Dahlias are very popular, late summer flowering bulbs. They come in a wide range of colours & sizes so there is one to suit every gardener. Growing Dahlia can take little bit of practice but with time & experience you can grow this rewarding plant in your garden with repeat blooms year after year.
The first thing to remember with Dahlia bulbs is that they are tender bulbs & will need to be brought in out of the cold for the winter months. This means that come autumn, once the flowers have withered and the foliage has die back you can start preparing for winter.
To Overwinter Your Dahlias
- Cut back all the foliage to within an inch of ground level once the foliage has died back
- Cut back the flowering stems to approx. 2 inches above ground level
- You can do this around the time of the first frosts in October
- You can now carefully lift the tubers from the ground
- Use a garden fork to loosen the soil & bulbs
- Slowly lift the fork to bring the tubers to the surface
- Gently lift the bulbs & carefully remove any clumps of soil
- Handle bulbs with care to avoid bruising
- Bruises can lead to rotting of the bulbs
- Now you can dry the bulbs
- To do this, place the bulbs upside down on a sheet of cardboard
- Leave in a cool, ventilated place for 2 weeks
- To overwinter your bulbs place them in dry sand or compost
- Store in a cool location free from frost
- A shed, greenhouse or garage would be suitable
- Once the warm weather returns in spring you can replant the bulbs
- If you have lots of different varieties remember to label them as you go
Other Growing Tips For Dahlia bulbs
- Choosing the best location:
- Ideally sow in full sun for best results
- Dahlias are happy in most soils. Ideally slightly acidic soils and avoid damp & water logged sites
- You can sow your dahlias in spring once the last frost has passed, when sowing dig a small hole about 3 times the depth of the bulb and position the bulbs with the growing tips or old stalks pointing upwards