properly grow dahlias and care for them when sowing from seeds, you can learn more from the video:
Features of care
Caring for dahlias involves mulching the area. So, you can get rid of grass sprouting and loosening the soil. In addition, mulch protects dahlias from pests such as slugs.
Since plant tubers can rot due to excess moisture in the ground, they need to be watered abundantly during the dry period infrequently, only 1-2 times a week. To preserve moisture in extreme heat, hilling can be done after watering. Before watering, the soil is raked away from the stems, watering is carried out, and then the bush is earthed up again.
Stepping process
Removing excess stems is pinching. Although planted dahlias are not necessary pinch. However, this event promotes the development of strong stems and voluminous buds. Leave 2-3 stems and remove the rest.
Repeated pinching should be carried out throughout the season, repeating as necessary. Promptly remove any sprouts that appear at the base of plant leaves.
Fertilizer application
In order for the planted plants to develop well, they need to be fed regularly. The frequency of fertilization is once every 2 weeks. Alternate organic matter with mineral fertilizers. As a top dressing, you can use ammonium nitrate in a proportion of 15 g per 1 m3. In addition, a tincture of bird droppings in a ratio of 1 to 20 and mullein in a ratio of 1 to 10 is suitable.
After the first buds appear, you need to fertilize the plants with potassium fertilizers and superphosphates in the proportion of 30 g of the drug per bucket of water. You need to water the bushes with this solution. The indicated proportion is enough for 8 dahlia bushes.
You can learn how to plant dahlias and care in the open ground from the video:
How to use the support
Dahlias have hollow stems, as a result of which gusty winds and rain can break the bushes.Therefore, the plants need to be tied to support pegs, which, as mentioned earlier, are installed in the ground at the stage of planting dahlias with tubers. The stem should be tied to a peg.
If the stem of a plant bush breaks, you can put a splint on it. To do this, attach a branch to the dahlia stem, preferably one that is strong, secure it and support the stem so that it does not bend. If you provide timely care for dahlias, they will delight you with abundant blooms throughout the season. Typically, broken shoots of plants are restored when splinting is applied.
Pest Control
Slugs are the first enemies of dahlias. The fact is that these pests love to feast on the young and succulent stems of the plant. In addition, dahlia buds also suffer. They are attacked by earwigs. To combat them, it is necessary to timely treat plants with decoctions of wormwood and celandine. The procedure should be carried out once every 2 weeks and only in the evening.
Dahlias will bloom beautifully and for a long time if you take care of them even in the heat. So, to protect plants from aphids, caterpillars, mites and thrips, they need to be sprayed with systemic insecticides. There are also traditional ways to combat insects: spraying dahlias with a soap solution.
There are also viral diseases of dahlias that cannot be treated. These include mosaic and spotted wilt. To avoid infecting healthy plants, dig up the diseased dahlia and burn it with the tubers. Perhaps this is all that can be said about how to care for dahlias so that they can bloom all season long.
In the fall, plant tubers need to be dug out of the ground again and stored. This is due to the fact that the tubers cannot withstand frost.
Let's sum it up
If you follow the recommendations outlined in the article, your site will be filled with beautiful flower arrangements of dahlias.
