Dahlia flowers are part of the Aster family. There are many types of them: simple, terry, collar and others, of different colors and shapes. Among the varieties are "Volcano", "Funny guys", "Manhattan". In order for their color to be magnificent, and they are the pride of the owner, they need to be given sufficient attention, in particular, do not forget about the necessary dressings.

Most often, these flowers cannot get all the nutrients they need from the soil they grow on. This is why fertilizers are needed. The abundance of watering produced does not fully compensate for this need. This article will tell you how to properly use feeding for these flowers and how to speed up the flowering of dahlias.

Blooming feed

How to feed dahlias for abundant flowering? Nowadays, you can easily purchase a variety of fertilizers for garden flowers in specialized stores. How to feed dahlias so that they bloom better? Why don't dahlias bloom?

Why dahlias don't bloom

It is better to approach this issue systematically. First of all, the green part of the plant is important. For its full-fledged build-up, it is necessary to use supplements with a nitrogen content. When applied, the leaves of the plant will become even, and the bush itself will be better overgrown with greenery.

The next step is to take care of the flowers of the plant themselves. In order for it to bloom profusely and very beautifully, it is necessary to use potash fertilizers. They tend to accumulate in the plant and help precisely during flowering. After budding, the flowers become brighter and acquire the desired splendor.

Plus, gardeners use phosphorus-based fertilizers, which allow the roots and shoots to become stronger and stronger at times, this is also important for the health of the plant as a whole. No wonder there is an expression that a healthy plant begins with the health of its roots.

In general, it is preferable to use mineral additives in a complex, where all the substances necessary for the colors are collected in the required proportions. Of these fertilizers, potassium nitrate, potassium-phosphorus supplement can be distinguished. Two weeks before flowering, you can feed the dahlias with boric acid, a well-proven remedy.

The gardener needs to remember that flowers need not only the above fertilizing, but also organic additives. These can be mullein and bird droppings, which can be used to water plants after soaking them in water. Here's what you can water your dahlias with to make them bloom faster.

When to feed

In order for dahlias to look the most decorative and continue to bloom as long as possible, they must be fertilized twice a month. In this case, the correct way would be to feed dahlias in the open field by alternating fertilizers of organic and mineral species.

The very first buds on a plant

When the very first buds appear on the plant, fertilizers containing potassium and superphosphate should be added to the soil under the flowers themselves. At this time, there is no need to apply nitrogen fertilizers.

Another procedure for feeding dahlias is carried out towards the end of summer, in August. This is done so that the tubers of the plant survive the winter better and do not freeze.

What fertilizers are suitable

The answer to the question of how to feed dahlias is not so difficult. Divide flower dressings into two types:

  • Mineral fertilizers. These are fertilizers prepared for complex fertilization, which are produced by the manufacturers of the corresponding products;

    Mineral fertilizers

  • Organic fertilizers. This is agricultural waste, the result of the activity of microorganisms. For example, peat, manure, dung, grass and others.

So how to fertilize dahlias? One part of summer residents prefers the first type, the other is inclined towards the latter. They have both pros and cons, each separately. In order to choose the best way to feed dahlias for yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of both methods.

To make the plant bloom, dahlias need fertilizers, both mineral and organic. The first ones are convenient to use, they can be purchased ready-made, instructions are attached to them, and their choice is huge. For all their advantages, they also have a number of disadvantages:

  • They have a not too long effect;
  • Their regular introduction is required;
  • Overdose is very dangerous for the plant.

Organic fertilizers

The pluses of organic matter include the fact that it provides nutrients to flowers, while also improving soil fertility and its structure. It creates favorable conditions for the development of worms and other bacteria necessary for the growth of flowers.

Among them, the most popular are:

  • Cow dung or mullein;
  • Compost and humus;
  • Poultry litter;
  • Infusion of herbs;
  • Wood ash.

Organic dressings have a longer period of action than mineral ones. It is better to fertilize the soil with such fertilizers in the fall, for example, to apply manure while digging a site. Compost specially prepared for dahlias can be applied just before planting. In this case, the growth of flowers and their flowering are ensured. The bushes of the plant need to be fed only with a diluted organic infusion.

Important information! To prevent the flowers from getting burned from fertilizers, cow dung and bird droppings must be insisted for a while. Otherwise, it may turn out that the dahlias will die altogether.

Frequency of top dressing

Usually, they begin to feed the plant with useful substances from the moment they are planted. Early feeding is preferable. Compost, as well as mineral fertilizers, are placed in the hole intended for planting a dahlia. At the same time, phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers are used. For the correct application of top dressing, all these components are mixed with the ground and the tuber of the plant is sprinkled with it when they are planted.

After planting, mulching is applied, in which chopped bark can help. It is also not worth feeding the plants too often, this can only harm the flowers, it is quite enough to feed the plants no more often than once every 2 weeks. For this purpose, summer residents use:

  • Mullein and bird droppings;
  • Mineral fertilizers in the complex;
  • Mixed, ready-made flower food.

Important! When using complexes of mineral fertilizers, it is necessary to act without deviating from the rules prescribed in the attached instructions. Infusion from organic matter is certainly diluted to reduce concentration.

When a week has passed, after the flowers are planted, they begin to feed the plant, after making sure that the dahlias have adapted and taken root. After a sustained interval of 10 days, the manipulations are repeated exactly.

At this time, a narrow furrow is made around the flower bush in a circle. It is designed to add a useful composition, but it must first be shed. After a few minutes, when it becomes clear that the fertilizer has managed to completely go into the ground, this groove is simply covered with soil.

Feeding schedule

Infusion of cow dung is used several times at the very end of spring or even in June.It is important to observe the proportion and, without fail, dilute it with plain water 10 times. Superphosphate and nitrate in an amount of 20 g are added to the resulting bucket of this solution.

These flowers are planted in the last spring month, in the middle or at the end, depending on weather conditions. The earth is being prepared for this purpose, it is important that it be loose. This is for the free growth of the root system. Feeding the dahlia during the summer is very important. The very first feeding after planting a dahlia should be carried out in the month of June, after about one week. At this stage, fertilizers with a nitrogen content are needed, preferably together with potassium.

Fertilizers with nitrogen content

When mid-July comes, the flowers are fertilized with phosphorus fertilizers. Complex fertilizers, such as, for example, potassium mixed with phosphorus, are also welcomed and gratefully accepted by dahlias. It is very important here that the use of such dressings is relevant only after the introduction of nitrogen and organic matter at the beginning of summer.

The final stage of fertilizing these flowers, in August, should be the application of organic fertilizers. This process is the last in the fertilizing cycle, because the flowers no longer need anything, and the continuation of such manipulations can lead to damage to the soil and the root system of the plant. You can use diluted poultry droppings in August, it should be a solution consisting of one part of fertilizer and 20 parts of water. Cow dung is also used: one part to 10 parts of water.

The owner, who has perennial dahlias in his summer cottage, can in August start preparing the tubers of the plant for storage in the winter. Annual dahlias are subject to simple cutting.

Tuber preparation

Gardener tips

Many experienced gardeners, who have been cultivating truly folk dahlia flowers in the garden for several years now, are happy to share their learned secrets with novice gardeners. There is nothing too difficult or impossible to accomplish with them.

The flower can grow on almost any land, be it clay, sand or black soil. However, in chernozem soils and clay, drying of the plant roots and their subsequent rupture can be observed. The soil for these flowers is necessarily loose, therefore, in these cases, sand is added to it for flowing, peat can also be used for this purpose.

In order to have an order of magnitude more inflorescences, they are engaged in the formation of a flower bush, for which stepchildren are removed along with the foliage. When a flower tuber is planted, a peg is immediately placed, since if this is done later, the root may be damaged.

Note! At the end of summer, it is necessary to spud the bushes in order to protect them from possible frost or unexpected temperature changes.

Many novice flower growers ask why dahlias do not bloom and what to do. The reason may be insufficient lighting or not too frequent watering, as well as during a period when too much nitrogen is observed in the soil. If you follow the rules, dahlias begin to bloom very well.

If dahlias are fed according to the rules, then the gardener can count on a good result and not think about why dahlias grow poorly. Dahlias are flowers that will look very beautiful on any summer cottage, decorating and ennobling it with a floral variety. You should pay due attention to these flowers and monitor their growth, then they will delight you with a cheerful and friendly flowering.