Dahlia care and planting season

Dahlias are very sensitive to frost. Therefore, you have to wait for the right time to plant. A few care measures are then necessary for the dahlia to thrive magnificently.

Dahlias are available in a wide variety of colors and flower shapes. So there is always a variety that also fits into your garden. It doesn't matter whether you have a Japanese or French garden or a cottage garden. The best thing about this plant is that it not only has that certain something, but is also easy to care for and uncomplicated. You don't have to pay much attention to both planting and caring for dahlias.

How to properly plant dahlias

❍ Location:

Dahlias love sunny locations. Unfortunately, in the shade they only develop long stems and weak flowers. It is important that you choose a wind-protected place in the garden. However, do not plant the dahlias in front of a wall that radiates heat.

❍ Substrate:

Dahlias prefer loose and slightly moist soil. The water must be able to drain away optimally. Under no circumstances should waterlogging occur, because then the dahlia will only grow very slowly and can even rot.

❍ Planting time:

The dahlia is a very frost-sensitive plant. Gardeners therefore regularly advise not to plant this plant outside until after the ice saints, because then the risk of frost is very low. But an earlier start in the outdoor area is also possible. In general, dahlias are allowed to move outside as early as the end of April. However, the new growth that is already taking place must be well protected. A thick mulch is ideal here, which you best weigh down with some brushwood.

You can, of course, also advance your dahlias. For this you have to temporarily plant the dahlia in a plastic bag. An old potting soil sack is ideal as a temporary home for the dahlia, especially since it is also optimally stable. But a flower pot is also well suited for preferring. The plastic sack or flower pot and the dahlia now go either into the greenhouse or into the frost-free cold frame.

How to properly care for dahlias

❍ casting:

Dahliasdon't need much water. They also survive dry periods very well. Waterlogging or permanent wetness, on the other hand, is poison for the plant. It is best to water the dahlias only if the drought persists and then from below.

❍ Fertilize:

Dahlias do not need a lot of fertilizer. It is actually sufficient if you provide the dahlias with compost, horn meal or horn shavings when you plant them.

❍ Cut:

You only have to use the scissors on dahlias when the flowering period is over. Otherwise, all you have to do is regularly remove dead flowers.

❍ Overwintering:

Because dahlias are very sensitive to frost, you must bring them indoors over the winter. Then proceed as follows when overwintering dahlias:

Prune the stems back to about 20 centimeters.
Pull the tubers out and let them dry.
Then store the tubers frost-free but cool (4 - 10° C).

If the bulbs have survived the winter well, you can plant them back in the garden in spring.

Little tip:

If you want to have more of these beautiful flowers in your garden, you can also multiply the dahlias. This works, for example, by dividing the dahlias.