Dahlia Growing Guide

Planting Dahlia

Plant in spring after the last frost.
If you cannot plant your bulbs and perennials right away, store them in a cool, dry, darklocation, like a basement.
Plant the Dahlia with the crown 5 cm (2 in) below the soil surface and 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24 in) apart.
Water thoroughly after planting.

Growing Dahlia

Pinch shoot tips twice to encourage fullness, first after 2 or 3 sets of leaves have developed, and again after a few weeks.
These bulbs like a lot of water.
Dahlias love to be fed. Fertilize your Dahlia regularly.

Care Dahlia

Dahlias will bloom the entire summer.
Remove all spent flowers with clippers to boost further flower production. The more you cut, the more they bloom.
Stake taller varieties.
After flowering, the leaves should be allowed to die down. The leaves will gather sunlight and provide nourishment for next year’s show.

Winterizing Dahlia

These bulbs are not winter hardy and need to be dug up after the first frost.
Do not wash but dry the bulbs for a day.
Store away from drafts at 5 °C to 10 °C (40 °F to 50 °F) in a paper bag or box filled with peat moss or vermiculite.