Dahlia is a herbaceous perennial, in natural conditions reaching a height of 3 m or more. Breeders have bred many varieties of this plant with various shapes and shades of flowers, different in height and flowering duration. The article discusses the features of growing dahlias and caring for it.

Dahlias: growing care

Dahlia planting begins with choosing a place. It should be well lit by the sun, protected from drafts. The soil is selected loose, nutritious. In terms of acidity, soil with a neutral medium is preferable, but a deviation towards acidity or alkalization is also allowed.

The plot allocated for growing dahlias is being prepared in the fall. Before digging, it is enriched with humus and compost (up to 5 kg per 1 m²). In spring, if the soil is too acidic, wood ash wakes up; if alkaline - peat. The ingredients are harrowed into the ground with a rake.

Important! It is advisable to change the landing site every year. This is done in order to rid the plants of diseases.

In the same place, dahlias will be able to grow in 3 years. Related plants of the Aster family must not be grown in this area.

Reproduction of culture

Dahlias - planting and care in the open field

Dahlias can be propagated in 3 ways: by seeds, cuttings, tubers.

Dahlias

Seeds

This method is used mainly by annual dahlias, for example, the Merry Boys variety. Sowing is done directly into the soil or first on seedlings.

Sowing seeds into the soil is done in May as follows:

  • the soil is leveled;
  • holes or grooves are made;
  • seeds are laid out (2-3 per hole; in a groove - at a distance of 4-5 cm from one another), covered with earth;
  • the bed is watered and, if there is a chance of spring frosts, it is covered with a film.

After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed, the seedlings are allowed to grow stronger, then transplanted to a permanent place of growth. If the sowing was done immediately into the holes, excess plants are pulled out, which can also be planted separately. Then the seedlings must be carefully looked after.

Sowing seeds for seedlings is done in late March or early April as follows:

  • seeds are soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 2-3 hours, after which they are dried on a napkin;

    Dahlia seeds

  • drainage is laid at the bottom of the container: sand, expanded clay, small stones;
  • then the container is filled with soil, sprayed from a spray bottle;
  • seeds are laid out at a distance of 3-4 cm;
  • a small layer of soil (3-5 cm) is poured on top;
  • the box is covered with plastic wrap or glass.

In room conditions, sprouts will hatch in a week. A pick can be made 2 weeks after their appearance. The seedlings should have 2-3 true leaves. It is desirable to plant young plants in peat pots, but plastic ones are also suitable. They should be small in volume.

Seedling care consists in timely watering, hardening of plants. When the threat of return frost disappears, young dahlias are planted in open ground.

Important! Pits for planting are dug up to a depth of 30 cm. Plants are placed in them so that the root collar is slightly buried in the ground.

After planting, the seedlings are watered, the soil is mulched.

How to grow dahlias from tubers

Before you grow dahlias from tubers, you need to prepare the site in early May. Pits are dug at intervals of 60-80 cm. Stakes are driven in about 30 cm in depth. When the soil warms up, which usually happens by mid-May, the tubers are planted.

Humus (2-3 shovels) and a handful of wood ash are poured into each planting hole, spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Tubers are planted closer to the stakes, their neck is deepened by no more than 5-6 cm.

The first shoots will appear soon. When they grow up a little, they are tied to stakes. In the first days after planting, the holes are watered every day. When the bushes grow up, they need to be earthed 10-15 cm, covered with peat.

Note!Before planting, the tubers are divided in such a way that each has a root collar. The cuts are sprinkled with wood ash.

Before growing dahlias from root tubers, you can pre-germinate them. To do this, they are planted in containers filled with a mixture of peat and sawdust. The upper part should protrude 2-3 cm from the ground. After about 2 weeks, sprouts will appear. After that, the tuber is divided into several parts. Each of them must have a sprout and roots. Then the delenki are returned for growing in the same containers. When the height of the shoots reaches 10-15 cm, they are planted in the ground.

How to cut dahlias

This method of reproduction is used when it is required to breed many dahlias from a single tuber at home. To do this, it germinates, as indicated earlier. When the shoots grow up to 10 cm, they are cut for grafting dahlias. Each of them must have at least 2 internodes. Let's consider the process of grafting in more detail.

Dahlia cuttings

  1. A cut is made under the leaf knot with a sharp, disinfected knife.
  2. Before planting the cutting, its lower leaves are removed, the cut is treated with a growth stimulator.
  3. Cuttings are planted at a slight incline in a moist substrate consisting of peat, sand and perlite. Planting depth - 2cm.
  4. The soil around the plants is compacted.
  5. The container is covered with plastic wrap. Every day the mini-greenhouse is opened for airing.
  6. A few weeks later, the cuttings dive into separate pots.
  7. Before planting in open ground, the seedlings are taken out for several days in the air for hardening.

When the threat of frost has passed, young plants are planted in a permanent place. Planting depth - up to the first pair of leaves. Tall dahlias can be propagated in this way.

Note!When planting young cuttings in a common box, there should be such a distance between them that the leaves of neighboring plants do not touch.

Care

Asparagus - growing and nursing in the open field

In the open field, when growing dahlias, for their abundant growth and beautiful flowering, proper care is necessary: ​​watering, cleaning weeds, feeding, timely cutting of faded flower buds.

Dahlias are moisture-loving plants, so watering should be done frequently. If it's hot, every day. Reduce watering in autumn. Bushes of perennial dahlias grow large so that the branches do not break and do not lean to the ground, they must be tied up.

It is necessary to fertilize dahlias with organic matter at least 3 times over the entire period. For this, a solution of cow or bird manure is used. Before flowering, and then again after 2 weeks, phosphorus-potassium dressing is applied. Weeding is mandatory because weeds take food and moisture away from the dahlia. Before forming dahlias, it is necessary to study the methods used for this.

How and when to pinch dahlias

Anemones: growing and care in the open field

One of the shrub-forming procedures is pinching. It is needed in order to stop the growth of the main stem and give the development of additional shoots. The pinching of the main branch is done after the fourth pair of leaves has formed. When the side branches appear, the procedure is repeated. The most productive shoots are the upper ones; the lower ones are removed.After the formation of 3-4 lateral branches, the pinching stops.

Pinching dahlia

Dahlia grazing is an integral part of caring for a bush. The side branches must be broken off by hand or cut with a sharp disinfected knife. How to pinch dahlias will be described in detail below.

How and when to pinch dahlias

This procedure is carried out so that the buds and stems grow large. The scheme for pinching dahlias is similar to that according to which tomatoes are pinned: all lateral shoots emerging from the leaf axils are broken.

Important!Small-flowered, undersized, pompom varieties are not subjected to pinching.

On large bushes, in addition to stepchildren, the lower leaves are also removed. Thanks to this, the root tubers will ripen better, which means they will be well stored. Faded buds are cut off so that they do not take away the plant's strength for development.

When the tubers are harvested

Dahlias are plants that are sensitive to frost. Already at -1 ° C, the leaves turn black. It is recommended to mulch the bushes with loose soil at the first threat of autumn frosts. It will protect the tubers from the cold.

Does dahlia have a dormant period? Yes, there is, since it is not an evergreen, the tubers are dug up in the fall.

Dahlia tubers

If during early frosts only the leaves were damaged, and the stem did not turn black, the tubers were not dug out. When good weather sets in after freezing, the tubers continue to accumulate nutrients. This is due to the fact that the stem carries out photosynthesis.

Tubers are usually dug up in late September - early October. Store them in the cellar. There they will be able to spend the winter, covered with sawdust of a large fraction.

Dahlia is an amazing flower with a wide range of colors and shapes. Applying the knowledge of breeding, growing and caring for this plant, the florist will make it a decoration of his summer cottage. In addition to flower beds, dahlias can be grown in large pots, placing them on the terrace near the porch in summer. Dug up with the tuber in the fall, for some time it can still bloom on an unheated balcony.