Dahlia planting and care in open ground in the Urals. Tuberous dahlias, planting, care, formation How to plant dahlias with tubers in open ground

Luxurious dahlia flowers are a real “pearl” of the flower garden. This heat-loving flower pleases with its lush and bright blooms only in the summer. After flowering ends, with the onset of autumn, dahlia tubers are dug out of the ground without fail and sent to a cool, dry place for the winter.

Planting perennial dahlias

In the spring, as soon as the warm spring rays thoroughly warm the earth, it is time to plant these wonderfully beautiful flowers. In order to understand how to plant dahlias, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the detailed rules:

It is necessary to choose a suitable landing site. Dahlias are planted in well-lit, ventilated areas where the flowers can develop and bloom comfortably. However, there is no need to go to extremes and plant plants in drafts - the dahlias will get sick and will not be able to delight you with their luxurious flowering. It is best to organize planting on an open, sunny lawn or on the south side of the site, protected from strong gusts of wind by dense bushes, hedges or a fence. Since dahlias are mainly perennials, in order to prevent this flower crop from “degenerating”, it is advisable to change the planting sites every spring and only return to the original site after 2-3 years.
Dahlias
The soil. It is known that almost all beautifully flowering plants are planted on light, nutritious soil; perennial dahlias are no exception; they also love “tasty” soil. Tubers are planted in neutral soil or slightly acidic soil. If the acidity level is below pH 5, then in this case the soil can be limed; if the acidity level is higher, peat is added to the soil. In the fall, when digging up a flower bed, add half a bucket of compost or humus per 1 m². During spring digging, the soil of the flower garden is fertilized with compost and a small amount of ash.
Preparing tubers. Growing flowers begins with the spring preparation of planting material. To do this, in mid-April, a visual inspection of dahlia tubers is carried out in order to remove dry, damaged parts of the rhizome and disinfect it. The prepared planting material is planted in pots or containers filled with a nutritious earthen mixture. The tuber is positioned so that the tops of the plant protrude slightly above the ground.
Planting dahlias in the ground
Tuber care. Containers with planted rhizomes are placed in the light in a warm room, moistened the soil and observed which of the tubers begins to produce buds. The root is divided in such a way that each bulb has a new shoot. After dividing, parts of the tubers are placed back into the ground and covered with transparent glass or PVC film.
Before planting on the plot, on each seedling specimen, one of the most regrown buds is left in the central part, and the remaining lateral shoots are removed. Cut shoots can be used to produce new dahlias. To do this, the sprouts must be rooted in a pot or box with damp sand, covered and put in a dark place for germination. After rooting, new specimens are planted in the flower garden.

On a note. Dahlia flowers come in a variety of shapes and colors. Anyone who has ever grown these magnificent plants in their garden is definitely interested in the appearance of new elite “dahlia” beauties in their flower garden. To do this, it is recommended to contact specialized flower shops and choose high-quality planting material.

Rules and landing patterns

It is difficult to name a clear date when to plant dahlias in open ground in the spring. It is best to focus on weather and climatic conditions. In the regions of central Russia, dahlia flowers begin to be planted in early May, and in the Urals and Siberia, the planting time is chosen after the earth has warmed up well enough and the threat of return frosts has passed.

Perennial dahlias, planting and preparation for it:

The flower culture "dahlia" is an undemanding plant. The flower can be planted even in a shady place in the garden or flower bed. True, the lack of full sunlight noticeably affects the size and color. But such a shady location also has its advantage: you can enjoy the beauty of flowering longer; light partial shade does not have a significant effect on the decorative effect of the plant.

There is a fair interest in the planting scheme and how to properly plant dahlias in a flower garden, depending on the height of the plants:

Dahlias take root well, they can be grown on any type of soil: loam, sandy and black soil. That is why dahlia “beauties and favorites” decorate flower beds and gardens throughout Russia.

The only condition for the full development and flowering of dahlias is maintaining a moderate level of humidity. The root tubers of the plant are prone to rotting, so in places with high groundwater levels and in low-lying areas they will not grow actively. Flower growers with extensive experience in growing flower crops advise laying drainage made of broken bricks or expanded clay crushed stone in the bottom of the planting holes.

Is it possible to replant flowering dahlias?

Sometimes a novice gardener, for some reason, incorrectly or unsuccessfully planted plants in a flower garden, then the question becomes quite clear: is it possible to replant flowering dahlias in the summer, at the height of flowering?

Dahlia seedlings

As a rule, during the flowering period, the rhizome begins to actively grow new shoots, through which the plant absorbs nutrition from the ground. When digging up a flower for replanting, some of these roots are destroyed, and the plant, instead of blooming magnificently, will spend its internal reserves to restore the integrity of the root system. This decrease in growth activity leads to a loss of decorativeness and a decrease in color. The plant will appear sick and stunted.

If there is an urgent need to replant an adult flowering plant, then in this case the flower can only be replanted with a large earthen lump, to prevent damage to the delicate roots. So the answer to the question “is it possible to transplant dahlias in the summer” depends on the degree of importance of such a transplant and on whether it is worth risking a flowering plant for this procedure.

Features of planting dahlias by region

Growing dahlias in the harsh climatic conditions of Siberia and the Urals has its own difficulties associated with the heat-loving nature of this flower crop. For this reason, it is important to know how to plant dahlias in such high-risk farming and floriculture areas.

The first serious spring frost can cause irreparable damage to the plant, it can die. To avoid deceptive weather surprises and prevent your favorite dahlia from freezing from the cold, the heat-loving beauty in the Siberian region is planted in open soil no earlier than June 10. In case of short-term weather changes and sudden cold snaps, plants are covered with PVC film or agrofibre.

Annual dahlias

In the Moscow region, as in the middle zone, warm weather comes much earlier; by May the ground is already warming up well and, starting from the third decade, dahlias are planted in a permanent place in open ground. In a cold spring, when the earth has not warmed up properly in May, the planting dates are shifted until the onset of stable warmth.

You can decorate a flower garden with lush and luxurious dahlias only if you know the rules of proper planting and proper plant care. Annual varieties that are grown from seeds are not so demanding to care for, while perennials are more capricious and require more attention. Annual crops are usually low-growing, they do not need fixing support. After flowering in the fall, they are dug up and destroyed, and new ones are planted in the spring.

Growing bright and elegant dahlias does not require knowledge of special agricultural techniques and is not difficult even for novice gardeners. Decorating a garden or flower garden with bright large flowers of various shapes and colors is within the capabilities of anyone who loves beautiful dahlias.

In order for this flower to delight the eye with lush blooms until late autumn, you need to find a suitable place for planting and know when and how to plant dahlias in open ground.

Dahlia planting dates

There are no specific dates for planting dahlias in the soil. All depends on the climatic conditions of the region and the terrain. Thus, within one neighborhood, areas in low-lying areas warm up more slowly, and this significantly affects the timing of planting crops.

Dahlias are heat-loving plants, so the main conditions for planting for them are:

warming the soil up to 12-15 degrees;

no threat of sudden frost.

When planting tubers early, the flowers may freeze in the ground and not sprout. If planted late, for example, at the height of summer, the still weak seedlings of dalia will burn out at the end of the month. If dahlias are planted in the ground as unsprouted tubers, then the optimal planting time is the end of spring. Root tubers, as well as seedlings from cuttings and seeds are planted in early summer.

In the southern regions You cannot be late in planting dahlias. In these parts the snow melts quickly, and the earth also quickly overheats and dries out. Therefore, the flower is planted in mid or late April, while moisture is retained in the soil. Mulching the bushes with shavings, tree bark or peat will help retain moisture in the soil longer.

A month later, dahlias are planted as tubers or seedlings in areas of central Russia. In the case of early spring and well-warmed soil, flowers can be planted in early May. But in these regions, unexpected frosts are not uncommon, so you should prepare covering material in advance.

In the northern regions The climate allows planting the plant in June. Here it is better to grow dahlias through seedlings and then plant them in the ground.

Advice. In cold summer conditions, it is better to plant dahlias in high, warm beds, which should be built in the fall before the onset of cold weather. To do this, a trench is dug on the sunny side, manure and plant debris are placed in it, then a fertile layer of soil is placed in the form of a raised ridge. For the winter, the ridge is covered with film. As soon as the snow melts in the spring, the bed is watered with boiling water and again covered with film. From such actions, the manure begins to rot and generate heat. Dahlias can be planted in a warm bed a week ahead of schedule.

Conditions for growing dahlias

A correctly selected place for the culture is the key to good flowering and growth of dahlias. When choosing a planting site, you should take into account the location of the flower garden, access to sunlight, soil fertility and moderate humidity levels. Flowers grow actively at higher elevations, especially where the sun's rays fall on them in the morning.

Choosing a planting site in the garden

Dahlias do not tolerate highly lit or dark places or drafts. Therefore, the optimal place for planting for them is in areas with partial shade and free air circulation. If the bushes of the plant are planted in the shade, the flowers will grow stunted and with faded inflorescences.

Do not plant dahlias in areas exposed to strong winds. Although the flower has a strong, flexible stem, under the influence of the wind it will become deformed and bend. As the bush grows, it will become distorted and lose its decorative appearance.

Advice. Recommended change the dahlia planting site every year. And so that the plant does not degenerate and does not get sick, the area for bushes should not be used for three years. Also, you should not plant dalia where plants and vegetables with fungal diseases grew.

When choosing a site, you should take into account the moderate level of soil moisture. Lowlands where excess moisture and cold air accumulate, as well as soils with high groundwater levels are not suitable for daliyas. To create a normal level of moisture in the soil, a drainage layer is constructed from expanded clay, crushed stone or broken brick. In beds it is located below the root system.

Soil requirements

To grow, dahlias require loose, fertile soil with sufficient nutrients. This requirement for the ground will ensure good permeability of water and air for normal nutrition of the flowers.

The best soil composition– loams, black soil or sandstones filled with fertilizers. Before planting dahlias, fertilizer is poured into the hole. Soil acidity is adjusted in one of two ways:

if pH=5 and below, slaked lime is added to the soil;

if pH=8 and above, peat is added to the soil.

Good soil breathability is mainly relevant for perennial crops that form tuber roots. Annual species are not very demanding on the structure of the soil.

Growing from seeds

The method of growing dahlias from seeds is suitable for breeding work and annual varieties. This process is performed every season. Thanks to it, there is no need to wait for tubers to form and store dug up rhizomes. When the flowers are fully ripe, the seed material is collected and stored. In spring, the seeds are sown in the ground.

To obtain large bushes, it is better to choose tall varieties with double inflorescences. Among them there are different forms: ray-shaped, flat, spherical, bent, pom-pom, etc. They will bloom late, but will produce large flowers and powerful stems. This makes them suitable for cutting.

For flowerpots, flowerpots, and decorating loggias, it is better to choose low-growing varieties, for example, “Figaro”, “Mignon” or “Vasilisa”. These varieties sprout early and the inflorescences have a long flowering period. In warm climates, these popular varieties can be sown directly into the ground when the weather settles without temperature fluctuations. For seed germination, the seed beds are covered with film.

Planting seeds in the ground

This process consists of the following steps:

Any clean containers with drainage are suitable for obtaining seedlings. Holes must be made in plastic containers.

Pour sand-peat-perlite soil into the container. Plain soil is not suitable for obtaining seedlings: having the property of being very compacted, it will have a bad effect on the health of the sprouts. If it is not possible to purchase nutritious soil, peat, sand, and organic fertilizers taken in equal parts should be added to the garden soil.

On the eve of sowing, seeds should be soaked in warm water. You can add a few drops of aloe juice to the water. It will make the plant stronger and healthier.

Sow the seeds in prepared containers with soil in a hole 1.5 cm deep, sprinkle a handful of soil on top and sprinkle with water. Maintain a distance between seeds of 2-3 cm.

Cover the containers with film and place in a warm place. This technique will create a greenhouse effect.

When sprouts appear (after 15-20 days), the cover must be removed. If there are 2-3 leaves, they are picked into separate pots or cups with a soil mixture of sand, turf soil and peat (1:2:1). It is convenient to transplant seedlings with a teaspoon, since its oval edges cannot damage young roots, and the sprout will be picked up along with a lump of earth. When picking, deepen the sprout into the soil to the lower leaves.

When the sprouts take root, they should be fed with complex fertilizer. The dosage is taken half as much as indicated in the instructions.

Provide flowers with moderate watering and good lighting. Annual dahlias grow quickly. To prevent the plant from stretching too much, it should be pinned at the level of the 4th leaf.

When warm weather arrives, seedlings need to be hardened off. To do this, pots with seedlings are exposed to air for a while, gradually increasing the hardening time. After 2 weeks, the dahlias should be exposed to the wind and sun for a full day. Hardening contributes to the production of healthy and strong seedlings, as well as quick and painless adaptation to open ground.

Advice. Some summer residents peat tablets are used for sowing seeds, for example, for pompom varieties. One tablet contains 2 seeds.

Planting seedlings in the ground

It is necessary to plant ready-made seedlings on the site when there is no threat of night frosts. To do this, prepare holes in the flowerbed measuring about 40x40x40 cm, on the bottom of which a layer of humus is placed, and on top - a layer of earth. Then the plant along with the lump is carefully planted in the hole, moistened and sprinkled with a layer of mulch. If the seedling was grown in a peat or paper container, then dahlias can be planted in the ground along with the pot without disturbing the rhizome. For the first 3-4 days, until the sprouts take root, it is better to cover them with film or a jar.

The distance between seedlings should be maintained based on the annuals being planted:

for tall varieties – 70 cm;

medium height – 50 cm;

for dwarfs - 30 cm.

Feeding young dahlias should be done only after the plant has taken root and the stem and leaves have become stronger.

Planting dahlia tubers

Using tubers as planting material is the traditional way of growing dalia. It is used in the cultivation of perennial flowers. Tubers are stored in winter in a dry, cool place. In the spring, before planting in the ground, they are taken indoors and prepared for growth. This process is very important before planting in early spring. The viability and abundance of flowering of dahlias depends on it.

Advice. To grow dahlias, you should choose healthy tubers without spots, mold, signs of rot and with the maximum number of eyes. Large sizes are not suitable for planting, as they are old, and small specimens are quite weak. The best option is medium-sized tubers; they will give a full-fledged bush with abundant flowering.

Tuber preparation

It is necessary to prepare tubers for planting at the end of March or beginning of April. Planting material purchased or prepared in the fall must be freed from the protective coating: paraffin, a layer of earth, sawdust or sand. Inspect the tubers carefully: remove dry ones, cut off rotten areas. Then soak the washed and clean rhizomes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes. After the disinfection procedure, the planting material should be thoroughly dried.

Prepare a large box into which you should pour nutritious soil from peat and soil, taken in a 1:1 ratio. Plant each tuber in the ground separately from each other so that the root collar protrudes above the surface. Place the container with planting material in a warm place under light. Water the contents of the box only after the soil has completely dried from the previous watering. You can lightly spray the top with plain water. After 10-14 days, the first buds, or in other words, eyes, will appear on the neck.

Tuber division

After the eyes grow 6-8 cm, the tubers are divided into sections. To do this, you need to dig the tubers out of the ground and use a scalpel to cut the neck into several parts so that on each section you get 1-2 buds. With many eyes, a dahlia will produce many stems and few inflorescences. Despite the fact that the flower will be voluminous and bushy, it will spend all its energy on growing green mass. From one root tuber you can get up to 5 new bushes.

To avoid infection by bacteria, cut areas should be immediately treated with crushed activated carbon or fundozol. Plant each division in a pot and place it in a well-lit place. Dahlias should be watered as the soil dries out.

The method of planting tubers in pots is the simplest and most accessible. Thanks to him, a lot of effort is not spent on growing young plants.

Germination

In the southern regions, sprouted tubers can be immediately planted in a permanent place. In the middle and northern zones, it is better to germinate tubers in containers. To do this, a mixture of soil, sawdust and peat is poured into the bottom of the pot. A dahlia section is placed on top. After which the pot is covered to the top with earth. The flower must be moistened regularly, preferably sprayed with a spray bottle.

The germination process lasts approximately 4 weeks. During this time, it is useful to take the pot with dalia out into the open air for hardening, gradually increasing the time spent outside. It is also important to ensure that there is no rotting. When to plant young plants in the flowerbed? As soon as the shoots take root, favorable weather will arrive.

Planting tubers soil

Planting sprouted eyes directly on the site is not recommended, since return frosts occur, due to which the dahlias will die. But some gardeners practice this risky method.

Instructions for planting tubers in the ground:

In the flowerbed, you should prepare a trench no more deep than a spade bayonet, and 2 bayonets wide.

Tuber sections treated with potassium permanganate are planted in the hole so that they do not come into contact with each other. Sprinkle the planting material with soil.

Lightly water the planting site and place a layer of sawdust mulch on top.

Cover the planted dahlias with plastic wrap, creating a mini-greenhouse.

Leave the bed for 2 weeks until sprouts appear, occasionally moistening the soil. After germination, remove the film and grow the flowers in the usual way. If necessary, the sprouted tubers can be transplanted to another location.

Dahlias from cuttings

Another method of planting dahlias is the cutting method. It allows you to get up to 50 seedlings from one root tuber. Plants grown in this way are superior in flowering and developmental vigor.

Conditions for germination

To obtain cuttings from a tuber, the pot with planting material must be placed in a warm, well-lit place. A tuber with buds should be planted in a container with a mixture of soil, humus and sand, while the tuber should be sprinkled with soil and the neck should be above ground level. With good lighting and regular irrigation, the cuttings are stocky with small internodes.

How to cut a cutting correctly

You can remove the cutting from the tuber root when the sprout grows 10-15 cm. This is done in two ways:

carefully break off the stalk (it will end up with a “heel”), when a piece of the tuber is captured along with the shoot;

cut with a knife at the base of the tuber.

The cuttings should be kept for several minutes in a solution of succinic acid or root formation stimulator “Kornevin”. With the first method, the cuttings take root faster and subsequently produce full-fledged tubers. At the site of the cut, new replacement buds appear on the tuber. With the second method, the cuttings will also take root and produce good flowering. The young shoots on the tuber will be ready for cutting in 3 weeks.

Rooting cuttings

To germinate cuttings, pick boxes are taken, as for seedlings, with light soil made of sand, perlite and peat. The sprouts treated with a growth stimulator are planted in a small depression; the area around the cuttings should be slightly compacted. The top of the seedling is covered with a bag, which is not removed until the dahlia germinates. The enclosed space will create the necessary microclimate inside, so there is no need to water the plant.

Attention! Greenhouses should be periodically ventilated by lifting one edge of the film, while leaving the other attached to the container.

After 2 weeks, the cuttings will take root and can be planted in larger pots. There is no longer any need to create a greenhouse effect. Planting in a flower garden is possible in good weather conditions.

Another way to root cuttings is to place them in a container of water with a few drops of a growth stimulator added. When the roots appear, the cuttings are planted in a pot with soil, and then, under favorable conditions, they are planted in a flower bed.

Dahlias decorate autumn gardens and front gardens, delighting with the lush beauty of their flowers from the second half of summer until frost. Large flowers of various shapes and colors on tall bushes look very attractive.

Dahlia is the Russian name for this flower. Its botanical name is Dahlia, it belongs to the Aster family. Dahlias are a perennial tuberous plant with stems that die off in winter and powerful perennial tubers that have a reserve of nutrients.

Dalia's homeland is North America. These plants were well known to the Aztecs and Mayans.

Currently, there are more than 10 thousand varieties of perennial dahlias. They are conventionally divided into 10 groups according to the shape of the petals and inflorescences: anemoid, collar-shaped, decorative, non-double (simple), spherical, cactus, semi-cactus, peony, pompom and mixed. Varieties of dahlias differ in both the size of the bush and the timing of flowering. The inflorescences have a variety of colors, not only blue and light blue. In addition to plain ones, there are many varieties with variegated petals.

Chapter 1. Favorable days for planting dahlias in the spring in 2018 according to the lunar calendar

March - 1, 28-30;
April - 11-13, 25-28;
May - 22-26.

Chapter 2. Unfavorable days in 2018

March - 13-15, 17, 22, 27;
April - 1, 9-10, 16, 22;
May - 6, 8, 15, 20-21;

Section 1. Preparing dahlias for planting

Inspect the tubers carefully. Cut off all affected and rotten areas with a sharp blade and treat the cuts with wood ash, brilliant green, or dip them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 20 - 30 minutes.

Then put the tubers in boxes, cover them with soil and sprinkle the soil with water from a spray bottle. This way they will begin to sprout faster. But when sprinkling the tubers, remember that the upper part should protrude at least 3 cm above the ground. If you deepen the tubers, the neck will begin to rot and the tuber will die.

Boxes with dahlias can be placed in a greenhouse or taken out to the site for the whole day in stable warm weather, but at night they need to be brought into the house or covered with lutrasil.

When transplanting into the ground, follow the same rule - do not bury the sprouted dahlias too deeply. Dahlias are planted in open ground when the threat of frost has completely passed.

There is another way to prepare tubers - without prior germination.

To do this, one week before planting in open ground or under a film cover, remove them from storage, inspect, clean and treat. Then take it out into the air in boxes. Moisten the tubers a little and spray them daily.

A week later, after the dahlias get used to the light and are saturated with moisture, plant them in a permanent place.

Plant without germination 10 days earlier than with the preparation method with germination.

Section 2. Choosing a location

For the southern regions and territories of Russia, Ukraine, Transcaucasia and especially the Central Asian republics, it is necessary to make appropriate adjustments both in terms of planting and harvesting dates, and in agricultural technology. When choosing a place for planting dahlias, it is necessary to take into account some of their biological features: a relatively short growing season, the great need of these plants for moisture, which greatly increases with increasing ambient temperature, and the great fragility of their herbaceous stems, which require garters to stakes (or other supports) .

Strong northern, northwestern or northeastern winds, especially at relatively low temperatures (+1 - -4°), often lead to freezing of plants, especially those freshly planted in the ground from greenhouses and greenhouses and not yet hardened. In the southern and southeastern regions, strong winds carrying dry and heated air dry out plants and soil and can lead to drying (burning) of young leaves and the upper part of dahlia stems.

Section 3. Soil

Dahlias should not be planted in low, swampy areas; in shaded conditions, dahlias bloom weakly, become very elongated, and their stems become brittle. As a result, the tubers, not being able to develop properly, are not sufficiently formed and may die during winter storage.

Dahlias can be planted in their original location no earlier than three years later.

Dahlia grows on any soil, but humus-rich loam is considered the most favorable for abundant flowering. Remember - too “oily” soil will cause active vegetation to the detriment of flowering, just like tomatoes.

Section 4. Landing

Dahlias are planted in open ground only after the end of return frosts; earlier planting requires temporary shelter. Planted tubers are usually prepared in a certain way in advance. To do this, at the beginning of April they must be removed from storage, treated in a solution of potassium permanganate for 10 minutes, then allowed to dry at room temperature in a bright place.

In about a week, small sprouts should appear on the tubers; as soon as they grow 7–9 mm, they begin dividing the tubers, as a result of which two buds should remain on each division. A healthy medium-sized tuber can usually be divided into 3-5 parts.

You need to divide the tubers with a sharp knife; it is important to do this very carefully so as not to damage the skin of the root collar. Rotten or dried parts found during the division must be removed, and the sections treated with crushed coal or foundation.

The next stage of preparation is germinating the cuttings in boxes filled with a mixture of sawdust, peat, river sand and humus, where they will wait for the onset of spring.

The tubers sprouted in this way are planted in open ground at a distance of 50–60 cm from each other so that the root collar is 2–3 cm below the soil level. A handful of rotted manure and 20–30 g of superphosphate are first placed in the planting hole. Plantings are watered at the rate of 2.5–3 liters of water per plant. In the future, dahlias are watered as needed; from September, watering is stopped.

In northern regions with late return frosts, when planting sprouted tubers, the plants should be buried on the lower pair of leaves, so that if the above-ground part of the plant dies from frost, the axillary buds of the surviving node will awaken.

Some gardeners practice planting unsprouted tubers, not forgetting to carefully examine them first to rule out signs of disease. Planted tubers are covered with fertile soil or mulched with peat. If the ground is wet, do not water.

If all recommendations are followed, the first shoots appear above the soil surface in about three weeks. It is important that this happens during a period when stable warm weather sets in, otherwise it is necessary to use a covering material.

It happens that a shoot does not appear on the tuber; in this case, you need to dig up a section, transplant it into a box with sawdust or peat and pour it with hot water (t 55˚C), then cover the box to preserve heat. After this treatment, the tuber can be planted in the soil again.

Dahlia plants are very demanding of soil and air moisture. The soil is always kept moist and not allowed to dry out. Moisturizing irrigation is carried out for 10–15 minutes, using fine spray nozzles, which allows you to briefly increase air humidity on hot summer days.

After rooting, the plants are fed with organo-mineral fertilizers, if they were not applied during pre-planting filling of the pits. Cow dung, slurry, and chicken droppings are bred. For 10 liters of water, use 1 liter of slurry solution or cow manure or ½ liter of chicken manure. To organic fertilizers add 15 g of potassium nitrate (in its absence, 10 g of ammonium nitrate), 10 - 15 g of potassium sulfate and 15 - 20 g of superphosphate. Grooves 5–6 cm deep are made around the plants, into which the fertilizer solution is poured, 10 liters per 4–5 plants.

Such fertilizing is given once every 12–14 days. If fertilizing is carried out once every 3–4 weeks, then 10 liters of solution are spent on 2–3 plants. After the fertilizers are absorbed, watering must be carried out using fine spray nozzles.

Organo-mineral fertilizing is carried out until the second ten days of July. Subsequently, they are fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (15 g of potassium sulfate and 50 g of superphosphate per 10 liters of water). If potassium nitrate is available, it is added in an amount of 10–15 g, which equalizes the ratio of the main elements of mineral nutrition in the soil solution.

They do not stop feeding, and in warm weather and watering after the second ten days of August, they only give preference to phosphorus. Add 80 - 100 g/m2 of superphosphate and 30 g/m2 of potassium sulfate. Without sufficient water supply and the supply of plants with phosphorus and potassium, the processes of carbohydrate outflow from the leaves and stem into the root tuber are slow and incomplete.

Chapter 3. Harvesting dahlia tubers

After the first frost, the dahlia tubers need to be dug up, the remaining foliage and stems need to be trimmed, leaving only five to ten centimeters of the stem. Some gardeners trim the stems and leaves a few days before digging up the tubers, but if the cut part gets wet, the base of the stem may rot, so after cutting the stems, immediately cover the dahlias with aluminum foil.

The neck of the tuber is particularly fragile, so start digging up the tubers in the morning, in dry weather, so that they have time to air dry and become less “brittle.” In addition, soil residues are easier to remove from dried tubers. We dig up dahlia tubers. Dig around the plant on all four sides, about 30cm from the stem, to cut off the long vascular roots, then place a fork under the earthen ball and push it out of the ground. Thoroughly clear any clods of earth from the tubers and turn them over to dry.

Once you have dug up all the tubers, use a garden hose to wash them off any soil that contains disease-carrying microorganisms. Do not be late in harvesting the tubers, because after the first frost, warming may occur, and the buds dormant in the tubers may wake up and begin to germinate, which is detrimental to plants at such a time.

Section 1. Storing dahlias in winter

In order for dahlia tubers to successfully overwinter, they need to create all the necessary conditions. Before placing the tubers in boxes or containers, you should leave them for a while to dry.

You can store tubers on racks. This method is quite simple and can be used by novice gardeners. Pour sand onto the racks and place the prepared dahlia tubers. They should first be placed in boxes and covered with any materials.

After this, place the rhizomes in prepared bags. They are filled with a special mixture - vermiculite, which is intended for storage. It is important to tie the bags well.

In addition to vermiculite, experienced gardeners already use moss for storage. Planting material is wrapped in moss and placed in bags. However, as a material for wintering it is used with caution. Dry moss draws moisture from the plant, while wet moss can lead to rotting.

To maintain constant moisture, it is necessary to sprinkle the tubers with sand, sawdust, peat, pine needles, etc. You can cover it with newspaper or put it in plastic or wooden boxes. Cover the bottom of the box with any paper; old newspapers will do. You can use plastic film.

Cover the top with a thin layer of dry soil. Then lay out the tubers and sprinkle with soil. Using the same technology, lay the next row of tubers. Make sure that the tubers do not come into contact with each other, as this can lead to infection. After this, cover the box and place it in the basement or cellar.

Another way to store rhizomes is to use a clay mash. This method allows you to protect the tubers from drying out. It is prepared as follows: pour regular red clay with water so that the consistency resembles sour cream.

Add copper sulfate and potassium permanganate in equal quantities to the clay solution and stir well. There should be no lumps. Each tuber is dipped into the prepared mash, taken out and left to dry. Next, place in bags and place in a box using the above technology.

The third method of storing tubers is using paraffin. The waxing procedure is quite labor-intensive. To do this, you will need paraffin, which can be purchased at a pharmacy or paraffin candles. It should be heated to a temperature of 70-80 degrees.

Heat the candles in a water bath until a liquid mass is obtained. Wet the tuber on all sides. As a result, the rhizome should be completely covered with a layer of paraffin. Leave them to cool. This procedure should be performed with each tuber.

Chapter 4. Variety of dahlia varieties

At the moment, there are about 15,000 varieties of dahlias of different colors and shapes. At the moment, there are about 15,000 varieties of dahlias of different colors and shapes. We will talk about some of them in our article.

Classification of plants by stem height:

dwarf dahlias have stems whose length does not exceed 60 cm;
low-growing varieties of dahlias reach a height of no more than 80 cm;
medium-sized crops grow up to 120 cm in height;
tall dahlias can reach 150 cm in height and require additional support to prevent the stems from breaking.

Section 1. Single-row dahlias

Single row dalias are also called simple. As a rule, this group includes low-growing crops with non-double buds reaching a diameter of 10 cm. Single-row dahlias are represented by the following popular varieties:

"Happy Kiss"

Dahlia variety, selected in Holland at the beginning of this century. The flowers of the "Happy Kiss" variety grow up to 10 cm in diameter and are painted in a bright orange hue.

"Romeo"

It is distinguished by a rich scarlet color, the height of its stem is approximately 55 cm, and the diameter of the bud, like the previous species, reaches 10 cm. These dahlias bloom until the first frost.

Simple dahlias are often sold as varietal mixtures. Gardeners love variety mixture "Funny boys". Such dahlias grow up to 1 m in height, have large single inflorescences and a wide variety of shades.

"Minion Mishung"

Another popular varietal mixture. Flowers of this species grow up to 50 cm in height and have semi-double buds of medium size.
Minion mishung

Section 2. Anemoid dalia

Low-growing anemoid dahlias rise 60-70 cm above the ground. Their stems are decorated with semi-double buds with a diameter of 5-10 cm. There are many varieties of anemoid dalia, which include the following:

"Boogie Woogie"

A low-growing variety whose stem length ranges from 80 to 100 cm. The flowers of this species have a diameter of 50 to 100 mm and are colored in two different shades. The soft pink edges of the bud turn yellow towards the middle. Dahlias "Boogie Woogie" are planted in sunny areas; they do not have good frost resistance. This variety blooms from mid-summer to early October. If you cut dahlias and place them in a vase, they can last at least a week. The Boogie Woogie variety can be used in plant arrangements or planted individually.

"Lambada"

They are distinguished by large semi-double buds, painted in two shades. The middle of the flower has a creamy tint, which turns to light pink towards the edges of the bud. The buds of such dahlias are large, with a diameter of at least 10-15 cm. The flowering period lasts from June to October, during which time dahlias manage to bloom several times. Each flowering lasts approximately 14 days. “Lambada” does not have good winter hardiness and prefers to grow in sunny areas, its stem height reaches 100-110 cm. For the winter, the tubers of the plant are dug up and hidden in boxes with peat. The containers are placed in a frost-free room without drafts.

"El Nino"

It has not very large buds, the diameter of which varies between 5-10 cm. The height of the bush is 0.8-1 m. The flowers of such dalias have a luxurious dark burgundy hue, which can be emphasized by contrast with lighter and brighter plants, for example, yellow. Like most dahlia varieties, this variety prefers well-lit flower beds and does not overwinter in the ground. The variety blooms abundantly, lasting from July to the end of October. Although the stems are quite tall, due to their strength they do not require tying to a support. With the arrival of winter, the tubers of the plant are stored in containers filled with peat.

Section 3. Cactus dahlias

Cactus dahlias are distinguished by very large buds, the diameter of which reaches 25 cm. Their petals have an unusual shape - they are twisted into tubes. Cactus dahlias are represented by many varieties that differ from each other in their characteristics. Among the specimens of this species you can find both dwarf and tall crops. This type of dalia is suitable for decorating open flower beds and for growing in pots. Cactus dahlias are perennials, but in the climatic conditions of our country they do not overwinter in the ground, so the tubers have to be dug up every autumn and hidden for storage. Let's take a closer look at the characteristics of popular varieties of cactus dahlias:

"Stars Lady"

It has fairly large buds with a diameter of 10 to 15 cm. This variety of the crop is dwarf, the height of the stem does not exceed 50 cm. The lush buds have a delicate pinkish-white hue. These flowers need to be grown in full sun, and as for the area of use, “Stars Lady” dahlias look good in border plantings. Dahlias of this species are unpretentious in care, bloom from mid-summer to October, abundantly covered with buds.

Playa Blanca

They also belong to dwarf crops with a stem height of no more than 50 cm. The bud diameter of such dahlias is 10-15 cm, the color of the flower is snow-white. Like many other types of dalia, "Playa Blanca" is best grown in open, sunny areas protected from the wind. The flowers have low winter hardiness, so when frost sets in, the tubers should be hidden in peat boxes for storage. Dahlias "Playa Blanca" bloom from July to October, producing copious amounts of buds. Flowering repeats several times per season. These dalias are grown in borders, flower beds and pots, and are also often used for cutting and forming bouquets.

"Park Record"

They are distinguished by beautiful large buds with a diameter of 15 to 18 cm. The bush of such dahlias is dwarf, no more than 0.5 m high. The shade of these dahlias is very bright and attractive, pleasing to the eye with a rich orange color. The culture is photophilous and does not tolerate frosts and drafts. Used in borders and various flower arrangements. After cutting it can stand in a bouquet for a long time. The flowering period lasts from July to September, the buds bloom several times per season. The duration of one flowering is approximately 2 weeks.

Section 4. Semi-cactus varieties of dahlias

Semi-cactus dahlias belong to the terry varieties of the crop and represent a transitional form from cactus to decorative dahlias. The buds of this crop are large, sometimes reaching 25-30 cm in diameter. The petals, starting from the middle of the length, are twisted into a tube. The height of the bush varies from 0.8 to 1.5 m. Let's consider the most common varieties of this type of dalia:

"Mick's Peppermint"

A medium-sized crop with a stem height of 110 to 130 cm. The size of the buds is about 15-20 cm, the color is milky, interspersed with pink or purple. The crop prefers to grow in sunny, wind-free areas and does not overwinter in the soil. The crop blooms from mid-summer to mid-autumn in several stages. The duration of each stage is approximately 2-3 weeks.

"Aspen"

It is a low-growing species, the height of the bush does not exceed 60 cm. The buds of the plant are not too large, reaching 7-10 cm in diameter. Dahlias of this variety have an elegant white hue, their flowering lasts from mid-summer to early autumn. Each flowering stage takes about 2-3 weeks. This variety is often grown for cutting, as it can stand in a bouquet for a long time.

Section 5. Globular dalia

Annual varieties of dahlias include spherical dahlias. They have lush, abundant flowering, which lasts from summer until frost. The diameter of the buds of this crop is 15 cm. The shape of the flowers resembles a ball, which is why they deserve their name. Most spherical varieties are medium-sized, reaching a height of 20 cm. Let’s take a closer look at the varieties of spherical dalia:

"Funny Face"

They bloom from June to September, covered with beautiful spherical inflorescences 8-10 cm in diameter. The buds are painted yellow, and rich red strokes are scattered across the petals. The petals are twisted into tubes, which gives the flowers a very impressive appearance. The duration of one flowering period is 2-3 weeks. The stem height of this variety is 0.8-1 m. When cut, dahlias last at least a week, so they are often used to create bouquets.

"Boom Boom Purple"

They have small buds, 7-10 cm in diameter. The flowers have a bright purple color. Dahlias of this variety begin to bloom in July, and the last buds appear on them in September. Flowering repeats several times per season, the duration of one period is approximately 2 weeks. Most often, this variety is used in borders or in single plantings.

"Marble Ball"

They are distinguished by large flowers with a diameter of at least 15 cm. The length of the stem of this crop is 0.8-1 m. The color of the buds is milky white, diluted with beautiful purple strokes. This color allows you to use dahlias in single plantings; they also look very beautiful as part of bouquets. It is better to plant the plant in sunny areas where there are no drafts. It is recommended to mulch the soil with peat. Before the start of winter, the tubers are dug up and stored for storage.

Section 6. Nymphaeal varieties of dahlias

Nymphaeal dalias are sometimes also called lotus, and they are distinguished by beautiful and large double inflorescences, reaching 20 cm in diameter. This culture belongs to the medium-sized species and its bush grows 120 cm in height. The most beautiful and striking representative of nymphal dahlias is the variety "Fleurel".

"Fleurel"

They have large buds with a diameter of at least 20-25 cm. The stem reaches a height of 100-120 cm. The flowers are white in color; it is advisable to grow them in a sunlit flowerbed, but they will also feel good in partial shade. This variety looks great in complex plantings, as it emphasizes brighter and more variegated plants with its appearance. Daliyas continue to bloom until late autumn. Since the stems of the plant are tall and the buds are large, such dahlias require garter. It is not recommended to plant them in windy places. These dalias are easy to care for and resistant to pests, but in hot, dry summers they need regular irrigation. To ensure abundant flowering, the plant should be pinched 3 weeks after planting. It is advisable to mulch the soil around the bushes with peat.

Section 7. Pompom dalias

Pompom-type dahlias come in a wide range of colors; among the variety of their shades, you will not find blue. The buds of such dahlias are double, the petals can be curled inward or placed on top of each other like tiles. The most common variety of pompom dahlias in our country is considered to be “Sunny Boy”. The size of its buds reaches 12 cm, the stem grows 1 m in height. The color of the flowers is yellow, the tips of the petals are painted bright orange. In complex plantings, it is best to place such dahlias next to white or red flowers. The variety is undemanding in terms of care and is almost not susceptible to disease. During the period of bud formation, the crop needs good watering and removal of faded buds.

"Sunny Boy"

They love sunlight, but can also grow in light shade. There is no need to tie the stems, but it is better to plant dalias in windproof areas.

Section 8. Collared dahlias

Collared dalias are distinguished by their original flower shape. On top of a row of large petals there is a row of others, smaller in size and contrasting in shade. This top row forms a kind of “collar”, thanks to which the flowers have earned their name. The diameter of collared dahlias reaches 10 cm, the height of the stem is 120 cm.

"Impression Fabula"

The most popular variety in this group is considered to be the “Impression Fabula” variety. It is distinguished by an unusual and very attractive color. The outer row of petals has a lilac tint, the tips are painted milky white. The inner petals are also white, and the core of the bud itself is bright yellow. The bush of the plant is not tall, growing no higher than 40 cm. Dalias of this variety bloom at the very beginning of summer and are suitable for both open planting and growing in pots. "Impression Fabula" likes to grow in bright sun and light, fertile soil. When cut, dalias last a long time, which is why they are used in creating bouquets.

Section 9. Decorative varieties of dahlias

Decorative dalias include a large number of varieties, which are distinguished by large double inflorescences, as well as bright, varied colors. With sufficient care, the diameter of the buds of such dahlias can reach 25-35 cm. Consider the characteristics of popular varieties of mixed dahlias:

"Gallery La Tour"

They are low-growing crops with long flowering, which lasts throughout the summer and ends with the arrival of frost. This plant species is relatively new, as it was cultivated in 2007. The large buds of this variety are 15-20 cm in diameter and consist of two types of petals: tubular and reed. The color of the buds is predominantly pink-lilac. The crop is used in border and complex plantings, can be grown in pots and is well suited for cutting.

"Melody Dixie"

They were cultivated in 1999. They are low-growing varieties with a stem height of no more than 60 cm. The bush of such a plant is compact, densely dotted with lush double buds. The flowers grow up to 15 cm in diameter and are beige-pink in color. The Melody Dixie variety blooms from the first weeks of summer until the first frost; it prefers sunlit areas and light fertile soils for planting.

Section 10. Mixed dahlias

"Akita"

They look impressive thanks to the bright color and size of the buds. Their petals, pointed at the tips, are colored red, and the tips themselves have a creamy tint. The diameter of the buds is quite large and amounts to 20-25 cm. The flowering period lasts from July to September and consists of several stages. The duration of each flowering stage is 2-3 weeks. The stems of this variety are tall, at least 100-120 cm, but if you plant them in a windless area, there is no need to tie the flowers to a support.

"Vancouver"

They are also distinguished by large inflorescences 20-25 cm in diameter, and their stem reaches 100-120 cm in height. The buds bloom in July, the plant produces its last flowers in September. The color of the inflorescences is light lilac, the tips of the petals are painted white. During the season, dahlias bloom several times for 2-3 weeks. Cut flowers last at least 1 week.

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A little about dahlias

Did you know that the dahlia came to Europe as an edible plant, not an ornamental plant? Only the capricious Europeans did not appreciate its taste, but they quite liked the flowers and began to grow them in their front gardens. Then breeders took up the dahlia. As a result, we have more than 15,000 varieties, the number of which increases every year.

The root system of dahlias consists of root cones or root tubers, which are a thickened modified root, and not a stem, which is a tuber. A flower is not a flower at all, but a complex inflorescence - a basket consisting of many marginal reed flowers and internal tubular ones. The dahlia trunk is hollow, but very strong. With the current varietal diversity, the growth of this flower can vary from 20 to 150 cm or more, and the diameter of the inflorescence can range from 3 to 25 cm.

Dahlias are flowers with an annual development cycle and a pronounced dormant period. Starting in spring, they grow and bloom; after the first frost, their vegetative mass dies off, and the tubers retire. A few months later, they awaken after winter, in the spring the root collar produces the first shoots and everything starts all over again. It should be noted that dahlias are very thermophilic and do not overwinter outside.

Preparing dahlias for planting

In one of the previous articles on our website, we described in detail the germination of dahlias in the spring, but let's repeat the main stages of this process.

We take out root tubers from storage

We will assume that our tubers were stored correctly and the wintering was successful. The timing for removing dahlias from storage in the spring is different for each region. This should be done approximately 2-3 weeks before planting in the ground. Usually for central Russia this is mid-April. If you are going to propagate flowers from cuttings, do it at least a month in advance. You cannot take the tubers out of the basement in the spring and immediately bring them into a warm room; due to a sharp temperature change, you can simply lose the plant.

Only after this can the dahlias be brought home.

Preparation and disinfection before germination

Any preparation of dahlias for planting begins with disinfection of the tubers. If after digging you didn’t wash them of soil, it’s time to do it in the spring. Carefully inspect the washed tubers for possible rot, mold and infections. Remove all affected parts with a sharp, sterile knife and soak the tubers in a previously prepared weak pink solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes. Then sprinkle all the sections with crushed activated carbon and leave to dry for a day.

Sprouting dahlias

Germination of dahlia tubers in spring can occur in any loose substrate:

sawdust;
loose soil;
sand;
tyrse;
peat

Place some damp substrate on the bottom of the boxes and carefully place nests of tubers on top. The most important thing is that the root collar should be directed upward; it is on it that the growth buds are located. Lightly sprinkle the tubers with soil and place in a bright place with a temperature of about 20 degrees. When the first shoots appear, reduce the temperature to 15-16 degrees.

If you have few nodules, you can germinate them in pots without deepening the root collar too deeply.

Tuber division

It is not necessary to divide dahlia tubers every spring. But if you neglect this procedure for 3-4 years and plant only large overgrown nests in the ground, the flowers will gradually degenerate. The absence of spring division of dahlias is fraught not only with the fact that you will miss a rotten tuber, which after planting will provoke rotting of the entire root system, but also with the appearance of small, few flowers.

When the first sprouts appeared or the growth buds simply swelled well, it was time to divide the tubers. This must be done on time, not allowing the shoots to become large - there is a danger that during division we will simply break them off, because in the spring, at the initial stages of growth, they are very fragile.

We invite you to watch a video in which an experienced gardener talks about dividing dahlia tubers:

Once you have separated the tubers and dried the sections, return them to the boxes for germination.

Planting dahlias in the spring is not only done with tubers. This plant is easy to propagate from cuttings. When young shoots reach a height of 6-10 cm, they are carefully broken out with a “heel” or cut out with a sharp sterile knife with a piece of the root collar and planted in separate pots or peat tablets.

This is exactly how rejuvenation of planting material occurs.

Caring for dahlias during germination

In the spring, during germination, you should not get carried away with watering - the tubers have a sufficient supply of moisture and nutrients for the first time. Here it is better to dry the soil a little rather than over-moisten it. It is better to carefully spray the seedlings with a spray bottle.

After you have divided the dahlia tubers, you will have to make sure that too many shoots do not appear on each division. It’s a pity, leave 2-3 of the strongest ones, and break out the rest.

We told you how to prepare dahlias for planting. Believe me, this is not a difficult task at all, you just need to get used to it a little and find a suitable place for germination, because if there are a lot of tubers, then you need a lot of space for them, and even well-lit. Now it’s time to describe how to plant dahlias in the spring.

Choosing a landing site

Dahlias need a lot of sun, a place protected from strong winds and loose, moderately fertile soil. These flowers are surprisingly unpretentious to soil; you cannot plant dahlias only in a wetland - there their tubers will simply rot.

Preparing the landing site

It is best to prepare a place for planting flowers in the fall by digging the bed with a spade. Although dahlias can be grown in any soil, it is better not to create extreme conditions. Add lime or dolomite flour to too acidic soil, and acidic (high-moor) peat to alkaline soil. If your soil is poor, add mature compost or well-rotted humus.

In the spring, the soil is dug up again.

Planting dahlias in the ground

The time to plant dahlias in open ground in the spring is different in each region. It must be remembered that these flowers are very heat-loving and even a short-term decrease in temperature will cause their death.

In the spring, we plant dahlias in flower beds, not only when the threat of return frosts has passed, but also when the earth has warmed up well. You need to dig a hole about the size of a spade, add a matchbox of superphosphate, mix well with the soil. If the soil is poor in nutrients, we additionally add well-rotted humus or a complete complex fertilizer, for example, amophoska. Add peat or sand to excessively dense soil.

In dense soils, we will arrange drainage - pour a shovel of fine gravel or brick chips into the bottom of the planting hole.

Attention! If your soil is light and loose on its own, do not add additional drainage, otherwise the dahlias will have to be watered every day!

Place the tubers in the planting hole, cover with soil so that the root collar is buried about 2-3 centimeters.

In the spring, before planting tall varieties, be sure to install a support for them; you risk damaging the tubers if you do this later. Once the plant is planted, water it generously.

Planting dahlias in containers

Nowadays, planting low-growing varieties of dahlias in containers is very popular. City dwellers who grow flowers on balconies and loggias can also grow them. It is important to remember one thing - flower pots are only suitable for dahlias grown from seeds. You can also plant a cutting of a low-growing variety in a pot in the spring, but its volume should not be less than 5 liters.

Dahlia tubers are planted either in large ceramic flowerpots or in containers with a volume of at least 15 liters, but this is the minimum, and for the shortest flowers with a small nodule! Typically containers for planting dahlias have a volume of 30-40 liters. Otherwise, the plant will suffer from a lack of soil all season and will produce a weak nodule, which will most likely die in the winter.

Care after disembarkation

The first time after planting dahlias, they require increased watering and protection from bright sun. You can simply cover the plants with newspapers for the first 2-3 days. These flowers do not like loosening, since we do not know where the growth of new tubers will be directed and we risk damaging them. It is better to immediately mulch the planting - this way weeds will not grow, and you will have to water less often.

We invite you to watch a short video about planting dahlias:

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Landing

To begin with, prepare dahlias for seedlings. Early and medium varieties are planted already in mid-March. Specific deadlines are revealed in detailgardener's lunar calendar. In 2018, the following days are favorable times for planting:

for annual dahlias: March 4-8, March 13-15, March 18-26, March 28-30;
for perennials: March 4-8, March 10-13, March 22-24, March 28-30;

The container is filled with balanced soil. It can be prepared at home, or you can purchase ready-made soil. It is better to buy ready-made, since such planting material contains all the nutrients and useful microelements.

The soil at home should be disinfected. There are several methods. To destroy harmful bacteria, you should freeze the soil or bake it in the oven at 150-180 degrees. The soil is also fried in a frying pan over an open fire. Then the planting material is left for two weeks at room temperature to restore beneficial microelements. The soil should be soft and loose. Planting seedlings has its advantages. You can count on early flowering, whereas when planting seeds directly into the ground, the flowering period begins later. Having planted the plant in a pot, leave it until it adapts and sprouts. Containers are placed on a windowsill or in a greenhouse.

You can plant dahlias in the spring immediately in open ground, but only after the frosts have subsided. This applies to medium and late varieties. If you plant them earlier, the tubers may freeze. Planted bulbs can be covered in the event of unexpected cold weather with any warm material, straw or hay.

As soon as warm weather sets in, that is, the temperature begins to stay within 10-15 degrees Celsius, then the time comes for planting in open ground.

Dig up the soil and add compost or rotted manure to it. The soil is loosened with a pitchfork, and bone meal is added to it. To protect flowers from wireworms and onion root mites, granular insecticides are added to the soil: copper sulfate solution, potassium permanganate. Formalin can be used if roses or fruit crops that have suffered from any diseases were grown in this place before dahlias.

To transplant seedlings or plant dahlias with tubers, small holes are dug into the ground at a distance of a meter and a half from each other. The distance is selected depending on the expected growth of the plant. For short people, 40-50 centimeters is suitable. The depth of the hole should be no more than 10 centimeters. You shouldn't go too deep. Dry soil is watered before planting seedlings. Place the tubers horizontally so that the dahlia can develop a large root system. When planting, the roots are completely immersed in the holes. Space is left in the hole for applying fertilizer. A little rotted manure is placed at the bottom, but you should be careful not to burn the roots. Fill the hole, leaving the shoots a few centimeters above the surface of the earth. If the seedlings are tall, then install a support when planting; it can be left stuck in the hole, since after a month or two it will not be possible to install the support without damaging the rhizomes of the flower. The voluminous bush is supported with several sticks.

Gardeners in the Middle Zone, as well as in the Urals and Moscow region, plant dahlias in the Leningrad region in May. In Siberia, this deadline may fall into June. In the southern regions, work is being shifted a month earlier, that is, to April.

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Dahlias love heat very much, so even a slight change in temperature can be dangerous for them. When growing annual varieties of these flowers, it is necessary to dig up the tubers for the winter and store them until spring. In addition to tubers, seeds can be used for planting. When to plant dahlias in open ground and how to do it is useful for beginning gardeners to know.

They should be planted in a place well lit by the sun. It's good if it's on the south side. Amateur gardeners need to know exactly when to plant dahlias in open ground. This will allow you to grow very beautiful and strong buds of this wonderful flower.

Therefore, planting is very important for dahlias. It should be cared for correctly, following the recommendations outlined in this article.

Flowers of this species are very demanding on soil. It must be fertile with a sufficient supply of essential nutrients, and the soil structure must be loose. This is necessary so that water and air pass well inside and nourish the plant.

Try to do everything before planting begins. Dahlia should be placed in soil that has been prepared in the fall. To do this, you need to dig it up to a depth of 30 centimeters and add fertilizer (manure or bird droppings).

Spring is the best time to plant dahlias in open ground. To do this, be sure to put one piece of manure in each hole, which should be mixed with humus. If you still haven’t been able to fertilize the soil since the fall, then put one kilogram of manure mixed with soil in the hole.

If you decide to plant dahlias from seeds, then dwarf or border varieties are suitable for this.

Varietal dahlias are propagated by cuttings or division. When seeds are used for planting, gardeners need to plant them in the ground in the month of March. Varieties of this type of flower develop quickly and should be planted early, at the same time as the early potato variety.

Once the dahlias have been planted in the ground, their further growth will depend on how well they have sprouted and whether they have produced young shoots. To get a beautiful flower, constant care for this plant is necessary. To do this, you should fertilize and water the soil in time. The very first preparation for planting dahlia tubers is to remove dry roots. Don't forget to sprinkle the cuts with charcoal. Once you have done this, plant the tubers in a box filled with peat. This box should be kept in a room with a temperature of at least 18 degrees and good lighting. As soon as two weeks have passed, buds will appear on the tubers. After this, they must be cut into pieces so that the bud and root collar remain. This way you can get up to five parts from one tuber. Such separation is necessary for the propagation of this type of flower.

Now let’s figure out when to plant dahlias in open ground using cuttings. As soon as they grow a little, you can remove the side shoots, which have already grown to a height of 10 centimeters. These shoots (cuttings) should be planted in the ground. After they take root, they should be given a permanent place for planting. Before the onset of winter, the flowers will have time to bloom, and new tubers will appear, which the gardener will plant for the next summer season.

When a gardener wants to know when to plant dahlias in open ground, he should also keep in mind that for their better growth and protection from diseases, the flowers must be replanted annually in a new place. They are allowed to be returned to their original place only after three years.

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Dahlias - description of culture

It doesn't take a botanist to understand that dahlias belong to the Asteraceae family. They are included in the genus Dahlia, which consists of 42 species of tall herbaceous perennials. The Latin name of the genus Dana is in honor of the followers of Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist named Anders Dahl. In Russia, another name for the plant has taken root - dahlia or zhorzhina, given in honor of the great German naturalist Johann Georgi, who worked at St. Petersburg University.

The perennial plants are native to Mexico, Colombia and Guatemala. The culture came to Europe after the discovery of the New World. Breeders have put a lot of work into developing different varieties of the flower based on the dried seeds of the dahlia. This species is the progenitor of most modern cultivars.

Most representatives of the genus are herbaceous perennial plants, reaching a height of 2.5 meters. Some varieties like Dalia imperialis can grow up to six meters in height. The bush consists of erect branched shoots with a smooth surface. The leaf arrangement is opposite, the surface of the blades is covered with slight pubescence. The shape of the leaf blade is pinnate, length from 10 to 40 cm.

The dahlia has an underground organ that serves to accumulate nutrients. Root tubers allow the perennial to successfully survive the winter. In spring, dormant buds awaken on them, from which sprouts appear. At first, the young shoots feed on reserves from the underground organ, and then they extract resources from the soil and again put them aside for the upcoming wintering.

The inflorescences of the plant are represented by baskets of various shapes and sizes. The core consists of tubular flowers, along the edges there are one or more rows of reed flowers called petals. The central part of the inflorescence is often colored yellow or brownish. Reed petals have a very wide range of colors. Another advantage of the flower is its complete absence of aroma, which means it will not cause allergic reactions.

For lovers of pleasantly smelling buds, breeders have developed several varieties with a delicate aroma. The duration of the decorative period depends on the varietal; most of the jorgins open their bright heads by mid-summer and are pleasing to the eye until the first frost.

After pollination, specimens with a simple or semi-double inflorescence begin to set achenes. The germination of seed is maintained for 3 years. However, the seed propagation method is used only by breeders, since it is much faster and more reliable to reproduce offspring vegetatively.

The classification of dahlia varieties is very complex and multifaceted. They are divided according to the following characteristics:

flowering periods - early, middle and late;
height - dwarf, short, medium-sized, tall and giants;
basket structure - simple, terry, anemoid, collared, pompom, needle-shaped, terry, spherical, peony-shaped, nymphaeal (lotus-shaped).

Such diversity makes dalias a favorite tool for decorating a garden plot. Even discerning flower growers will be able to choose a specimen with an interesting color or inflorescence shape, while the flower requires minimal care.

Timing for planting dahlias with tubers in open ground

Since the Mexican guest has a very heat-loving character, it can be planted in open ground only after the last wave of night spring frosts has subsided. Planting times will vary in each region.

In the Urals, in Siberia

Due to the harsh climatic conditions, the Urals and Siberia are usually classified as risky farming zones. Tender dahlias will die from the first serious frost on the soil. The deceptive weather in these regions often throws unpleasant surprises at gardeners. It is better not to plant heat-loving crops in open ground before June 10, since there is a high risk of their death from the cold.

If the long-term forecast suddenly changes dramatically, and your dahlias are already showing off in the flowerbed, build them a temporary shelter from film, agrofibre or lutrasil.

In the Moscow region and central Russia

Warmth comes to central Russia a little earlier; already from the third ten days of May you can safely plant zhorzhinas in a flowerbed. An important condition is that by the time of transplanting to a permanent place, the soil must warm up thoroughly.

In the south of Russia

The climate of the southern regions of Russia is mild. Here, primroses delight the eye already at the beginning of April, and heat-loving plants are usually planted in open ground towards the end of the month or during the May holidays.

When to plant dahlias in pots

If you want to speed up the flowering of dahlias, take care of their preliminary germination. It will take about a month for the bush to get a little stronger by the time it is transplanted into the flowerbed. To this period should be added 10-14 days necessary for the awakening of the underground organ. For germination in pots, root tubers are removed from storage 5-6 weeks before planting.

Planting dahlias with tubers in spring

Planting work requires painstaking preparation, careful selection and mandatory preliminary preparation of planting material. How to fulfill all these requirements is described in this section of the article.

How to choose and where to buy planting material, price

The key to beautiful and long flowering will be the correct choice of planting material. Gardeners recommend purchasing root tubers exclusively from a specialized garden center. This rule will help to avoid over-grading and purchasing low-quality planting material. Employees of nurseries and large shopping centers store the nodules according to all the rules and do not neglect the rules of processing.

It is better to go for planting material 3-6 weeks before planting in the flowerbed. Some gardeners recommend buying seedlings in the summer, since you can visually assess the color and shape of the baskets. At the same time, you should also carefully inspect the purchased plant for the absence of diseases and pests.

When buying dahlias in the spring, conduct a careful external inspection to make sure there are no signs of damage or rotting. Select the strongest and densest nodules with a large number of eyes. The soft nodules were either stored incorrectly or were already old, because the lifespan of each root tuber is 3-4 years. At the end of this period, planting material requires replacement.

To ensure the viability of the underground organ, go to the store in April, when tiny shoots are already appearing from the eyes. Depending on the variety, the price of planting material ranges from 100-300 rubles per piece.

Site selection, soil preparation

When choosing a site, you need to take into account the natural habitat conditions of exotic plants and the nuances of growing individual varieties. Dahlias need a place in partial shade, since the scorching sun shortens the decorative period and changes the color of the petals. In a shaded area, the flower will not grow well, the stems will turn out thin and flimsy, and flowering may not occur at all. When planted in a partially shaded area, the plant will fully reveal its decorative qualities.

The second important nuance is protection from the wind. Georgina shoots seem strong on the outside, but they have a cavity inside, so they easily break under the influence of wind and the weight of the bright heads. Due to this peculiarity of the structure of the shoots, select a place near the fence and install a reliable support. Gartering of tall specimens is required. Moreover, the stem must be tied to a support every 50 cm.

Good drainage is equally important, because plants with underground organs often suffer from excess moisture. Stagnant water leads to the development of fungal diseases; your nodules may not survive until the end of the season.

Dahlias are not picky about soil; they thrive on almost any type of substrate. Loose soils with neutral acidity are optimal; highly ornamental cultivars require well-fertilized soil. Depending on the pH level of the soil, lime or peat is added to the digging in the fall. Also in the fall, the site is fertilized with compost or humus at the rate of 5 kg per square meter. m area. In spring, the substrate is enriched with potassium-phosphorus complex and mature compost. After digging, the surface is leveled with a rake, removing weeds.

Preparing tubers for planting

Planting tubers in the spring is preceded by preliminary preparation, consisting of several stages. Root tubers are removed from storage in March or April, depending on the region of cultivation. The first step is to cull, selecting the strongest specimens with a dense texture. This is followed by half an hour of disinfection in a one percent solution of potassium permanganate. If the nodule has suffered from rot, but is suitable for planting, it is cut back to healthy tissue, and the cut is smeared with brilliant green.

The next stage of pre-planting preparation is germination. For these purposes, gardeners often use sawdust from coniferous trees, because they are rich in phytoncides that can protect against the development of fungal diseases. A mixture of equal parts of sand, light nutrient soil, peat and sawdust is also suitable. There is no need to bury the underground organ; it should protrude 2-3 cm above the surface of the pot. The optimal temperature for forcing is 20-22⁰C.

The substrate should be moistened daily with a spray bottle, and tender sprouts should be provided with good lighting, otherwise they will stretch out and become fragile. You can see the features of preparing tubers for planting in the following video.

A suitable tuber is cut into several parts (according to the number of eyes) with treated pruning shears, the cut is burned with brilliant green and planted in a nutritious soil mixture for growing.

Technology for planting dahlias in open ground

Planting work begins at the time specified above, having previously prepared the site. Planting dahlias is carried out as follows:

At the selected location, planting holes are prepared with a diameter of 40 cm and a depth of 30 cm.
The bottom of the planting hole is covered with a small layer of rotted manure or compost, and a layer of soil is laid out to isolate it from fertilizer. If this is not done, the nodule may “burn” or become infected with a fungus.
The step between holes depends on the varietal of the plant. The more powerful the bush, the greater the distance. You can check with the seller for recommendations regarding the landing pattern. Low-growing bushes are planted in increments of 20-30 cm, and 50-80 cm are left between tall bushes.
When planting, you should not deepen the material; it is enough to sprinkle it with a layer of soil to a height of 4-6 cm, and some of the stems should be underground.
Gradually fill the hole with substrate, compact it a little and water the hole thoroughly. Mulch the surface with sawdust or peat chips. Organize shading for 3-4 days.

Basics of crop care

Caring for dahlias is so easy that even a beginner can do it. The flower loves abundant watering, but excess moisture is destructive for it. Usually the bushes are irrigated twice a week, using 10-15 liters of water. During prolonged rainfall, there is no need to water the bushes. The plant signals a lack of moisture by loss of turgor in leaves and inflorescences. To preserve life-giving moisture, it is useful to periodically add mulch, loosen the surface of the earth, and remove weeds.

After planting in the flowerbed, the bushes begin to extract resources from the soil. To avoid damage to decorative properties, the soil should be enriched with fertilizing twice a month. Alternate organic matter (infusion of mullein, nettle) and minerals; potassium is important during flowering, and phosphorus to prepare for the dormant period. Nitrogen fertilizers should be completely eliminated from the second half of summer, otherwise the bush will begin to expel young shoots, depleting the underground storage. This will adversely affect the storage of planting material.

Dahlias need proper distribution of resources; for this purpose, the bush is formed. Axillary stepsons, extra peduncles, and wilted baskets must be removed. For the full manifestation of varietal characteristics, you need to leave no more than three flowering stems. Excess basal growth is also cut off with pruning shears. It is suitable for vegetative propagation by cuttings.

To repel pests, it is better to combine planting in a flowerbed with marigolds. The aroma of such a neighbor is not to the liking of most insects. If necessary, treat with systemic insecticides. To prevent fungal diseases, be sure to treat the roots of the tubers before planting. If the surface of the leaf blades is stained, spray with a fungicide solution. When infected with the mosaic virus, characteristic spots will appear and the bush will lag in growth. It should be dug up and burned immediately.

Timing for digging up tubers, winter storage

After the first frost in the region, the above-ground part of the exotic plant will die. This means it’s time to remove the tubers and put them away for storage. Harvesting is carried out on a dry day; it is advisable to dig up the nodules before the end of September. The extracted rhizome is washed and air dried. The shoots are cut at a height of 10 cm, and the cut site is treated with wood ash. If you cut the greens in advance, cover the hollow tubes with clay or make caps from foil. This measure will protect the underground organ from possible decay caused by water ingress.

The optimal conditions for preserving dahlia nodules are humidity not higher than 70% and temperature 3-5⁰C. It is best to store them in the basement, after checking the ventilation. The rhizome is immersed in sand or sawdust, inspected periodically, and if necessary, the substrate is moistened.

Currently, there are more than 40 natural species of dahlias. Based on them, breeders around the world have bred several thousand very beautiful hybrid varieties with unusual inflorescences. The most common varieties grown in garden plots include the following:

Aster-shaped dahlias - inflorescences have several rows of outer flowers and a middle, which is formed by elongated, large tubular petals. Their diameter can reach 10 centimeters, height up to 1 meter. The inflorescences have several rows of outer flowers and a middle, which is formed by elongated, large tubular petals
Globular dahlias - the inflorescences have a terry flattened shape and reach from 10 to 15 centimeters in diameter and from 80 to 120 centimeters in height. The inflorescences have a terry flattened shape
Peony-shaped dahlias - inflorescences consist of a large number of outer flowers arranged in several rows, the core is tubular. The diameter ranges from 12 to 17 centimeters, and the height ranges from 70 to 120 centimeters. The inflorescences consist of a large number of outer flowers
Cactus dahlias - a double inflorescence formed by numerous narrow and pointed petals has a diameter of 8 to 10 centimeters and a height of 90 to 150 centimeters. A double inflorescence is formed by numerous narrow and pointed petals

Dahlias can be annual or perennial. According to the size of the bush they are divided into:

Giant - above 25 centimeters; ;
Large - from 20 to 25 centimeters;
Medium - from 15 to 20 centimeters;
Small - from 10 to 15 centimeters;
Dwarf - below 10 centimeters.

To grow dahlias, you should select a level place, well lit and protected from the winds. Therefore, it is better to plant them near buildings or small bushes. It is not recommended to be near large trees, which will draw large amounts of nutrients and moisture from the soil.

The soil in the selected area should be loose, well permeable and contain a sufficient amount of nutrients. This is required for abundant flowering and the formation of full-fledged tubers. If the soil is heavy, then when digging you need to add humus, peat and coarse sand. If, on the contrary, it is sandy, then its composition is improved with the help of clay and compost.

How to plant dahlias as tubers

To grow dahlias, you need to choose tubers with a large number of eyes and no signs of mold and rot. They should be of medium size, since large specimens are old and small ones are quite weak. Such tubers may not produce a full-fledged bush with abundant flowering.

Although dahlias grown from tubers are considered perennial crops, they do not survive overwintering in soil in most regions. Therefore, after the first frost occurs, the stems of dahlias are cut off, leaving about 10 centimeters above the surface.

Then, in the morning or evening of a sunny day, you need to carefully dig the plant out of the ground, remove the remaining soil from the tubers, wash them, soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, Bordeaux mixture or fungicide for about half an hour and dry thoroughly for one week.

Before sending them to the room in which they will be stored, they are sprinkled with crushed activated carbon.

To grow dahlias, you need to choose tubers with a large number of eyes

To store dahlias in the winter in a cellar or basement, you can use various methods:

Dried and processed tubers are placed in one layer in wooden boxes or cardboard boxes filled with sand or pine sawdust, and completely covered on top;
Wrap each tuber in cling film and place in boxes or on shelves;
Place the tubers in special parchment bags filled with storage compounds;
If several varieties of dahlias are stored, then it is recommended to label the containers with the name;
The basement or cellar should be dry with good ventilation, air temperature from 1 to 10 degrees and humidity from 50 to 80 percent.

If the tubers will be stored in an apartment, then you need to make a special shell for them. To do this, melt 400 grams of paraffin and 100 grams of wax in a water bath and cool slightly. After this, dip each tuber in the resulting mixture and let the coating harden.

The prepared planting material should be placed in plastic bags, sprinkled with sawdust or peat, and stored in a cool place, for example, in the refrigerator in a vegetable drawer.

In this case, the paraffin-wax shell will prevent the evaporation of moisture from the tubers, and the low temperature will not allow them to germinate for a long time.

Dividing tubers for propagation of dahlias

It is not recommended to plant dahlia tubers whole, as the plants grown from them lose their decorative properties. Using a sharp knife, planting material is divided into parts, each of which must contain a peephole. The sections are treated with wood ash and left to dry for several days.

After this, they are sent for germination in boxes filled with special damp, sterilized soil, this can be:

Sand with peat;
Coconut substrate;
Sand with deciduous sawdust.

Tubers are planted for germination from late February to early May, depending on the climatic conditions of the region.

Preparing a place for dahlias

It is advisable to prepare beds for dahlias in the fall. To saturate the soil with useful substances, you need to enrich it with mineral and organic fertilizers, for example, add 30 grams of superphosphate and 2 buckets of manure per square meter.

It is also necessary to ensure that the soil reaction is neutral or slightly acidic. To reduce acidity, add 300 grams of slaked lime per square meter of soil.

After this, the area is dug up to a depth of at least 30 centimeters and carefully leveled.

It is advisable to prepare beds for dahlias in the fall

In the spring, before planting, you need to add 30 grams of potash fertilizer per square meter of soil and loosen it deeply.

Sprouted dahlia tubers are planted in the soil after the spring frosts have ended and the soil has warmed up to 10 degrees.

With early forcing, the first inflorescences bloom already in June, and with good care, flowering can continue until mid-autumn.

In order to properly plant germinated material, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

In the prepared area, holes are dug with a depth of 10 to 15 centimeters, depending on the size of the seedling, then they are spilled with warm water;
The distance between single plantings should be from 60 to 100 centimeters;
Tubers with sprouts are carefully removed from the box, placed in a hole, and covered with soil;
After planting is completed, the beds are well watered.

Flowers from seedlings

In order to grow dahlia seedlings from seeds, you should:

Fill the seedling boxes with peat-sand mixture and lightly moisten it;
Distribute the seeds evenly over the surface of the soil and lightly cover with substrate;
Plantings should be covered with polyethylene film or glass and placed in a warm room with good lighting;
Boxes with seedlings need to be regularly cleared from cover for several hours;
If the quality of the seeds is good, the first shoots should appear a week after sowing;
After the third leaf appears, the seedlings are picked into individual containers filled with a soil mixture of equal parts of turf soil, sand and peat. It is best if they are peat. In this case, there will be no need to remove the seedlings from them; you just need to place them in the holes along with the pot, which will dissolve in the soil.

Boxes with seedlings need to be regularly emptied from cover for several hours.

Planting dahlia seedlings in the soil is carried out as follows:

Two weeks before planting in open ground, dahlia seedlings begin to harden. To do this, take it outside and leave it for 10 minutes, gradually increasing the time to several hours;
2–3 hours before planting dahlias, water the seedlings generously;
Holes with a depth of 7 to 10 centimeters are prepared on the site at a distance of at least 50 centimeters from each other;
The seedlings are distributed among the holes, covered with soil, compacted and moistened.

And from cuttings

Cuttings of dahlias allows you to get a large number of seedlings from one tuber. To do this, it is planted in a box with sand and peat and regularly moistened.

After the sprouts that appear have reached a height of about 15 centimeters, they must be carefully cut off with a sharp knife above the first internode.

After this, new eyes will appear on the tuber, and new shoots will begin to grow from the axils of the remaining parts of the shoots, which will be ready for cutting in a few weeks. In this way, you can get up to 30 cuttings from one tuber. There are other cutting methods.

Cuttings of dahlias allows you to get a large number of seedlings from one tuber

Cut cuttings are rooted in the usual way in seedling boxes with a nutritious soil mixture. Also, to form roots, you can place the cuttings in a container of water to which a growth stimulator has been added. With the onset of suitable weather, the rooted cuttings are planted in open ground.

How to grow dahlias from seeds without seedlings

Annual varieties of dahlias are planted using the seedless method. To do this, the seeds are sown directly into the ground after warm weather sets in. Planting usually takes place from mid-May to early June.

To do this, form a flower bed in a prepared area, make shallow grooves in it, evenly distribute the seeds over them at a distance of about 20 centimeters from each other, cover them with a thin layer of substrate and carefully water them.

Annual dahlias grown without seedlings bloom in early August.

Caring for planted dahlias

Watering is important for growing healthy and well-developed dahlia bushes. Both perennial and annual species of these flowers need to be watered abundantly, but only after the soil has dried out. With excessive waterlogging, various rots of the root system can develop, which, without timely treatment, often leads to the death of the entire plant.

For tall varieties, you need to install supports and fix the growing stems on them. Otherwise, they will break and the plant will take on an unsightly appearance. Both ordinary wooden or metal stakes and decorative elements for the garden area can be used as support for dahlias.

Watering is important for growing healthy and well-developed dahlia bushes.

For good growth and abundant flowering, dahlias need to be fed regularly once every half month. It is recommended to alternate mineral fertilizers and organic matter. To do this, you can use a superphosphate solution at the rate of 50 grams per 20 liters of water.

For organic feeding, 1 kilogram of mullein is diluted in 10 liters of water or 1 kilogram of bird droppings is dissolved in 20 liters of water. 1 liter of the indicated nutritional compositions is poured under each plant.

It is recommended to water the plants a few hours before applying fertilizer.

In rainy weather or when planted densely, dahlias may begin to rot their root system. Outwardly, this can be seen by fading stems with traces of rot. In this case, you need to remove the affected leaves and other parts from the plant.

After this, you need to spray the bushes with a fungicide solution and spill it on the soil. Dahlias are also often damaged by aphids, thrips and Colorado potato beetles, which suck out large amounts of nutrients from them.

If insects are detected, you should immediately treat the plants with an infusion of garlic or onion. In especially severe cases, an insecticide solution is used.

Stepsoning

In order for dahlia bushes to have an attractive compact appearance, they are stepsoned

In order for dahlia bushes to have an attractive compact appearance, they are pinched, leaving three shoots on the plants and two buds on each peduncle. In tall varieties, side shoots are removed. This promotes the formation of larger and brighter inflorescences.

Of course, dahlias cannot be called completely unpretentious plants. But, having studied the rules for their maintenance, you can then spend a minimum amount of time and effort on caring for them. At the same time, many modern hybrid varieties of these plants allow you to create the most diverse and original compositions in your garden plot.

Source: https://babushkinadacha.ru/cvety/sadovye/kak-sazhat-georginyi.html

Planting dahlias in the ground in spring

Dahlia flowers

If you don’t already have dahlias in your collection, then I advise you to purchase them immediately. The dahlia will decorate any plot or flower bed and will delight you with long-lasting flowering and gorgeous flowers.

The plant responds to care and attention with grateful growth and an abundance of buds.

In the assortment of stores you can always find any color and size of flower, volume of buds, height of the bush, and the easy care and unpretentiousness of the dahlia will make it your favorite.

Preparing dahlias before planting in the ground in spring

A few words about how dahlias are grown in our climate. In our latitudes, dahlias are grown as a seasonal plant. There are annual and perennial dahlias. Dahlias do not tolerate sub-zero temperatures and even temperatures of 0°C have a negative effect on them.

Tubers of the plant are dug up in the fall and stored until spring in basements, cool rooms, balconies, or in the spring, planting material is purchased in stores. Planting material is tubers (rhizome) or seeds. Let's consider each option for preparing dahlias before planting.

In the southern regions, dahlias can be planted in open ground without germination. It is enough to treat the tubers with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and dry for several days. If the rhizome is large, it needs to be divided, the cuts processed and the wounds dried for a week. How to properly divide dahlia tubers, read the article below.

Dahlias are planted in open ground after the threat of the last frost has passed, therefore, we begin germination 2 weeks before the expected planting date.

Preparation for planting overwintered dahlia tubers in pots or containers, sawdust, etc.

If you received dahlia tubers from your friends that overwintered in a box, pot, or any other way indoors, you are most likely tormented by the question of what to do with them next.

Dahlia tubers

You need to start preparing and germinating dahlia tubers in the spring from early April to mid-May, depending on the weather conditions of your region.

Step one: Inspect and process dahlia tubers

You will have to prepare the planting material for planting in the ground. To do this, remove the dahlia tubers and inspect them. Remove all missing tubers, remaining soil and old roots. Old roots are not needed; the plant renews its root system (grows a new one) every season.

If you doubt the health of dahlia nodules, treat them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. To do this, make a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate and immerse all planting material in it for 30 minutes. Then dry the tubers on paper until completely dry.

If you notice worms and characteristic damage on the nodules, treat additionally with pest control medications.

Step two: Preparing dahlia tubers for germination and division

Now the dahlia tubers are ready for further action. If the rhizome is large and has already awakened buds on the root collars, such a bush can already be divided.

If dahlia rhizomes are not divided for a long time, the varietal characteristics degenerate and the flowers become smaller.

If there are no buds on the tubers, you need to wait for them to appear and only after that we begin dividing the dahlia tubers. To do this, place the processed tubers in a warm, well-lit place. For germination, select a container or box and pour peat, garden soil or sand into it and place the tubers on top.

Dahlia tuber before division

If the tubers are a little dry, you can wet a cloth and wrap the tubers in it and moisten it over the cloth. When the sprouts appear, we begin dividing the tuber. We germinate at a temperature of about 20°C.

What to do if you bought dahlia nodules in a store

Before purchasing a plant, make sure that the dahlia tuber is suitable for planting. Through the transparent packaging, inspect it for rot or drying out. There should be no sprouts on the dahlia tuber because... during the preparation process they are easy to break, they may not survive until the planting season (if you purchase the plant in advance).

As a rule, such tubers do not require treatment against pests and fungi. Manufacturers complete individual nodules; there is no need to divide them. If the season has come, feel free to send them for germination, in a bright place with constant moisture to the nodules. If the purchased tuber turns out to be very dry, wrap it in a damp cloth.

We germinate at a temperature of about 20°C.

Germination of dahlia tubers

You cannot soak dry tubers in water and wait until they “get drunk” and become dense.

Dividing dahlia tubers. How to properly divide a dahlia tuber

Dividing the dahlia rhizome contributes to the rejuvenation of the bush and its resistance to diseases. A large rhizome will produce many shoots, which will lead to the density of the bush to the detriment of flowering.

Dahlia tubers begin dividing after the buds appear, i.e. after germinating dahlia tubers at home or if you bought a large rhizome with buds that have awakened in the store.

You need to divide with a disinfected sharp instrument. We divide the tubers so that there are 2-3 nodules for 1-2 buds. This will be enough to feed the plant.

Then this tuber, like the potato tuber, will disappear, and the plant will form new ones, and they will accumulate nutrients for the upcoming winter. After dividing the dahlia tubers, sections should be treated with brilliant green, garden varnish, or crushed with an activated carbon tablet.

After division, the nodules with eyes can be sent further for growing or, if the weather permits, immediately to a permanent location in open ground.

How to divide a dahlia tuber

Propagation of dahlias by cuttings in spring

To obtain dahlia cuttings in the spring, an undivided tuber must be placed in a container with a prepared sand mixture. To do this, take 2 parts sand and 1 part earth, mix and pour into a container. Place the tuber in the container and dig it up to the root collar. Leave the root collar with buds above the soil surface.

Planting dahlia tubers on cuttings

To obtain cuttings, germination begins at the end of January and continues to take cuttings until these tubers are planted in open ground. Cuttings that have reached 7-8 cm are carefully separated at the very base of the root collar and rooted in a separate container or individual containers or cups.

Dahlia cuttings for rooting

For vegetative propagation of dahlias, purchased soil with the addition of humus is suitable as a substrate. In the container for cuttings, first pour soil, and then a 3-4 cm layer of sand, into which we bury the cuttings.

For better rooting, cover the containers with film or use a disposable transparent bag to create a greenhouse effect. The temperature for seedlings is about +20°C.

When you have prepared enough cuttings, the mother tuber needs to be removed from the container and divided and prepared for planting in open ground.

Rooted cuttings are planted in open ground after the threat of night frosts has passed.

Planting dahlia seeds for seedlings

Dahlia can be propagated by seeds. To get dahlia seedlings from seeds, you need to start growing in March. They propagate by seeds if the varietal characteristics of the plant are unimportant, there is a desire to develop a new variety, or there is simply a “sporting interest” in growing by seeds. Nutrient soil is prepared for sowing seeds.

To do this, take equal parts of garden soil, turf soil, humus, and peat. Sow the seeds in a container and cover with soil. Moisten the soil with a spray bottle and cover with a bag or glass. Dahlia seeds germinate quite quickly. After two true leaves appear, the seedlings are placed into disposable cups.

Young plants are watered and grown in cups until suitable temperatures arrive, after which they are planted in open ground.

In the southern regions, it is permissible to sow seeds directly into open ground. Seeds are sown in mid-April. Before sowing, the seeds need to be soaked in water for a couple of days.

Dahlia - planting and care in open ground

Prepared tubers or rooted cuttings are planted in open ground when the daytime temperature does not drop below +14-15°C. Prepare in advance the place where the flowers will grow.

It is advisable that the place be new every year. This will prevent fungal spores and rot from accumulating and affecting the tubers.

Dig a hole 30 cm in size so that the rhizome is free. You can add humus to the bottom of the hole to nourish the plant and sand for better drainage. For tall bushes, we pre-install a support to which the bush will be tied. The depth of the hole should be such that there is 5 cm left from the neck of the tuber with buds to the top of the hole.

Place the tubers horizontally, sprinkling a 4-5 cm layer of soil on top. When dahlia shoots appear, leave 2-3 strong shoots, carefully remove the rest. If you leave all the shoots, this will lead to an increase in green mass and thickening of the bush to the detriment of flowering.

Two or three shoots will develop better, the trunks will be thicker and flowering will be abundant.

For rooted dahlia cuttings, it is enough to make the hole slightly larger than the container in which they are located. Add humus and sand to the bottom of the hole, mix with soil from the hole and compact slightly. We take out the cutting along with a lump of earth from the container and place it in the hole.

There is no need to deepen it; we place the lump of earth almost level with the top of the hole in order to lightly sprinkle it with earth. We install a support for the dahlia garter. Water well and after the water is completely absorbed, sprinkle a thin layer of dry earth on top. If the weather has not yet settled, the plant needs to be protected from the cold at night.

To do this, use any available means, or until the dahlias get stronger, for the first time you can install a shelter made of non-woven fabric, which are sold in specialized stores, or you can build it yourself. To do this, you need to stick wooden twigs or metal tubes around the hole with the plant and stretch a piece of non-woven fabric around them.

You can secure the edges together using a regular stapler or a needle and thread. We begin fertilizing 2-3 weeks after planting.

If there are a lot of rhizomes for planting, we plant according to the following scheme: leave a distance of 60-80 cm between tall bushes, and 30-40 cm between short-growing bushes.

Subsequent care consists of watering and keeping the soil moist. Mulching the soil will have a good effect on the condition of the plant.

Attention! After planting, be careful with weeding and other work near the hole. You may not notice the unsprouted sprouts underground and damage them.

Large-flowered varieties require pinching. Proper planting of dahlias will reveal all the beauty of the varietal flowering. If we neglect this, we will get a large number of buds to the detriment of the size of the flower.

Feeding dahlias

Dahlias begin to be fed 2-3 weeks after planting in open ground. Feed every 10 days, alternating organic and mineral fertilizers. During the period of rapid growth of dahlias, when a lack of nitrogen is possible, we add ammonium nitrate to the soil (15 grams per 1 sq.m.). Before flowering, we stop applying nitrogen-containing fertilizers and replace them with potassium and superphosphate ones.

When to dig up dahlias? How to properly store dahlias in winter?

As described earlier, it all depends on the region. Even if it’s cold outside and the calendar says it’s time to dig, but the plants feel good, green and vigorous, it means it’s too early to dig. We dig up the tubers when the tops turn black from frost or wither on their own. We cut off the trunks, leaving 10 cm of stumps.

We clean the tubers from the soil and keep them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes. Dry the tubers for a week or two at a temperature of about +10° and high humidity. It is better to store dahlia tubers in winter in the basement, where the temperature does not fall below 0° and the air humidity is average. If there is no basement, you can store the tubers on the balcony or loggia, moistening them if necessary.

You can pour dry sawdust into the container or bag in which the rhizomes will be stored.

Storing dahlia tubers

Important! There is no need to tie a bag or cover the container with nodules; air access is your best friend in the prevention and fight against mold and rot.

Diseases and pests of dahlias

Dahlias are most susceptible to the following diseases: fungal, viral, bacterial.

Black leg - a dark coating forms at the base of the stem and the stem becomes thinner. To prevent disease, dahlia tubers are treated with a solution of potassium permanganate before planting.

If the plant grows in one place for the second year, it is recommended to treat the soil in the hole and next to it.

If you notice the first signs of the disease, you urgently need to water the bush with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate or another drug for fungal diseases.

Dry rot - this disease can affect plant tubers during growth or storage. If most of the tuber is affected by the disease, the dahlia tuber must be removed completely; if the lesion is small, only part of the tuber must be removed to a healthy place and treated with any drug for this disease.

Powdery mildew - manifests itself as a white coating on the leaves of the plant. Appears from unfavorable growing conditions, for example, dry air or sudden temperature changes.

A soap solution along with copper sulfate will help you get rid of the disease. For 1 liter of water, take 20 grams of laundry soap and 2 grams of copper sulfate, spray on the sheet.

Repeat spraying after a week.

Insect pests: Affected by aphids, nematodes, slugs, thrips, bedbugs, wireworms.

To prevent the plant from being damaged by slugs, you need to carefully monitor the thinning of dahlias. Remove lower leaves and excess stems in a timely manner. We do not recommend thickening the plantings because... this creates a moist environment favorable for slug breeding.

Garlic infusion works well against aphids; spray the leaves with this solution. If the damage to the plant is serious, insecticides must be used.

Formation of a dahlia bush video

Source: https://cvety-tyt.ru/vyrashhivanie-klubnevyh-rastenij/posadka-georginy-vesnoj-v-grunt/

How to plant dahlias in spring

Before planting dahlias in open ground, it is necessary to carry out a number of preliminary measures. Dahlias should be planted only when the weather is warm, and unprepared plants may bloom too late. Tuberous dahlias are popular perennials, and the question of how to plant them correctly worries many.

Spring work consists of certain stages. Purchased or own
planting flower material is checked for the presence of buds, then the roots are divided. Then they are planted in a growing substrate. The process of planting in the garden is also carried out according to certain rules.

Taking dahlias out of storage

Some gardeners want to make their life easier in the spring and do not touch the dahlias until planting. Unprepared plants bloom late - closer to autumn. For some varieties, and even those with difficult ripening of the root system, this option is not suitable.

Dahlia tubers, stored in the underground or basement (this is how they and chrysanthemums are wintered for many in our country), are taken out in the last ten days of March or early April (in the conditions of the Middle Zone and areas with similar climates).

Until this time, purchased flower seedlings are stored in the cellar or refrigerator - at low positive temperatures, without excessive dampness. As a rule, by the beginning of April, even in the dahlia cellar, small seedlings near the stem are already waking up and becoming visible.

If pale shoots stretch out early, then they are broken out - after that new buds will definitely wake up.

Rejecting dahlia tubers

All rot, small dry pieces, as well as tubers hanging on damaged connecting roots are removed from the roots. The wounds can be cauterized with pharmaceutical green.

The most important place in a dahlia is the root collar. It is in the zone of the border between the stem and the root that the shoots wake up and grow. If there is no root collar or it is rotten, it is hopeless

dead creature of nature. Shoots do not grow from the nodules.

Thickened tubers are also important - as a reserve of valuable substances. If all the tubers are rotten or hanging on broken roots, then they will no longer work. But with a strong root collar and a living thickening below, the seedling is able to survive - as long as at least one bud of the flowers wakes up.

Awakening the buds on the roots

Severely dried out, wrinkled planting material may die, but not always.

It makes sense to try to revive it: keep it in a solution of a reliable stimulant (Epin Extra, Zircon, HB-101), and then sprinkle it with a moistened substrate (coconut fiber, peat, moss, vermiculite, scalded sawdust, sometimes with the addition of sand) and keep warm ( from +20 degrees and above). Do the same if the buds on apparently healthy roots have not yet awakened. As a rule, they hatch within a couple of spring weeks.

If the roots of dahlias were laid perfectly ripened, were treated with paraffin, and retained turgor, then to awaken the buds it is enough to keep them in a warm room for some time without any powder, periodically lightly sprinkling them with water.

Root division

Huge “splashes” with a large number of awakened buds should not be planted in their original form. The optimal number of shoots on one plant is one or two, then they will be powerful.

Armed with a sharp knife, large flower roots are cut so that each section contains a part of the root collar with at least one bud (two or three are allowed).

The wounds are dusted with crushed charcoal.

They do things differently with fashionable low-growing dahlias, in particular with the modern series.
Gallery. They are divided only for the purpose of reproduction.

Growing up

Seedlings moved to the spring garden or to country flower beds with already grown shoots form buds earlier and delight with flowering longer. Therefore, in April (or at the end of March), the roots of dahlias are laid for growing.

Each plant is placed in a separate container. If they use a large common box, then separate them with partitions. The roots are sprinkled with a moist, loose substrate (as for awakening buds) no higher than the level of the root collar.

Keep in a bright place, keeping the temperature at least + 20 degrees.

If three stems “shoot” from one point, then the central one (as a rule, it is shorter than the others) needs to be broken off - it is not needed. When the remaining shoots (or a single shoot) grow four pairs of leaves, the tops are pinched for better branching. At
For the need for propagation, young dahlia shoots are separated for cuttings.

When and how to plant dahlias in open ground

The timing and rules of planting are in many ways similar to tomatoes. If we plant flowers under shelter from frost, then in the second or third decade of May. Without shelter - after the tenth of June. At first, protect (shade) from sunburn.

The day before planting flowers

It is advisable to plant dahlias in the wild with strong green sprouts about 10 cm high. Before this, it is advisable to carry out a week-long hardening at a temperature of +10 +15 degrees. A day before moving to the open sky, it is useful to spray the plants with a stimulant such as Epin Extra.

Planting dahlias

For low-growing varieties growing in pots, their own special technologies apply. But now we are talking about the traditional, ground placement of dahlias in a summer cottage.

These flowers should not be planted in damp, swampy, or too acidic areas. They definitely need a space that is well lit by the sun. It is even better if this place is protected from cold winds.

The distance between low-growing varieties is a quarter of a meter, medium-growing - half a meter, high - up to a meter.

Planting holes (in the form of a conventional cube thirty centimeters in size) for flower tubers are filled with: dolomite flour (if the soil is acidic) and wood ash - a handful each, mature humus - a couple of good handfuls, complex mineral fertilizer (like Fertik, 50 grams) and a little extra superphosphate (tablespoon). It would be nice to add a little sand to the loam. Mix all this well.

We plant dahlias in such a way as to deepen the root collar by five centimeters and hide the first internode of the stem. Then we water the ground (it is useful to add Kornevin or Gumi to the water), and after a while we mulch. The best temporary shelter from the cold and scorching sun is covering material. It is better to throw it on some kind of support so that there is a good air gap.

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In order for your flower garden to be decorated with magnificent dahlias, planting and growing must follow all the rules. Lush bushes are suitable for the center of a flowerbed composition or as a decorative screen between zones of a summer cottage. Dwarf varieties can be used for borders and are grown in pots for interior decoration. Breeders have developed varieties with all sorts of petal shapes and flower structures; it is difficult to list all the shades of dahlias: from snow-white to almost black.

There is one point where the plant shows character: its inflorescences do not want to take on a blue color. Both experienced breeders and amateur gardeners are struggling with this problem, but there is no solution yet. Try to experiment: cross-pollinate, graft, use different varieties of seeds, perhaps you will be able to create an unprecedented color.

Obtaining seed

How to choose the right course in a sea of dahlia sizes, shapes and colors? First of all, think: do you want to dig up tubers every fall, store them in the right conditions, and plant them in the spring? Keep in mind that the main work will have to be done at the most difficult time: it’s time to harvest potatoes, cabbage, beets, prepare the beds for the new season - and flower tubers also cannot remain in the ground, the first frosts can destroy them. The warm time has come, when, according to the proverb, one day will feed the whole year - and the roots are already asking to be buried in the ground. Don’t be afraid of difficulties - a perennial variety is at your service. If additional worries are not to your liking, annuals from seeds will help out.

If you want your area to be decorated with annuals, grow flowers from seeds. You can sow grains directly into the ground in the spring, but then the flowerbed will be painted with a flowering carpet by the end of summer, and in Siberia and the northern regions the plants may not have time to bloom. This method is suitable if the lawn contains plants that bloom from May to July. How to plant dahlias so that the colorful composition pleases the eye all summer? Grow flowers through seedlings.

In April, take containers with disinfected sand, pour a bag of seeds onto the surface and cover with a layer of sand. Water well, cover with film or a lid and place in a warm place with a temperature of 25⁰ to 27⁰. In about 2 weeks, shoots will appear. When the third true leaf comes out, pick the seedlings into separate cups and grow them until planting them in the flowerbed.

Tubers of perennial species need to be divided into parts every spring. The rhizomes grow greatly over the season, and many roots can be separated from one bush for planting. When tubers germinate, many lateral shoots appear, which gardeners cut off. They can be rooted and planted in open ground. Therefore, propagation of perennial dahlias can be carried out using three methods:

From seeds in the same way as annuals.
By dividing the rhizome.
Cuttings.

Before looking for the answer to the question of how to plant dahlias, choose the right place for planting. These flowers do not tolerate stagnant, damp air; they need to be planted in a ventilated area. Just don’t arrange a flowerbed in a narrow gap between buildings: these flowers will not grow in a draft or in places where the sun rarely reaches. Excellent conditions for them will be on an open, bright lawn or on the south side of the house, where dense bushes hold back strong gusts of wind. It is advisable to change the planting site every season, and only after 3 years will it be possible to return to the previous site.

The soil should have a neutral reaction, a slight deviation in the acidic direction is allowed. Check the pH, if the value is below 5, add lime to the soil, if more than 7, add peat. When digging in autumn, place half a bucket of compost or humus per 1 m2. In the spring you can also add compost and some ash. Do not overdo it with alkaline fertilizers; they can be sprinkled safely only on very acidic soils.

Tubers for planting should begin to be prepared in early spring, in April. Inspect the rhizomes, separate diseased, dry and damaged parts, and treat with a disinfectant. Fill the containers with nutritious soil, plant the tubers so that the tops rise slightly above the ground. Place the boxes in a bright, warm place, moisten the soil and watch when the plants bud. Then cut the rhizome so that each part has a nascent shoot.

Bury the planting material again in boxes with soil, and before planting in open ground, leave the central sprouted bud and cut off all the side shoots. If you need many dahlias, stick the cut sprouts into the sand, remove them in the dark and keep the soil moist. Once the shoots take root, they are planted in a permanent place.

Tubers and seedlings from seeds in the middle zone are planted in open ground in early May. In the Urals, Siberia and northern regions, you need to navigate the weather: the soil should warm up well and the threat of frost should pass. Before planting, prepare holes for planting tubers. They should be 40 cm in both diameter and depth. Cover the bottom with compost or rotted manure, and lightly sprinkle earth on top. Bury the rhizome so that the lower part of the sprouts is buried a few centimeters in the ground. For tall bushes, immediately install stakes for garter. Water the plantings with cold water and add a layer of mulch of at least 5 cm.

Flower care

In hot, dry weather, dahlias should not be made to suffer from thirst. You can water infrequently, 2 times a week is enough, but the amount of water should be sufficient to saturate the soil to the planting depth. If the soil is not covered with mulch, hilling will help reduce moisture evaporation. Before watering, rake the mound around the stem and level it with the soil surface. Moisten the soil, and then hill up the flowers again.

For lush flowering, dahlias need good nutrition; feed them twice a month before the buds appear. First apply complex fertilizer, after 2 weeks water with slurry. When flower buds appear, dilute 30 g of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in a bucket of water and distribute this amount over 8 plants.

If you want to have a bright flowerbed covered with many inflorescences, dahlias do not need to be pruned. The flowers will be smaller, but in the general mass no one will notice this defect. For bouquets, it is important that each flower is large and even. Select no more than 2 of the largest and highest quality buds on each shoot, remove the rest. Do not let the plants produce lower shoots, which take away the strength of the main stem; cut off the emerging shoots. Flowers that have begun to fade continue to use nutrients that could be used to form new buds. If you notice that the petals are starting to dry out, immediately cut off the inflorescence. Annuals from seeds do not need to be pruned.

Problems when growing dahlias

If you don't tie up dahlias in time in the spring, wind or heavy rain can break the fragile stems. Do not rush to throw away the fallen appendage; provide it with the same assistance as for a broken bone in animals or humans. Take a strong splinter and bandage it to the stem so that it takes the correct position. Tie the plant well to the stake so that the damaged shoot does not sway or bend. With proper and timely garter, the shoot will recover and will soon begin to develop in the same way as undamaged plants.

Succulent stems and leaves attract many pests. Who can attack the flowers?

slugs,
earwigs,
caterpillars,
thrips,
ticks,

Advice. If there are not a lot of pests, try to deal with them without chemicals. In the evening, you can spray the bushes with decoctions of bitter herbs: celandine, wormwood. A solution of laundry soap helps against aphids.

Wintering tubers

The tubers do not tolerate cold and will die during wintering in open ground. If there is a threat of frost, they need to be dug out of the soil and stored. The first frost is not scary for the rhizomes, but after it the “Indian summer” usually sets in. Plants can mistake temporary warming for the onset of a warm season and begin to produce sprouts. After this, next year you may not be able to wait for a full-fledged flowering bush.

Do not rush to cut off the above-ground part: the cuts are very sensitive, they can rot from dew and rain. Choose a warm, sunny day so the rhizomes can dry out in the fresh air. The juicy stem breaks easily, and if you immediately put the tubers in bags for transportation, half of them will be damaged. In the morning, cut off the entire above-ground part, leaving a part of the stem no more than 10 cm high.

At a distance of 30 cm from the root collar, use a shovel to cut through the top layer of soil around the plant. Cut deep into the soil to cut off long root shoots. Carefully pick up the tubers with a fork and uproot them. Remove large lumps of earth with your hands, and then rinse the rhizomes with a hose. Within a day, the tubers will dry out, become less fragile, and they can be transferred to wintering. In storage, carefully examine each rhizome, remove diseased, rotten and damaged parts, and treat the cuts and root collar with crushed charcoal.

Tubers overwinter well in a ventilated place with a temperature of +5⁰ and a humidity of about 70%. To absorb excess moisture, you can bury them in dry peat or sawdust. Inspect the rhizomes periodically, and if they begin to dry out, lightly moisten the peat. It is not always possible to find storage with good ventilation, and without ventilation, dahlias will rot. To save planting material from stagnation of moist air, blow it with a fan for half an hour every other day.

Advice. If there is no suitable storage, dip the rhizomes in melted paraffin and put them in a bag, sprinkled with dry sand. The film will prevent the tubers from drying out or rotting. Before planting, lightly squeeze or rub the tuber to crack the coating.

Conclusion

In order for your site to be decorated with lush dahlias, cultivation and care must be carried out according to all the rules. Annual species grown from seed require less attention than perennials. They are not tall, these flowers do not need support. In the fall, you just need to dig up and destroy the faded plants, and plant new seedlings next spring. These types are well suited for framing flower beds, borders, and small flower beds. Your task is to water and feed the plants in time, and a bright carpet will be provided.

Perennial varieties can also be grown from seeds or cuttings, but the easiest way to propagate flowers is by dividing the rhizomes. Such species are more diverse and beautiful than varieties growing from seeds for one season, but they also require more attention. In winter, you need to ensure that the tubers are properly stored and periodically inspect and remove rotten areas. Choose according to your time and capabilities which varieties you will grow, and whether you can provide the necessary care for dahlias. In any case, both dwarf flowering plants and tall bushes will decorate the summer cottage.

Dahlias are a luxurious decoration for any flower bed. Bright, large flowers attract with a variety of shapes and colors, despite the fact that planting dahlias and caring for them in the open ground is not very difficult.

Bright and elegant dahlias are a wonderful and demanding decoration for the garden. Choosing a suitable place.

When choosing a place where dahlias will settle in the future, you need to take into account the purpose of their cultivation - decorative or propagation for sale. If you plan to sell dahlia tubers, then the planting scheme will differ from that when growing these flowers to decorate the site.

The recommendations below for planting dahlias and caring for them in open ground are relevant for central Russia and the CIS countries (Primorsky, Altai Territories, the southern part of the Khabarovsk Territory and Western Siberia, the Southern and Middle Urals, the Baltic states, Belarus, the northwestern part of Ukraine) . When growing in more southern regions and countries, it will be necessary to make adjustments to climate conditions, shifting planting and harvesting dates, as well as changing agricultural techniques.

When choosing a place to grow dahlias, you need to take into account their features, including:

high need for water (the higher the air temperature, the more water is needed);
short growing season;
the need for support and garter due to the fragility of the stems.

It is important to create an optimal microclimate that will allow you to obtain the maximum decorative effect of dahlias in a relatively short period. The landing site should be protected from cold northern, northeastern and northwestern winds and drafts, and warm up well. In combination with low air temperatures (from +1 to -4 degrees), strong winds can cause dahlias to freeze, especially if they were recently planted from greenhouses and did not have time to receive the necessary hardening.

In the southern regions, the danger is posed by hot winds - northeast, east and southeast winds carrying heated dry air. They dry out the soil and the above-ground part of dahlias, causing burning of young foliage and the top of the plant.

To protect a flower bed with dahlias from the winds, the area is surrounded by trees, regular or fruit, and fences or protective strips are used. Often the site is given a slope - southern or south-eastern for the middle zone and northern or north-western for the southern regions.

Important! Lowlands, basins, and valley areas, where cold air usually accumulates and late spring frosts often occur, should be avoided.

In the shade of trees or fences, dahlias grow well and remain highly decorative if the sun illuminates them for at least half a day. However, you should avoid planting these flowers in the zone of action of the root system of large tall trees, since they will not be able to bloom normally and form viable root tubers.

When choosing a site for planting dahlias, great attention should be paid to the issue of groundwater occurrence. They should not rise above 60-70 cm from the ground surface. If the water rises higher in the area, you should artificially raise the flower bed with dahlias to protect their root system from rotting.

In hot southern regions, on the contrary, flower beds with dahlias are often arranged in a depression surrounded by earth banks. At night, this depression is filled with water to ensure sufficient moisture supply to the roots.

Soil preparation

Dahlias prefer moisture-absorbing, structured soil, which at the same time has high water permeability. Wrong choice of soil very often causes the death of dahlias. You can improve the soil structure using organic additives:

humus;
fresh or rotted manure;
peat;
straw cutting;
compost;
turf soil and other materials that are easily decomposed in the soil.

In heavy, clayey soils, to improve water permeability, add:

coarse river sand;
gravel;
ash (peat or coal);
peat;
coal slag (fine, sifted and washed).

If the site is dominated by sandy soil that does not retain water well and is easily eroded, you can add to it:

vermiculite or perlite;
peat;
clay and other materials that help retain moisture.

Tip: there is no need to clear the soil of gravel or small stones; such additives in any type of soil will not interfere with the normal development of dahlias.

Dahlias are not too picky about soil acidity and can tolerate too much or too little of it, but they show best results in slightly acidic or neutral soils. But highly alkaline soils inhibit their development and growth. Before planting dahlias, you can conduct an acidity analysis in order to then bring it to the desired levels:

when the pH value is 4-5, slaked lime is added to the soil (30-100 kg per 100 sq. m.);
at a Ph level of 8 and above, the soil is acidified by adding peat.

The place where dahlias will grow is plowed deeply in the fall - 30-35 cm. Then, 2-3 weeks before planting the flowers, the soil is dug or plowed again, paying special attention to harrowing and loosening.

Planting dahlias

When exactly to plant dahlias in open ground in spring depends, first of all, on the region. As a rule, in the middle zone this is done after June 1-10, when the last night frosts disappear. At this time, already grown tubers are planted. You can plant them earlier - around May 15-20, as soon as the soil warms up enough. Unsprouted tubers with clearly visible eyes are planted. Shoots appear within 2 weeks. When planting this way, it is necessary to constantly monitor the air temperature and, if there is a threat of frost, cover the flower bed with dahlias.

This is interesting. To obtain even earlier flowering in May, you can plant already grown tubers, but in this case they will need constant shelter from frost and cold air.

Before planting dahlias, you need to prepare seats for them. Holes are dug in the soil next to the stakes driven into the ground. The distance between plants should be equal to half the height of an adult plant - approximately 60-100 cm, between rows - at least 1 meter.

It is very important to immediately install a support for the flower, since if this is done later, there is a very high probability of damage to the root tubers

The stakes for supporting dahlias must be strong and high - at least 160-180 cm. It is better to make them from coniferous wood, they will last longer. To increase their service life, they are treated with a 7% solution of iron sulfate and painted. Metal stakes - made from old pipes or fittings with a diameter of 12-20 mm - will be even more durable.

The stakes are driven to a depth of 40 cm, then the sprouted tubers are planted in the hole, placing them closer to the support. The root collar of the tuber should be 4-5 cm below the soil level. If the seedling was obtained from a cutting or is a hybrid seedling, it is planted deeper, 8-10 cm.

It is better to plant dahlias with tubers in the spring in cloudy weather or in the late afternoon, so that the plants are not damaged by the sun and have time to get used to their new location. Before planting, seedlings obtained from cuttings or divided tubers are shed generously with water and then placed in the hole, being careful not to break the lump or damage the plant itself. For ease of watering, ring-shaped holes are made around the planting hole or the hole is simply not completely filled. Over time, it will become equal to the soil level, and furrows are made for irrigation.

Immediately after planting, dahlias are tied to stakes in 2-3 places, depending on the height of the plant. Labels with the name of the variety are attached to the top of the support. The first few weeks after planting, dahlias need regular, abundant watering. The frequency depends on the temperature and humidity of the air - in dry and hot weather, the plantings are watered daily.

Caring for dahlias

Dahlias are quite demanding regarding planting conditions and further care. To achieve a highly decorative flower bed, you will have to provide the plants with the most suitable conditions.

Watering, loosening, mulching the soil

After the seedlings have settled into their new location, watering is reduced, but the soil under the dahlias should always remain moist. With a lack of water, the stems quickly become woody, growth slows down and flowering deteriorates. It is quite difficult to restore the decorative appearance of dahlias after this - it returns slowly after the onset of cool, rainy weather.

To provide dahlias with optimal air humidity, moisturizing watering is carried out using sprinklers (with small holes). 10-15 minutes of such watering allow you to temporarily increase air humidity in hot weather.

It is very important to keep the soil under dahlias loose and regularly clear of weeds. It is usually loosened after each watering or fertilization. After buds appear on the dahlias and the green mass of the plants closes, loosening stops, and the soil is mulched with peat or humus. This is done to slow down the growth of weeds, prevent crusting of the soil and reduce the amount of watering, since mulch allows the soil to remain moist longer.

Recommendation: if the vegetative mass develops excessively, the lower leaves of the bushes are cut off to a height of 30-40 cm to improve air ventilation. This avoids the formation of a thick stem at the root collar, which impairs the preservation of tubers.

After the onset of stable cold weather, dahlias are earthed up. This will protect the roots from the first frosts, while the hilling height should be 15-20 cm. If the plants were planted deep, then hilling can be omitted.

Feeding

The need to apply mineral or organic fertilizers to dahlias depends on the type of soil in which they are planted. Fertile soils that are regularly fertilized with organic matter and humus need it less. You can determine which fertilizers dahlias need on a particular soil by submitting samples to an agricultural laboratory for chemical analysis. It allows you to plan the application of fertilizers for the next 2-3 years.

Fertilizers are applied in three ways:

when plowing the soil before planting;
when planting in each hole;
foliar or root feeding.

If fertilizers are selected incorrectly, they may be ineffective or even harmful to plants. That is why it is recommended to regularly, once every 2-3 years, conduct a chemical analysis of the soil.

In the fall, when digging, as a rule, organic fertilizers are added - manure, composts, especially if they have not had time to decompose sufficiently. In spring, wood ash, superphosphate and aged peat are plowed into the ground.

It is not recommended to add easily soluble chemicals to the soil, as they are easily washed out of the soil and are not used by dahlias for their intended purpose. Among these substances:

ammonium and other nitrates;
potassium salt;
urea (synthetic urea);
potassium chloride.

The latter is recommended to be applied to heavy clay soils. Before planting, fertile lands are not additionally fertilized with dahlias, but fertilizing is applied only to the planting holes. To do this, use humus (leaf or manure) mixed with wood ash or stove soot. Add 3-4 tablespoons of ash to a bucket of compost, and add a quarter of a bucket of the mixture to each hole.

During the period of growth and flowering, dahlias are regularly fed with organo-mineral fertilizers - once every 12-14 days. To do this, use diluted cow manure or chicken droppings (for 10 liters of water, 1 liter of manure solution or 0.5 liter of chicken droppings solution) with the addition of potassium (15 g) or ammonium nitrate (10 g), superphosphate (15-20 g) and potassium sulfate (10-15 g). A bucket of feeding mixture (10 l) is divided between 4-5 plants.

Such fertilizing continues until mid-July, then they are replaced by phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. And after the second half of August, preference is given to phosphorus fertilizing. After each application of fertilizer, the bushes must be watered with a sprinkler.

Important! Lack of water, phosphorus and potassium can slow the transfer of nutrients from the stem and leaves to the roots in the fall.

Preparing for winter

Dahlias do not overwinter in open ground. In the fall, after the above-ground part dies off (usually after the first frost), the root tubers are dug up and placed in storage.

You need to dig up the tubers on the first day when the air temperature is above zero, because if there is a delay, the buds may wake up and cause the tuber to rot. Before digging, the stems are cut with garden pruners at a distance of 3-4 cm from the root collar, and then the nests are removed from the soil using a fork or shovel. The tubers are laid out in boxes and placed in a cool, damp room for several weeks (+8 degrees with a humidity of 80%).

After 2-3 weeks, the nests are cleared of small roots and old tubers, the cuts are processed, and placed in boxes for storage. The bottom of the boxes is covered with a 3 cm layer of earth, then the tubers are laid out and covered with earth. Store the boxes at a temperature of 1-7 degrees Celsius and high air humidity (80-100%).

There are several ways to store tubers in winter. Each gardener chooses the most convenient for himself. The main thing is to ensure the safety of planting material

You can also store tubers by treating them with a clay mash. Cleaned root tubers are washed under running water, dried in the sun, dipped in a mash and dried again. The resulting “dragées” are sent for storage until spring.

Bush formation

In the case when dahlias propagated by tubers, it is recommended to leave the two strongest shoots of each seedling, removing all the others as early as possible. Cuttings are grown, as a rule, in one stem, sometimes pinching the top above the third internode to make the bush fuller.

As a rule, dahlias are grown in 1 or 2, less often 3, stems, so as not to thicken the bush too much

For large-flowered varieties, a mandatory measure is the regular and complete removal of all stepsons formed on the stem - side shoots in the leaf axils. This is done as early as possible and as close to the stem as possible. If the stepsons are not removed, especially on the lower part of the stem, then the growth of dahlias slows down, flowering is reduced, and the size of the flowers decreases. In addition, stepsons located close to the ground often break off, and fungal infections can easily occur at the break site, which will cause the death of the entire plant.

Removal of stepchildren is carried out regularly, from the moment of planting until the buds are formed. The side shoots are removed up to the internode preceding the one where the bud formed.

Important! Dwarf, pompom, collared and small-flowered types of dahlias do not take stepson.

Quite a few types and varieties of dahlias require removal of not only stepsons, but also buds. This is especially true for those plants that are grown for further cutting or participation in exhibitions.

As a rule, buds on dahlia stems are formed in groups of three. The middle bud usually develops faster than the others, but at the same time it has a short peduncle, which is not very convenient for cutting. Therefore, the central bud is removed, after which the remaining two develop faster, have a longer peduncle and are distinguished by lush flowering.

During the flowering period, to preserve the decorative appearance of the plant, faded inflorescences, which spoil the appearance of the bush, should be removed daily.

Formation of low-growing bushes

Almost all varieties of dahlias are tall - from 160 cm and above. If you need to get a low-growing plant, you need to follow this algorithm:

At the end of February, parts of the tubers are planted in nutritious soil and placed in a well-lit place at a temperature not lower than +15-20 degrees.
After the appearance of shoots, 1-2, the strongest ones, are left. The rest can be used as cuttings.
Above the fourth pair of leaves of the bush, pinch the top.
As a result, two stems develop from one, each of them is pinched back again after the second pair of leaves.

With this pinching system, the bush does not grow more than 1 meter in height. The planting of such dahlias is carried out according to the general scheme.

Reproduction and preparation of tubers for planting

Dahlias are propagated by seeds, cuttings or parts of tubers. Since it is quite simple to grow dahlias from tubers, getting 3-5 new ones from one tuber, this method is the most common. Root tubers dug up in the fall begin to be prepared for planting in early April. To do this, they are kept for 10 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate and left in a warm, well-lit room for about a week.

As soon as sprouts 7-9 mm long appear on the tubers, you can begin dividing. One medium tuber can usually be divided into 3-5 parts. It is important to ensure that there are at least 2 buds left on each division. For division, use a sharp knife, acting very carefully so as not to damage the root collar.

The prepared parts of the tubers are planted for germination in boxes with a mixture of sawdust, peat, river sand and humus. They sit in these boxes until the onset of stable warmth without return frosts, when they are transplanted into open ground.

Propagation by cuttings

It is recommended to replace old tubers with new ones obtained from germinated cuttings every two years. Cuttings of dahlias allows you to renew planting material while preserving the varietal characteristics of the mother plant.

For renewal, the healthiest tuber that best matches the characteristics of the variety is selected and planted in nutritious soil at a third of its height. After some time, shoots begin to appear. When they reach a height of 2 cm, they are cut off and placed for rooting.

After the sprouts appear, watering is reduced and the temperature is lowered to +15-17 degrees so that the cuttings do not stretch

You can root cuttings in water or in a substrate. To speed up root formation, it is recommended to treat them with stimulants. Pots or containers with cuttings are covered with film and placed in a warm, bright place.

Important! The mother tuber will produce new shoots after some time. In total, up to 30 cuttings can be taken from it.

Propagation by seeds

As a rule, dahlias are grown from seeds as an annual crop. They can be planted as seedlings or directly sown in open ground.

To obtain seedlings, seeds are sown in early April in loose soil, the containers are covered with film or glass. Shoots appear already on days 4-7. Two weeks after the emergence of seedlings, they are planted in separate pots. Strong and pre-hardened seedlings are planted in open ground after the end of night frosts, keeping a distance of 20-25 cm between plants.

When sown in the ground, the seedlings will need to be thinned out to provide the plants with room to grow. Dahlias are sown in May, after the threat of night frosts has passed. The crops will bloom only towards the end of August.

The most striking representatives of annuals are pompon dahlias, varieties “Gellery”, “Sylvia”, “Jolly Fellows”; they are grown from seeds using the same technology.

Despite the fact that dahlias require quite a lot of attention and participation from the gardener, their bright and lush flowering will decorate any flower bed. With some effort, you can admire the luxurious inflorescences until the first frost.

Moscow, Russia, on the website from 01/11/2017

Choosing a site for dahlias
Dahlia fertilizer
Planting dahlias in open ground and caring for plants
Formation of a dahlia bush

Choosing a site for dahlias

The choice of place for dahlias depends on the purpose of their planting. One approach is needed for choosing a location for setting up a dahlia garden in a large park, and a completely different one for planting dahlias in a flower farm for propagation and subsequent sale of root tubers.

We will consider the choice of place for planting dahlias in order to obtain the greatest decorative effect in the garden plots of flower lovers.

Our recommendations apply, first of all, to the middle zone of the former USSR, as well as to areas similar in climatic conditions to the middle zone (for example, the Middle and Southern Urals, the southern regions of Western Siberia, Altai, Khabarovsk (southern part) and Primorsky territories, Belarus, the Baltic republics, the northwestern part of Ukraine, etc. For the southern regions and territories of Russia, Ukraine, Transcaucasia and especially the Central Asian republics, it is necessary to make appropriate adjustments both for the timing of planting and harvesting, and for agricultural technology. take into account some of their biological features: a relatively short growing season, the great need of these plants for moisture, which greatly increases with increasing ambient temperature, and the great fragility of their herbaceous stems, which require tying to stakes (or other supports).

It is necessary to choose a site for planting dahlias in such a way as to provide the most suitable microclimate for them. For rapid plant growth, it is necessary to warm the soil and planted plants well in order to make the most of the relatively short growing season. Therefore, the site for planting dahlias must be protected from the wind, and above all from the prevailing winds in the area, which are especially “harmful” for dahlias. In the middle zone and in the eastern regions of the former USSR, such winds are, first of all, northern, northwestern and northeastern, and for the southern and southeastern regions of the country - northeastern, eastern and southeastern (i.e. dry winds). Strong northern, northwestern or northeastern winds, especially at relatively low temperatures (+1 - -4°), often lead to freezing of plants, especially those freshly planted in the ground from greenhouses and greenhouses and not yet hardened. In the southern and southeastern regions, strong winds carrying dry and heated air dry out plants and soil and can lead to drying (burning) of young leaves and the upper part of dahlia stems.

The area for planting dahlias must be protected on all sides or from the prevailing winds by trees, buildings, fences, shelterbelts or fruit trees. If possible, it should be flat or have a southern or south-eastern slope (for southern and south-eastern regions, on the contrary, northern and north-western slopes less warmed by the sun are preferable). Areas in depressions, valleys and basins where cold air accumulates and late frosts are frequent are undesirable.

Dahlias planted in large parks among groups of trees and shrubs, as well as along buildings and fences and among fruit trees in the garden, if they are illuminated by the sun for at least half a day, grow well and look very decorative. At the same time, planting dahlias close to (in the zone of action of the root system) and under the canopy of large trees is unacceptable, since in this case the dahlias bloom poorly and do not form viable root tubers. In the area intended for planting dahlias, there should not be a high level of groundwater (groundwater should not rise above 60-70 cm from the soil surface). If the groundwater level is higher, ridges, flower beds or ridges with dahlias must be raised by deepening paths, furrows and the adjacent area. In other cases, it is not advisable to make ridges, flower beds or ridges that rise above the surrounding area.

In southern regions with an arid climate, deepened areas for planting dahlias are often arranged, which are surrounded by earthen ridges on all sides in such a way that the area can be flooded with water from an irrigation ditch, water pipe or well at night.

The soil in the area intended for planting dahlias must be structural, moisture-absorbing and at the same time permeable. A significant portion of the failures encountered in growing dahlias are the result of poor soil preparation.

The structure of the soil is improved by adding organic matter to it. Such additives can be manure (fresh or rotted), humus (leaf or manure), composts of various contents, peat, turf soil, straw cuttings and other organic materials that easily decompose in the soil. To increase the water permeability of heavy, floating clay soils, you can add sand (especially coarse-grained), gravel, peat, peat and coal ash, and even fine (pre-sifted and washed) coal slag, as well as other neutral materials that improve water permeability.

In deep sandy soils, which even with frequent and intensive watering do not retain moisture in the upper layers of the soil, it is recommended to add peat, clay, vermiculite and other moisture-intensive materials. In passing, it should be noted that the presence of gravel and small stones in the soil usually does not prevent the normal development of dahlias.

If the soil on which dahlias are to be planted is not structural and sufficient quantities of organic substances that improve the structure are not available at the given time, temporary local improvement of the structure in the pits is carried out.

Gardeners and amateur flower growers usually encounter difficulties in preparing the soil for planting dahlias when developing newly allocated plots in collective gardens. Such plots are allocated, as a rule, on field, meadow or forest lands. In such areas, most often the arable layer is thin, or the soil is virgin soil (or fallow land) with a thin layer of humus and podzolic or clayey subsoil at a depth of 10-15 cm. Such soils very often have strong or very strong acidity (pH 5-4 ). Although dahlias tolerate excess and lack of acidity in the soil, they grow and bloom best in slightly acidic and neutral soils. Dahlia development is inhibited by highly alkaline soil. The best thing for beginning gardeners is to test the soil for acidity. At pH 4-5, it is necessary to add slaked lime in an amount of 30 to 100 kg per 100 m2 of area. Soils that are highly alkaline with a pH greater than 8.5 need to be acidified. It is best to add peat for this purpose.

For forest and meadow podzolic soils, good results are obtained by adding leaves to the soil during autumn digging and lime during spring digging. It should be noted right away that the simultaneous application of fresh manure or unrotted leaves and lime is undesirable, since freshly slaked lime inhibits the activity of soil bacteria and prevents the rapid decomposition of manure or leaves. The area intended for planting dahlias is plowed or dug deep (30-35 cm) in the fall. In the spring, 2-3 weeks before the date for planting dahlias, the area is plowed or dug up again with careful loosening and harrowing.

The need of dahlias for organic and mineral fertilizers largely depends on the soil on which they are supposed to be planted. To determine the need of dahlias for mineral fertilizers, it is necessary to conduct a chemical analysis of the soil at least once every two to three years. Soil analysis is carried out in soil-agrotechnical laboratories at regional agricultural departments or branches of the Society for Nature Conservation, as well as in state and collective farms where there are agricultural laboratories. According to the analysis, the soil's need for mineral and organic fertilizers in the coming years is determined. Soils that have received organic fertilizers rich in humus for many years in a row need these fertilizers to a lesser extent than soils that have recently been developed and have not previously received organic fertilizers.

Fertilizers are applied to dahlias in three main ways:

when plowing (digging) a plot
when planting plants in holes
root and foliar feeding.

Fertilizers can act on plants in different ways: effective, ineffective, and even harmful. It all depends on the lack or excess of a particular substance in the soil (as determined by chemical analysis), its acidity, the presence or addition of necessary microelements in the soil, the development of beneficial soil bacteria and the timing of fertilization. When plowing (digging) in autumn, organic fertilizers, especially insufficiently decomposed ones, are applied first, for example, manure, peat feces, and various composts; during spring plowing - wood ash, peat (seasoned), superphosphate. Sometimes, especially when there is a shortage of organic fertilizers, a flower mixture or other fertilizer mixtures are added. Manure and composts are applied in quantities of approximately 3 to 6 kg per 1 m2, peat feces and bird droppings - from 1 to 2 kg. It is not advisable to fertilize the soil with ammonium and other nitrates, urea (synthetic urea), potassium salt, potassium chloride and similar easily soluble chemicals when digging (ploughing), since they are easily washed out of the arable layer and are not used by dahlias. However, it is recommended to add potassium to clay soils.

If the soil prepared for planting dahlias is sufficiently fertile, it is advisable to apply fertilizer not to the entire area, but only to the holes during planting. The most suitable fertilizer for this purpose is manure or leaf humus and compost mixed with wood ash or stove soot. Add 3-4 tablespoons of ash to a bucket of humus or compost, mix well and pour about 1/4 bucket of the mixture into each hole, mix it with the soil and plant dahlias. Some breeders add fresh horse manure to the holes when planting dahlias as fertilizer. This is done as follows: stakes are installed in the previously dug area in the places designated for planting, a hole measuring 40X40X40 cm is dug at each stake, 1/3 of a bucket of horse manure is placed at the bottom of the hole, it is sprinkled with earth and compacted well with a foot. Light humus soil is poured on top of this soil (from leaf and manure humus with the addition of up to 20 g of superphosphate and a tablespoon of ash to each hole). This mixture is mixed well, a hole 15 cm deep is made in it and filled with water. When the water in the hole is completely absorbed, pre-grown dahlias are planted.

The timing of planting dahlias in open ground depends on the climatic conditions of the area. In the middle zone, dahlias are planted in open ground after June 1-10 with grown plants. Dahlias can be planted earlier, as soon as the soil warms up sufficiently, from about May 15-20, with ungrown, divided tubers with clearly defined eyes. After two weeks, shoots appear from the ground. It is necessary to monitor the air temperature and cover the plants if there is a threat of frost.

To obtain early flowering dahlias, some gardeners plant grown dahlias in the ground ahead of schedule. In this case, prepare shelters from frost

Plants (both cuttings and those grown from divided tubers) are planted in pre-prepared areas with stakes placed and holes dug around them. The approximate distance between plants is set to half the height of an adult plant (from 60 to 100 cm in a row), the distance between rows is at least 100 cm. The stakes must be strong, 160-180 cm high. Coniferous stakes are more durable. To preserve them for a long time, it is necessary to impregnate the lower part of the stakes with special compounds, for example 7% iron sulfate, and paint the stakes themselves with green paint. Metal stakes are more durable and convenient. To do this, use old unusable pipes or pieces of reinforcing steel with a diameter of 12-20 mm. The stakes are driven to a depth of 40 cm. After this, a plant is planted closer to the stake (with water added to the hole) so that the neck of the tuber is 4-5 cm below the ground level.

Cuttings and hybrid seedlings are usually planted deeper, up to 8-10 cm. It is better to plant cuttings with two plants for each stake. In this case, it is necessary to take into account plant growth. When planting dahlias on ridges in two or three rows, they try to select plants according to their height. Low varieties are planted in the first row, medium height in the second, tall and very tall varieties in the third, and the shape, color and size of dahlia inflorescences are also taken into account.

It is recommended to plant plants in cloudy weather or in the evening. Cuttings or plants grown from divided tubers are first heavily watered before planting, and then carefully, with a lump of earth, trying not to damage the plants or break the lump, they are planted in the prepared hole. Ring-shaped holes are made around the planted plants or the holes are left incompletely filled to ensure ease of watering. Later, when cultivating the soil, the hole is gradually leveled, and furrows are made for watering. Planted plants are immediately tied to stakes (depending on the height of the plant in 2-3 places or more). As the plants grow, the garter is continued. Immediately after planting, a label with the name (or number) of the plant is attached to the top of the stake.

In the days following planting, the plants must be watered regularly and abundantly. The frequency of watering is adjusted depending on the temperature and humidity. In dry and hot weather, watering is done daily in the first week after planting, then less frequently, but in such a way that the soil under the dahlias always remains moist. Lack of moisture, especially in dry, hot weather, leads to slower growth, lignification of the stem, deterioration of flowering and loss of decorativeness of dahlias, which is usually restored slowly only with the onset of cooler and rainier weather.

The soil under dahlias must be kept loose and free of weeds at all times. Typically, loosening is done after each watering or fertilizing (liquid or dry). After the formation of buds and the closure of the green mass of plants, loosening stops. After stopping loosening, it is recommended to mulch the soil with humus or peat. Mulching protects the soil surface from crust formation, retards the development of weeds, and reduces the number of waterings.

At the beginning of September, before the onset of autumn frosts, it is recommended to check the presence of labels and the correct names of dahlia varieties, and write down a brief description of the variety in the journal (if you have not done this before). With the onset of cold weather, dahlias need to be earthed up. When planting in depth, hilling may not be necessary. Hilling protects dahlias from the first autumn frosts. The hilling height should be 15-20 centimeters.

For dahlias grown from a tuber, it is recommended to leave no more than two shoots, the strongest ones, all others are removed as early as possible. In cuttings, as a rule, one stem is left, but sometimes, to make the bush fuller, the top of the plant is pinched above the third node, and the plant develops into two stems.

Pompon, collared, dwarf and all small-flowered varieties of Georgia are not planted.

In many varieties of dahlias, due to the nature of their budding, it is necessary to remove not only side shoots, but also excess buds, especially when dahlias are grown for cutting or for display at exhibitions. Typically, dahlias produce buds on the flowering shoot in groups of three, of which the middle bud develops faster, but it often has a shorter peduncle, sometimes not very suitable for cutting. In such cases, the middle bud must be removed, then the side buds grow longer flower stalks with lush inflorescences. In dahlias of vigorous development, regardless of their height, in addition to the stepsons, part of the lower leaves is removed if they cover the root collar. This promotes better ripening of tubers and prevents strong thickening of the trunk.

The formation of the bush begins after the appearance of stepsons or pinching of the top after the fourth pair of leaves.

To obtain low-growing dahlia bushes, the tubers, divided into parts, are planted in pots with nutritious soil at the end of February and placed in a bright place with a temperature of 15-20°. When shoots appear, the strongest ones (one or two) are left, the rest are broken out into cuttings. When the fourth pair of leaves appears, the top is pinched, two stems grow, and above the second pair of leaves, the top of these stems is pinched again, from one or two initial stems four or eight develop. With this formation, the height of the bush usually does not exceed 1 m, although its varietal feature is a height of more than 160 cm. Plants are formed in the same way for exhibitions. Pruning is carried out in the usual way, as in other plants.

During the flowering process of dahlias, faded inflorescences that have lost their decorative appearance appear on the bush. They spoil the beauty of the bush. Such inflorescences must be removed daily.

Materials used: Dahlias. Edited by Professor N.A. Bazilevskaya. Moscow University Publishing House. 1984

Guatemala and Mexico are considered to be the birthplace of these beautiful flowers. Dahlias appeared in the Old World in the 18th century, where they began to be successfully planted and cared for in open ground. The flowers were immediately given two names - dahlia and dahlia. The plant received its first name in honor of the famous botanist from Sweden - A. Dahl, and the second - a scientist from St. Petersburg - I. G. Georgi.

Flower varieties

Dahlia is a gorgeous flower. In addition to the variety of shapes, it is distinguished by a variety of colors. Today, scientists have identified about 30 species and approximately 15,000 varieties of dalia.

Botanists divide the flower into the following groups:

Simple.
Anemone-like.
Collared.
Peony-shaped.
Decorative.
Globular.
Pompons.
Cactus (needle-shaped).
Semi-cactus.
Nymphaeaceae.
Mixed - other varieties that are not included in the previous groups.

Colorful, magnificent dahlias of different colors (white, burgundy, scarlet, pink, cream and many others) are the decoration of our summer gardens.

A blue dahlia is a breeders dream. However, the efforts of botanists have not yet been crowned with success.

However, these delicate flowers do not tolerate harsh Russian winters, so those who want to enjoy the beauty of their bright buds all summer should plant tubers annually. So, in the Moscow region, you can plant dahlias in open ground in mid-May. But in its homeland - in Latin America - this amazingly beautiful flower is a perennial.

Planting dahlias in open ground

The most convenient and effective method of growing dahlias is planting and caring for them in open ground.

Land preparation

The soil for flowers is prepared in advance. The soil for planting dalia should be prepared before the onset of winter frosts. In the fall, the soil is dug up and fertilizer is added to it - either compost or humus, which is added to the soil at the rate of 4 kg per 1 m2.

In spring, the soil is enriched again with a mixture of compost and ash, which are scattered over the entire area of the flower bed. Then the soil must be loosened with a rake. Fertilizer can also be added to holes prepared for planting.

Dahlias are planted in spring in soil with a loose structure. Gravel, river sand, and crushed coal slag will help increase its water permeability and fertility. Such drainage will protect the crop from excess moisture, which causes destructive mold and rot.

Dalia quickly deplete the soil, so they should not be planted in one place for two years in a row.

It is desirable that the soil reaction is slightly acidic or neutral. Slaked lime is added to the peroxidized soil, and a little peat is added to the alkaline soil.

Tuber preparation

Dahlia tubers intended for planting in open ground require special care. With the onset of April, transfer the root tubers from the cellar to the greenhouse and remove rotten areas. Place in boxes, cover half with fresh turf soil, peat, sand, sawdust. The root collar is left open. Water the substrate periodically. After about ten days, the eyes will appear. Remove the root tubers from the soil, shake them off, and place them on a hard surface.

A thin knife blade must be sterilized with a manganese solution or calcined in a fire. Using a vertical cut, divide the stem into four parts (quarters). Each division must have several root tubers and at least one renewal bud, otherwise it will not be able to germinate. The cut is sprinkled with crushed activated carbon. Keep the tubers in the greenhouse until they take root.

Approximately 30 days before planting, planting material is removed from storage. The tubers are cleaned of damaged tissue by sprinkling the cut area with activated carbon. You can treat the culture with foundationazole, or hold it for 17–18 minutes in a weak solution of manganese. Next, the processed tubers are placed in low containers with a mixture of soil and river sand.

Initially, the containers are kept in a warm, shaded place, with moderate watering. When the sprouts reach a height of more than 2 cm, they are transferred to a lighted place. You rarely need to water the sprouts; it is advisable to just moisten the soil. They are planted in the first ten days of May. No need to cover.

When is the best time to plant dahlias in open ground in spring? The planting time is related to the climate of the region. For central Russia, this is the third ten days of May. For the southern regions - April. For the northern ones - the beginning of summer.

Planting and caring for dahlias in open ground in Siberia should be carried out in the second ten days of June.

Preparing the site

This culture loves warmth, so it is important to choose the right place. The flower bed should be located in a sunny area that is not exposed to drafts.

Some varieties have a fairly tall stem that can easily break off from a strong gust of wind. These varieties require support - wooden stakes 1.5–2 meters high. It is advisable to install them in advance.

Ideal location: near the wall, on the south side of the building. It is recommended to plant flowers next to a group of bushes and trees, in a sufficiently lit place. However, trees located near flowers should not provide dense shade, since dahlias love light. These freedom-loving flowers are not suitable for cramped conditions and impenetrable thickets.

First, the area is leveled, then the holes are prepared. The tubers are planted in open ground, then they are covered with a few centimeters of soil. The tubers should be provided with enough sun and light watering.

There is another method of propagating this crop - cuttings. But this is a very labor-intensive and responsible task. And if you are worried about these troubles, then you can grow an annual plant from seeds, this is:

ColtnessHybrids;
redskin;
Rigoletto;
Figaro.

Seeds are sown in open ground in mid-May and bloom by mid-August. To get early flowering, the seeds will have to be germinated.

Collection and storage of root tubers

Dahlias planted in open ground in the fall also need care. Before frost, the bush should be hilled up and the leaves on the lower part of the stem should be removed. It is recommended not to rush into digging up the tubers! When the above-ground part dies, it is cut off and the tubers are left in the ground. Over the course of two weeks, their peel will thicken and starch will form. And only after the first frost (before the onset of big frosts) should the root tubers be dug up and washed. This is done in the morning so that they dry in the air during the day.

Planting material is stored in the cellar, in a box with a mixture that includes soil, vermiculite, sand, sawdust, and peat. The optimal room humidity is 60–70%.

Ventilate the storage area periodically.

In January, it is necessary to re-inspect the tubers in order to separate large ones. If affected areas are found, it is necessary to remove them, and treat the cut areas with a brilliant solution of brilliant green (can be lubricated with crushed activated carbon).

Dangerous pests

The most important enemies of the plant are:

slug;
flower beetle;
caterpillar;
earwig;
etc.

To combat slugs, the ground is sprinkled with metaldehyde. For aphids - dip the shoots in a soap solution or spray them with a 0.2% solution of chloroethanol. Hot weather favors the development of spider mites, which infect the lower part of the leaves. They turn yellow, dry out and die. The diseased crop is irrigated with keltan (0.2%). A decoction of celandine and wormwood is also used against pests.

So, magnificent dahlias are distinguished by a variety of shapes and colors, lush and long flowering. If you follow the above recommendations, you can easily grow these gorgeous flowers in your garden.