1. Growing Dahlias in Pots
Dahlia are incredibly beautiful and vibrant flowers, comes in exciting array of colors, adding spectacular beauty throughout summer.
They come in fun and striking colors from pastels to gold, neutrals to bronze, bright magenta to deep purple, dark red lavender to peach, and add a dazzling view to the garden!
Dahlias blooms in various forms, and in various varieties like spiky, ball, decorative, cactus, collarette and pompoms.
They can grow well both in pots and gardens. They are fluffy, full, luscious and looks very fascinating. You can also place these beautiful flowers by making floral centerpieces to brighten up your home.
Dahlias are grown from seeds or tubers. They need to be planted in spring season, after the threat of frost has passed. They grow up to 5-6 feet and bloom with flowers of 10-12 inches across. You can buy these flowers from nurseries or even online.
2. Plant Dahlias Tubers
Planting dahlias in a pot is a great choice for people who have little space in gardens but remember to choose a pot which is at least 12 inches in diameter and depth for optimum growth. Buy pots which are heavy as dahlias grow up to 5-6 feet and are a long standing flowers.
Soil the plant with compost and sand or humus and plant the tubers at least 6 inches deep, and about 2 to 3 feet apart, to get healthy and beautiful flowers. Avoid manure or fresh compost as it's too high in nitrogen. Continue adding soil until just an inch of empty space is left. It will take around 15-20 days to grow. Do not water the tubers right after planting, wait until the sprouts have appeared above the soil.
3. Caring for your Dahlias
Dahlias thrive in full sun with a minimum of 4-6 hours of sunlight per day. Water them at least twice or thrice a week. They start blooming about 7-8 weeks after planting. Spray these flowers with fungicide or insecticide as needed.
They are often discarded after they stop blooming although they can be planted again from the cuttings. You need to cut the plants back to 2-3 inches above ground, trim the yellow leaves and mulch heavily so that they bloom again in fall season.
It's surprising, how many people think that Dahlia is hard to grow, but it's absolutely not, you just need to know the basics. I hope these few tips have helped you.
Happy Gardening!
Have a beautiful day!