Do the Dahlia

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-805 -- More Projects »

Figure A

For long-blooming summer splendor, it's hard to beat the dahlia (figure A). Master gardener Paul James and expert Dick Parshall discuss why--when it comes to spectacular performances--dahlias really deliver.

Dahlias have so many different looks. From demure (figure B) and perky (figure C) to defiant (figure D) and twisted (figure E), variety is just the tip of the tuber when it comes to these garden darlings. "I used to grow iris and tulips in the spring," says Parshall, "but they bloom and then in a week or two they're gone. The dahlia keeps blooming and giving all season long."

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

So why don't you see more dahlias growing? They can be a bit fussy about the climate--they usually can't take a lot of heat. In warmer zones, they need a little shade in the afternoon, and in cooler climates, full sun will help. Parshall's 65-degree, Pacific Northwest summer days are perfect for them.

Figure F

But perhaps the root of the plant's pickiness goes deeper. Dahlias have tuberous roots (figure F)--fleshy, bulb-like roots that grow underground. Somewhere along the line, dahlias developed a reputation for being tough to grow. But Parshall disagrees. "You don't have to be a trained botanist. [Dahlias] will grow very easily with a few simple techniques that anybody can learn."

Figure G

Figure H

Figure I

The first thing to remember when growing dahlias is that they can grow quite large. Parshall recommends planting dahlias near stakes in a six-inch planting hole that is deep enough to provide freeze protection underground. Plant the tuber with the eye--a little white bump--(figure G) facing up. Cover the tuber with a few inches of soil, put a little bone meal or blood meal over the top, and then add a small amount of time-release formula (figure H). As the plant grows, continue to fill in the hole to ground level, or even higher if additional support is necessary.

To create big beautiful blooms, Parshall recommends disbudding or thinning the buds to concentrate the plant's growth into emerging buds below (figure I). Disbudding is really easy and should be done in the morning or late evening when there is a lot of moisture in the plant. Continue to disbud your plants throughout the growing season.

When the growing season is over, just a few weeks before the first frost, cut down the plants leaving about six inches of the plant above ground so that underground, the eyes of the plant will begin developing for the dividing process. Then two weeks later, dig up the clumps with a shovel or spade (rather than a garden fork). Dig a circle 10 to 12 inches away from the stem to gently unearth the tubers. Remove as much soil as possible without damaging the tubers. Carefully spray off the tubers with a hose.

If storage is a problem, and if the ground in your area doesn't freeze deeply, you can dig and divide in the spring. "The nice thing about dividing in the spring is that you can see the shoots coming out, sometimes one or two inches long, so there is no mistake you have a viable tuber," says Parshall. If you do dig and divide your dahlias during the spring, let the tubers sit for a few days before planting to let the cut surfaces heal.

Figure J

Figure K

No matter what time of the year you dig and divide, the process is the same. The most important thing is to have the proper garden tools--a sharp pair of scissors, a sharp knife, a sharp pair of hand pruners, possibly some loppers, and for safety purposes, a filet glove like butchers use to protect the hand holding the tubers. Using the sharp knife, cut off a tuber (figure J). Trim off the wiry roots with sharp scissors (figure K).

"Don't worry about the size of the tubers you're storing," says James. "Small tubers produce dahlias just as magnificent as large tubers." The main tuber from the previous year is referred to as the mother tuber. "And even though it may have lots of eyes, we feel that it has lost most of its energy, and we don't save it," says Parshall. "We want fresh tubers."

Figure L

If you're storing tubers for the fall, write the name of the dahlia on the tuber with a no-blot pencil (figure L). Place each tuber in a small plastic bag with a few handfuls of vermiculite, and store them in a 40- to 50-degree garage for the winter. Parshall divides every year, but for dahlia dabblers, he suggests every other or every three years. Keep in mind that next year, that extra nurturing will pay off as dahlias take center stage in the garden again.

Guests
Dick Parshall
Email: dparshal@scdahlias.org
URL: www.scdahlias.org
Also in this Episode

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-805
•	A New Path
•	Ways to Learn More about Gardening
•	Do the Dahlia
•	A Kinder, Gentler Fertilizer

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