Whatever a man's age, he can reduce it several years by putting a bright-colored flower in his buttonhole. - Mark Twain

Dahlias

JANUARY

Inspection of tubers - examine stored tubers every few weeks during the winter and, if they are shrivelling, plunge them in a bucket of tepid water for a night. Dry the tubers thoroughly and replace in their boxes. If stored tubers are showing any signs of rotting, such as dampness on the stems, cut away any portions that are damaged and treat the cuts with a sulphur dust.
Ground Preparation - Dahlias prefer a position in full sun. Start to dig the dahlia bed as early in the year as possible to permit frost to act on the soil. They will thrive on a neutral soil but they are gross feeders and require considerable amounts of moisture during the year so incorporate as much compost or well-rotted manure as possible.

FEBRUARY

Inspection of tubers - as for January.
Take cuttings - since they are hybrids, Dahlias can only be increased by taking cuttings or dividing tubers.

MARCH

Inspection of tubers - as for January.
Continue to prepare the beds. Although planting is not until the end of May or June, fertilise the ground with a slow-acting feed.
Cuttings - take cuttings from new shoots on tubers. Place cuttings in a large box covered by a pane of glass, or a transparent plastic bag, to conserve warmth and moisture.
Potting Up - pot up cuttings taken in February and, if they have rooted, pot them on singly into a good potting compost in 8cm (3") pots.

APRIL

Continue to prepare the beds and apply a slow-acting fertiliser such as bonemeal.
Dividing Tubers - it's a good idea to divide large clumps of dahlia tubers. Pull the clumps apart. Ideally, start the tubers into growth before you do this to ensure that each portion has a live shoot.
Planting Tubers - plant out healthy dormant tubers towards the end of the month (or beginning of May). Plant the tubers so that the crowns are 8-10cms (3-4") below the surface of the soil. They should be 75-90cms (2-3 feet) apart.
Cuttings under glass - pot up rooted cuttings and take more as needed. Rooted cuttings should be hardened off in a cold frame at end of April or n early May.

MAY

Staking - a fully grown plant will reach about 1.4m (4-5 feet) tall and about 75cm (2 feet) across, so it needs support to avoid wind damage. Stake the plants with 1.5m (5 feet) stakes driven 30cm (1 foot) into the ground. Loosely tie in the plants.
Planting out - dahlias grown in pots can be planted out now when all danger of frost has passed. Plants should be about 20-25cms (8-10") high, and should be planted 60-90cms (2-3 feet) apart. Before planting out, spray with a systemic insecticide.
Soil care - dig out a hole big enough for the root ball and place two or three handfuls of garden compost into the planting hole. Leave a saucer-shaped depression around the plant to collect rainwater. Water plants thoroughly in dry weather.
Care for cuttings - keep pots in cold frames well watered and feed them once a week with liquid fertiliser. Examine regularly for aphids and other pests.

JUNE

Regular care - keep beds hoed and free from weeds.
Planting out - if not already done, plant out young dahlias as soon as all danger of frost has passed.
Stopping - when the plants are growing well, pinch out the growing tips to encourage side-shoots to develop and make the plants bushy. Tie side-shoots.
Pests and Disease - plants which are stunted, twisted, or showing signs of mottling or yellow streaks on the leaves, are likely to be suffering from a virus disease. This is incurable. Pull up and dispose of. DO NOT COMPOST. Controlling aphids and other pests will help to prevent disease.

JULY

Care - feed young plants fortnightly with an all-purpose liquid fertiliser. Water regularly and do not allow plants to dry out.
Flower size - pinch out footstalks (these are the stems between the flower bud and the first set of leaves).
Pests and Disease - remain vigilant.
Deadheading - dahlias provide large quantities of flowers until the first frost if flowers are removed as they fade.

AUGUST

Care - continue to feed young plants fortnightly with an all-purpose liquid fertiliser but, from early n the month, change over to a high potash feed to improve flower colour, strengthen stems and improve tuber production.. Water regularly and do not allow plants to dry out.
Pests and Disease - if spraying only spray the leaves, do not spray the blooms.
Deadheading - continue deadheading.

SEPTEMBER

Supports - check all stakes and ties.
Plants for propagating - mark the best flowering plants so that they can be propagated next year.

OCTOBER

Lifting & storing tubers - once frost has blackened the foliage cut down the top growth, then lift tubers carefully with a fork and remove excess soil. Any damaged tubers should be removed and the cut treated with sulphur. Stand tubers upside down in a frost-free place for a week to dry out, then trim off the stump and fibrous roots and shake off dried soil. Treat the crowns with a suitable fungicide powder, place in a box and cover with slightly damp peat. Store in a frost-free place for the winter.

NOVEMBER

Inspection of tubers - as for January

DECEMBER

Inspection of tubers - as for January

Worth Reading...

The Dahlia Primer The writer's wish is that, after reading this book, you will go out and buy a dahlia tuber or two or three...

This book was written to remove the cloud of mystique that has always surrounded the dahlia. The Dahlia Primer introduces the dahlia its history, its parts, and its forms/types, and varieties, to those gardeners who like to experience the old and the new in horticulture. With its 15 plus different forms/types, six sizes of blooms ranging from two inches to twelve plus. There are thousands of ways this beautiful flower will give the gardener much pleasure whether grown for the home or for show.

Take a look at The Dahlia Primer by Eleanor Welling

Cuttings from Tubers

Start off your tubers in trays or boxes of moist seed or cutting compost with extra grit or sand. They do not have to be completely covered.

Keep the boxes in a warm, light place, and use the new shoots as cuttings when they are about 8-10cm (3-4 inches) long. There should be several shoots on each plant.

trim the base of the cutting with a sharp knife or blade, immediately below a joint. Remove any leaves which will be below the compost.

Dip the base in a rooting hormone, then insert 2.5cm (1 inch) deep in seed or cutting compost with extra sand or grit. Place the potin a propogator if possible.

Dividing Tubers

This is an easy way to increase your stock of plants. It is important to divide them so that each tuber has a piece of old stem and a shoot or a bud attached otherwise the tuber will not produce shoots.

Staking

Non-bedding Dahlias require staking. Position the supports before planting. Use either one central 1.5m (5 ft) stake or three bamboo canes. Loop string around the canes as the plant grows. Both options illustrated above.

Increasing Flower Size

You can increase the size of the blooms by removing the two side buds that form below the main terminal bud while they are still young. Do not do this with plants that you are growing for a mass of blooms.

Lifting & Storing

As soon as frost blackens the leaves, cut down the top growth then lift them and shake off excess soil so that the tubers can be stored in a frost-free place.

Hang upside down to dry for about a week. Then trim off the stump (do not detach the tubers) and fibrous roots. Place in boxes and cover with slightly damp peat or vermiculite for insulation. Store in a frost-free place.