Planting and Growing Dahlia Tubers

Dahlias are very popular and have gained a wider ordinance over the last few years. Dahlias come in a stunning colour range and will fit any garden scheme; there are many shapes and sizes to choose from

Gallery Dahlias are ideal for pots and the front of the border these dahlias reach a height of around 14”.

Karma Dahlias are tall they are excellent for cut flower they have a longer stem them most dahlias.

Bishop and Classic Dahlias have rich dark foliage the Bishop dahlias like Bishop of Llandaff have the darkest foliage the Classic dahlias have a dark purple green foliage and when both categories are planted together they give a deep depth to a planting scheme their flowers are smaller than the larger decorative dahlias and give a light airy design to the garden.

Pompon and Ball dahlias have small flowers the stems tend to be long ideal for cutting and flower arranging. The petals are more tightly clustered.

Decorative and Cactus Dahlias are the work horses of the dahlias there colours and shapes are fascinating from the spiky dark and mysterious Rip City to the pure white of Decorative Dahlia White Perfection

Dahlias are ideal for the garden they will reward you from late July until the frost of November, they are the giving plant the more you cut the flowers the more they will produce, if you want larger flowers nip all the side buds and keep the one central bud.

To encourage bushy plants it’s important to pinch out the growth to around 4-6 inches this will encourage multi branching and the results will be well worth the effort.

Dahlias are diverse and versatile they like a rich soil and a steady supply of moisture they prefer to be planted in full sun but will take a little shade. Allow the frost to turn the foliage black, and then cut back to around 15 cm, lift the tubers remove excess soil and place upside down on a suitable surface, in frost free conditions and allow to dry naturally, You can dust with a fungicide when dry then place the dry tubers in boxes of either dry sand or peat to over winter you will need to check occasionally for fungal infection and cut out any damaged tissue then retreat with fungicide. In warm areas you can leave Dahlias in the ground over winter, plant to a depth of around 15-20 cm and provide deep winter mulch.