Caring for Dahlias

Dahlias love well drained, fertile soil. Plant them in a spot where they’ll get 6-8 hours of sun each day. If you have a spot in your garden protected from wind your dahlias will be less likely to suffer damage from gusty winds.

After the last danger of frost in your area place your tubers 4-6 inches deep and cover. You can space your dahlias a few feet apart to give them plenty of room. You’ll need to stake your larger plants to help support them and prevent a gust of wind knocking them down.

Don’t forget to pinch back your dahlias - it feels so wrong but you really must do this if you want to get the most out of your dahlias. Once your plant has produced 3 or 4 pairs of leaves pinch off the top of the plant. This will force side limbs and multiply the number of blooms on each plant.

Dahlias don’t like cold weather. We dig them up in the fall and store them in a shed or garage through the winter months. The ideal temperature is 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit.

After you dig your tubers out of the ground you’ll see your tuber has multiplied! You will be able to separate your tubers after you locate the eye on each tuber. I often wait until later in the winter months or early spring so the eyes on my tubers are visible and I can safely separate my tubers with a paring knife or garden snips. Label each tuber and store them in plastic wrap, vermiculite or cedar chips until spring.