How to Grow Dahlias

dahlia flowers

While dahlias are plenty beautiful, they have specific requirements you’ll need to meet if you want the flowers to draw any admiration. Fortunately, they’re far from the most demanding option out there. In fact, so long as you follow the below steps, you shouldn’t have too much to worry about.

Picking Your Plot

Dahlias need a good amount of sun in order to survive and thrive. So when you’re looking for a plot, be sure the one you pick is going to get at least eight hours of sun exposure a day. Direct sunlight is always going to be best. Preferably, you want plenty of sun in the morning and shade in the afternoon. The less sun your dahlias get , the taller they’ll grow, but the less they’ll bloom. If you live in an incredibly hot climate, you can tone down the sun exposure some.

When to Plant

Start looking for your plot in winter or at least no later than March. That’s because, for most climates, you’ll want to plant somewhere between mid-April and May. If you can check, wait until the ground temperature is 60 degrees and then begin planting. Another good way to think about it—if you have experience—is to plant whenever you would normally plant your vegetable garden.

Soil Preparation

Some of you may have heavier soil on your property. So before you plant your dahlias, be sure to add in peat moss, sand or bagged steer manure. This will help make your soil a lot lighter and give it a looser texture. By doing so, your soil will drain much easier and your dahlias will be less likely to suffer from issues related to watering.

No matter what kind of soil you have, your dahlias will have an easier time getting started and growing if you add in some bone mean to the hole before dropping in the tuber.

Ideally, the pH level of the soil you’re using should be between 6.5 and 7, meaning it’s slightly acidic. If you plan on using top soil you went out and purchased , be sure it hasn’t been treated at all for weeds. The only kind of weeding you ever want to do around dahlias is with your hands. They are far too sensitive to survive herbicides and other chemicals.

Water

Unlike most plants, you won’t water Dahlias right after planting them. In fact, you’ll want to wait until you start seeing sprouts come forth from the ground. The exception is if you live in a climate with a lot of sunlight and hardly any rain. Otherwise, Moth Nature will take care of it.

However, after you get done with the initial stage and you see some sprouts, your dahlias will want plenty of water. You should give them a deep watering between two and three times a week by setting up a sprinkler for a half hour.

So if you want beautiful dahlias dotting your property, just remember the above advice. It doesn’t take much, but the results are real.

dahlia flower

Proper Care For a Lilium Plant

lilium flowers

A Lilium is more commonly known as a “Lily” and is one of the most admired plants because of its varying color and beauty.

It makes a gorgeous addition to any garden and is a very popular gift.

If you’re the lucky recipient of a lily, or if you simply want to add some to your garden, here’s how to properly care for them.

Planting:

Lilium are flowers that really enjoy the sun so you want to make sure to put them in complete or at least partial sunlight. If you are strategic in both the times that you plant your lilies and the care that you provide them, you can enjoy lilies in bloom in Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter.

You should plant lilium bulbs in the fall months in about 1 foot to 1 1/3 foot of leaf mold soil. Planting them deep enables it to plant roots to assist in the stabilization of the plant. It can also prevent the need for stalking.

Lillies do require a cold period during their growth. They will not last in areas that are hot and humid all year round.

If you want to have all-year-round lilies, then they need to have 6-8 hours of sunlight every day.

Caring for Liliums:

Water your lilies daily. Every 2 weeks you also want to apply a liquid fertilizer. During the winter months, be sure to keep your lilies moist. Each spring, you want to apply compost and mulch. If the rainfall is less than about 1 inch per week, then you want to be sure to water your Lilium regularly. As flowers fade, just cut back the stalks to the base of the plant.

Lilium Flowers:

blooming lilium

Lilies are incredible and are most sought out because of their extreme color and fragrance. They make
wonderful cut flowers and are used very often in bouquets, particularly weddings.

If you’re going to display lilies in a vase, then you want to pick some that are just beginning to bloom. Don’t choose the tight, green bulbs. You want to select some that have just started to open and are showing a little bit of color. Then, once you take them inside, cut about an inch off of the stem on a diagonal margin.

Before you put them into the vase, make sure you remove any leaves that are lower down on the stem. You do not want any of the leaves to be underwater while in the vase. Your lilies should last about 2 weeks so long as you change the water every couple of days.

You can also prolong the life of your lily arrangement by adding some flower food. Note that lilies only require half of the food that is recommended on the package for most flowers.

When you walk into a room, Lillies almost demand to be looked at. The good thing is that they don’t require an outstanding amount of work.  With just a little bit of care, water, and fertilizer, you can have your very own bouquet all year round.