Dahlia planting guide

So you have some dahlia tubers but now what? Here's a lil' guide to help you get started.

Planting in the ground:

1. Pick a spot that will get full sun exposure (a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight each day) and is well-draining (i.e. water doesn't pool/puddle).

2. Dahlias can grow very tall (up to 6' tall) so you'll need to stake them with a bamboo stake, a t-post, or another sturdy trellis. Space your dahlias a minimum of 12" from other dahlias or plants.

3. Dig a hole 6-8" deep and add some aged manure or compost and mix into the soil. I like to add some slow release fertilizer as well (Gaia Green 4-4-4 is my go-to for all my transplanted seedlings/tubers).

4. Place the tuber horizontally on its side in the hole with the "eye" (growing shoot) pointing upwards. If the eye isn't obvious, don't worry, the dahlia will know which way to grow.

5. Do not water the dahlia until shoots begin to appear out of the soil line. I like to think of dahlias as "fancy potatoes" and over-watering will encourage the tuber to rot before it has a chance to send out roots and shoots. If your soil is super dry prior to planting, give it a bit of watering beforehand, but there's no need to over-saturate the soil.

6. Once you see 2-3 sets of leaves above the ground, I like to pinch back the growing tip in order to encourage branching and more flowers. This will set back the flowering a bit, but I think it's worthwhile for more flowers. Un-pinched plants will flower within 8 weeks of planting.

7. Enjoy the flowers to come in summer/fall. Dahlias will continue to put out flowers with regular harvesting/deadheading up to the first frost.

Planting in containers:

1. Find a spot that gets full sun exposure (a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight each day).

2. Use a heavy-weight, study plastic pot with a minimum diameter of 8.5" to 10.5" (5-7 gallon pot), ensure there are drain holes on the bottom.

3. Fill the pot with pre-moistened potting soil and create a hole about 6-8" deep.

4. Place the dahlia tuber horizontally with the growing eye facing up, and try to center the growing eye in the middle of the pot.

5. Let the soil almost dry out while the plant is developing roots and water more regularly when you begin to see green shoots above the soil.

6. Don't forget to add a stake to the pot to support your dahlia - these plants can grow very tall!

7. For a bushier plant with more flowers, pinch the growing tip when you see 2-3 sets of leaves.

8. Enjoy the flowers to come in summer/fall. Dahlias will continue to put out flowers with regular harvesting/deadheading up to the first frost.

Happy gardening!