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