FERTILIZATION
As soon as the dahlias have begun to sprout, we apply an natural foliar fertilizer of compost tea and seaweed as soon as per week for a month after which as soon as a month. As talked about earlier, an natural granular flower fertilizer was added to the mushroom compost when our beds had been prepped.
WATERING
Don’t water your tubers till they’ve begun to sprout. An excessive amount of water might trigger the tubers to rot. As soon as they’ve change into established although, they require a great soak 2-3 occasions per week. Now we nonetheless obtain a great quantity of rain right here in Central Florida within the Fall. So be conscious of this and don’t water along with the rainfall. In case your vegetation begin to wilt throughout the warmth of the day, mist them with water. This permits them to soak up some moisture by means of their foliage.
PINCHING
As with most flowers, you will need to pinch your dahlias. As soon as the plant reaches about 12 inches, we snip off a 3rd of that stem simply above a pair of leaves. Don’t wait too lengthy for this step particularly down right here within the Fall. It’s stunning how shortly the dahlia’s branches take off and develop (that is additionally why I place the stakes on early).
HARVESTING
As with all flowers, you will need to harvest your dahlias incessantly to advertise extra blooms. It’s particularly vital to reap your blooms early or very late within the day right here and proper right into a bucket of water with one CVBN pill. It is going to take some time on your dahlias to rehydrate (in the event that they ready) in the event you harvest them throughout the intense warmth of the day. Additionally, it’s best to reap your bloom earlier than it’s totally open to maximise vase life.
OVERSUMMERING (AKA Overwintering)
One of many benefits of rising dahlias right here in 9b is we do not need to dig up our dahlias yearly. On the finish of the spring season, we lower the foliage again and canopy with pine straw mulch. Then within the Fall, we add compost and fertilizers and the rising course of begins once more. They return greater and higher! I attempt to dig up our tubers each 2-3 years (relying on the dimensions and amount that kind of dahlias produces). After all, if you wish to enhance your inventory of tubers, you may at all times dig them up extra usually.
TUBER STORAGE
The tough factor about planting dahlias in scorching climates is it may be tough to acquire tubers when it’s very best to plant them right here. Most wholesalers and dahlia farms ship them later within the spring though I’ve discovered just a few smaller farms that may ship early sufficient for us. So what to do? After I obtain my tubers in April or Could, I retailer them in vermiculite and maintain them in my cooler till the Fall planting season. It’s exhausting to be that affected person however belief me, you’ll be rewarded with stunning blooms later within the yr.
