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Beautiful flowers - dahlias, can be successfully grown not only in a flower garden, but also in pots. To do this, choose varieties that have a small root system. Suitable for container growing border, miniature, pot dahlias.
Selection of containers for planting
The volume of the pot for planting dahlias depends on the size of the root system. Low-growing varieties have small roots; 5–6 liters are needed to grow one plant. For medium-sized people you will need 7 - 10 liters, for tall ones at least 20 liters.
For planting use:
- Clay pots;
- Plastic pots and buckets;
- Wicker baskets and containers;
- Wooden boxes.
Clay and ceramic pots allow air to pass well to the root system, do not overheat, and look very attractive. The disadvantages of such containers are high cost, fragility, and heavy weight. Use containers in which flowers have already grown with caution.
Pots are treated against fungi and harmful microorganisms with disinfectants that do not contain chlorine.
Plastic pots, buckets and containers look good, are lightweight, and are inexpensive. But the root system of plants growing in such containers often overheats, and the roots may lack oxygen.
Wicker baskets with flowers look very decorative. They are light, breathable, and the roots are protected from overheating. The only drawback of wicker baskets is their fragility.
Wooden boxes are great for planting dahlias. The tree allows air to pass through well, and the roots do not lack oxygen. The disadvantage of wooden boxes is their low decorative value. To make the boxes more attractive, they are painted with oil paint and decorated with ornaments and designs. But, painted wood stops allowing air to pass through, and plants develop worse in such boxes.
Landing dates
Potted dahlias bloom 40–50 days after planting. To get the plant to bloom early, pots of dahlias can be placed in a warm, well-lit room. In a city apartment, dahlia will grow well on a heated balcony.
If the flowers are planned to be grown immediately in the open air, the germinated tubers are planted when the air temperature is at least 12 degrees at night.
If it is possible to place potted dahlias indoors before the threat of frost ends, planting can begin at the end of March. If you plant tubers earlier, it is necessary to supplement the seedlings.
Selecting a location
Growing dahlias in pots is convenient because they can be placed anywhere: on the veranda, in the garden between trees, along paths. A row of pots can visually divide the area into zones.
These flowers will grow best in a sunny area protected from strong winds. Slight shading is allowed in the evening.
Priming
One of the most important steps in growing dahlias in pots is preparing the soil. The soil should be loose, breathable, and contain all the necessary nutrients.
The earthen mixture can be purchased ready-made, or you can prepare it yourself. The finished mixture is selected labeled “for flowering plants.”
To grow dahlias, add the following to garden soil:
- Sand;
- Humus;
- Complex of microelements;
- Rotted manure;
- Perlite.
All components are thoroughly mixed, large stones, lumps of clay and other debris are selected from the soil.
Add organic fertilizers into the soil should be done very carefully; dahlias in pots do not like an excess of nitrogen in the soil. Dahlias overfed with nitrogen fertilizers bloom poorly, and the tubers of such plants have difficulty surviving the winter.
Perlite is added to the soil in order to protect the root system from waterlogging. The granules of this substance quickly absorb excess water.
Landing
Planting dahlias in pots does not take much time. If the containers, tubers, soil and drainage are ready, you can start planting.
A drainage layer of at least 15 cm in height is poured onto the bottom of the pot. Dahlia roots cannot tolerate waterlogging; if water remains in the pot after rainfall or heavy watering, the flowers may die due to lack of oxygen. Make sure that the drainage holes are not clogged.
The drainage layer is covered with soil; the size of this layer depends on the height of the container. There should be at least 20 cm left to the edge.The soil needs to be moistened and pressed down a little. The tuber is placed with its sprouts facing up and sprinkled with soil without deepening the root collar. The soil must be compacted carefully.
The pot is placed in a bright place protected from the wind. For several days after planting, dahlias are not watered, only the soil is sprayed. Watering begins when the tuber develops absorbent roots.
Care
Caring for potted dahlias is easy. They do not require weeding or protection of roots from pests. They can be moved if there is a threat of frost or hurricane, and then put back in place.
Dahlias growing in pots require:
- Watering;
- Treatment for sucking insects;
- Loosening the soil;
- Fertilizer application.
Watering is carried out depending on the air temperature. In cool weather, dahlias are watered no more than once a week. In hot weather, the plant may need daily watering.
Dahlias in pots are very damaged by sucking insects such as aphids. It is necessary to treat with insecticides 2 times a month.
The formation of an earthen crust should not be allowed. It interferes with the free flow of oxygen to the root system. After each watering, it is necessary to loosen the top layer of soil.
For bright, long-lasting flowering, dahlias in pots need a lot of potassium and phosphorus. Fertilizers are applied weekly during watering, or the foliar application method is used.
Growing dahlias will not be difficult; this flower will gratefully accept care and care, responding to them with magnificent flowering.
