How to grow dahlias

Dahlias are grown from tubers (similar to a bulb, but thin-skinned like a potato).

  1. Plant tubers in the springtime, when your ground temperature is above 60 degrees.
  2. Choose a sunny location that has at least 8 hours of sunshine. Space your tubers out 12-18 inches.
  3. Dig a hole that is 4-6 inches deep. Place the tuber on its side in the hole, with the eye facing up. Many dahlia varieties benefit from staking, especially if you live in a windy area. If you plan on staking your dahlia, add the stake when you plant the tuber. Cover the tuber with soil, be careful of the eye.
  4. It can take 4-5 weeks for the tuber to sprout once planted. DO NOT water your dahlia tuber until the first set of leaves appear. Once the leaves have appeared, they can be watered. As the season gets warmer, water dahlias deeply every other day.

Tips:

  1. *Pinching: Don't forget to pinch your dahlias once the plant gets to 8-10 inches and has a few leaf sets. You will want to cut just above the first leaf set at the main stem. 

  2. Pests: Slugs love dahlias. I always sprinkle slug bait on top of the soil about 3 weeks after planting. Once sprouts appear, I apply another light sprinkle of bait around the sprout.

  3. The more you cut a dahlia plant, the more it will bloom! Most cut dahlias will last up to 5 days once cut and treated.