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Dahlias are rightfully considered the crowned royalty among autumn flowers. They show off in gardens and flower beds until late autumn. Few people know that growing dahlias has not only aesthetic, but also practical significance. Luxurious, lush, brightly colored flowers attract bees. So, if dahlias grow near vegetable beds, pollination of the vegetables is guaranteed. And finally, for all their beauty, these flowers are quite unpretentious. The topic of today's article is the dahlia "Figaro": growing from seeds.
A little history
There is a beautiful legend about the origin of dahlias. During a severe cold snap, the fires, kept alive by people with the last of their strength, went out. In place of the last ashes, a flower with petals resembling flames grew. The plant helped people survive difficult times, and remained an eternal symbol of the desire for life.
According to scientific facts, Central and South America are considered the birthplace of dahlias. In their warm homeland, the plants were real giants - reaching up to 6 m in height.
Flowers were brought to Europe in the 18th century and quickly spread throughout Europe.
Description of the variety
Dahlia "Figaro" is a dwarf variety with double flowers and dense compact bushes.The plant reaches a height of only 20-30 cm, the flower has a diameter of 10 cm. The advantage of the culture is the large number of inflorescences (up to 15 pieces on one plant). The flowers have a variety of colors (hence another name “Figaro Mix”). Another advantage of the variety is its unpretentiousness. Dahlias can be grown as a garden crop or in flowerpots.
Growing dahlias from seeds
The optimal time for sowing dahlias is March-early April. If you want to obtain planting material for further propagation of these plants, you need to sow a little earlier.
Work on planting annual double dahlias is carried out in the following order:
- Preparing containers for seedlings. If you use plastic containers, you must first make holes in the bottom for drainage. Fill the containers with a planting mixture (sand-peat-perlite works best). Before planting dahlia seeds, the pot must be thoroughly washed with ordinary soapy water. Dirt can be a source of disease for the plant.
- Soak the seeds overnight in warm water with aloe juice added (the ratio of water to aloe is 2:1). This procedure is desirable, but not required. The plant will turn out healthier and stronger, with good immunity.
- Sow the seeds in the prepared soil, sprinkling soil on top.
- Cover the pot with a piece of glass or plastic wrap. Place it in a sunny, warm place.
- After 2-3 days, the first shoots will appear. Do not rush to remove the film so that the sun's rays do not damage the delicate plants.
- After the dahlia “Figaro” gets a little stronger, the dahlia sprouts need to be transplanted into separate containers.If the plants are not pruned, thickened dahlias will only develop in height. For planting, it is advisable to use a peat-sand mixture with turf soil. When picking, the plant goes deep into the soil to the lower leaves.
- When the sprouts begin to appear, feed them using any complex fertilizer (the dosage is halved compared to the instructions).
- Dahlias grow quite quickly. To prevent the stems from stretching upward too much, pinch the plant at the level of the fourth leaf.
- As a result, you will get strong, healthy plants that can be planted in a permanent place without any problems. You need to wait until the weather is warm so that night frosts do not harm the seedlings.
In warm sunny weather, pots with young plants are taken outside, first for 5, then for 10 minutes, gradually increasing the time the young plants spend in the air.
Plants are planted in the soil in the last days of May - early June. The size of the hole is approximately 40 x 40 x 40 cm. Place a layer of humus or compost at the bottom of the hole, then sprinkle the fertilizer with soil and only then plant the seedling. After planting, water the plants and cover the soil with a 5 cm thick layer of mulch. Sawdust or shredded tree bark mixed with peat or compost are well suited for mulching.
Unlike many garden plants, caring for dahlias is very simple. It is necessary to periodically hill up the plants, remove dried flowers and weed weeds. Dahlias do not tolerate autumn frosts well, so it is advisable to cover them with special textiles at night.
Collecting seed material
Purchasing seeds is not at all necessary.You can collect seed in the fall from dried dahlia inflorescences. Carefully separate them from the petals and dry them a little. Store until planting in paper bags. At the same time, there is no chance that the new flowers will be exactly like the mother’s flowers.
