All about Dahlias

If you’re going to grow one flower this year, we want you to experience growing dahlias. This blog post will provide you with everything you need to know in a condensed, cliff’s notes ‘Garden Girls’ version.  

Oh, and we also know that you are excited to grow tomatoes this month.  So are we!!!  We’ve got a brand new E-Book available with everything you need to prepare for spring tomatoes!  

Now, where were we? Ahhhh, dahlias. 

Dahlias are grown from tubers or transplants and are planted in the spring.  They need full sunlight and warm soil to grow.  February - early April are ideal times to plant dahlias here in Houston. 

The bigger the bloom, the more sensitive to heat the dahlia will be. When temperatures hit 90 degrees, they will likely stop blooming.  What does this mean for us?  It means that we can enjoy spring flowers, but we’ll likely need to provide shade for blooming dahlias once May hits. Dahlias do best with light afternoon shade (use a shade cloth or beach umbrella to protect these beauties).

Fertilize

The more you feed dahlias, the more they’ll produce.  Leaf mold or mushroom compost mixed in with sandy loam soil will offer up the best results in prolific blooms.  You can also include a liquid fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus every week or two. We recommend Microlife Max Blooms 3-8-3.  The phosphorus is responsible for the showy petals.

Watering

Drip irrigation is preferred for dahlias, as it is the gold standard for all raised bed plantings.  Dahlias are susceptible to stem rot and powdery mildew and for those reasons, we recommend watering in the morning, at soil level, so plants have adequate time to dry.  

Pests

Slugs, aphids, spider mites and caterpillars are common pests attracted to dahlias. The best defense for pest pressure is a good offense, so spend time checking on your plants (all of them!). 

Maintenance

Using sharp clippers, deadhead after blooms begin to fade to encourage new growth. You can pinch the flower top after you see three sets of branches appear to force new growth. 

Our favorite varieties include the decorative, ball and pompom types. Cactus dahlia, Cornel dahlia and Cafe au lait are ideal choices for cut flower gardens.

Cafe au Lait Dahlia