Dahlias - planting and care in the open field, advice to growers

A common decoration of many flower beds and decorative compositions are dahlias, planting and care in the open ground followed by taking into account certain features of the culture. If you follow a set of recommendations, you can grow beautiful ornamental flowering bushes on your site.

Dahlias - preparation for planting

In most cases, tubers are used for planting in the open ground and after the wintering they must be prepared for the procedure:

  1. Processing dahlias before planting in the open ground includes cleaning and removal of dry roots and damaged areas. With the help of green, process the slices.
  2. Drop the tubers into a container filled with earth or peat so that they protrude 2-3 cm above the surface. Put it for two weeks in a place where the temperature does not drop below 18 ° C and there is good lighting.
  3. After the appearance of the kidneys, cut the tubers into pieces so that each has a root neck. Cultivate them for some time in the box, and then, tear off the lateral shoots, which reached a height of 10 cm. After that, the dahlia is planted in the open ground.

Dahlias - landing

Before you start to work, you need to choose a place for planting. Dahlias in the open ground do not tolerate drafts, but the place should be well ventilated and lit. Planting dahlias and caring for them implies the right choice of soil, which must be well drained, nutritious and water-permeable. If the acidity is increased, then add slaked lime to the soil.

In autumn it is recommended to dig in a site where it is planned to plant flowers, enrich it with humus and compost , considering that for every 1 m 2 there should be 3-5 kg. In spring, before planting the dahlia, it is worth to scatter mature compost on the plot, but not just deciduous, but a small amount of wood ash. Be sure to level all the rakes. Another tip - to save flowers from diseases in the open ground, it is recommended that each year the site be changed.

Daisy - planting seeds in the open ground

After the heat comes and there is no frost, you can seed the seeds. Note that bloom with this planting can be observed not earlier than August. Soak the planting material in the rooting agent. Cultivation of dahlias from seeds in open ground is realized according to the following scheme:

  1. Prepared beds for a couple of days to land. Sowing seeds is not necessary because the space is important for the plant. Dense shoots must be diluted, so that the distance between the bushes is at least 60 cm.
  2. Earth the rake, falling asleep furrows. At the end, plant the plantations and sprinkle a thin layer of the overripe humus.
  3. To create hothouse conditions, it is recommended to cover the furrows with film or an old window frame.

In order to early blossom dahlias, planting and care in the open ground is better to implement through pre-grown in the home seedling. When selecting annual varieties, the sowing is carried out in April, and with perennial - in early March. Use the following statement:

  1. In the prepared containers, drainage must be provided for sure.
  2. Fill them with nutrient and loose soil, which is rich in organic. You can buy a special flower blend. When using the garden land in it, be sure to add in equal amounts the overgone organics, peat and sand.
  3. It is not necessary to deeply deepen the seeds, 1-1.5 cm is enough. It is best to sow less often, that between seeds there is 2-3 cm.
  4. When the seedlings will appear and 2-3 real leaves are formed on them, a pick is performed. It is important not to damage the roots, so carry seedlings with a clod of earth. Great importance in the care has lighting and sufficient watering.
  5. It is recommended to do hardening of seedlings, but you can do it when it's warm. Tanks should be exposed to fresh air, but not for long. Gradually increase the time to 14 days seedlings were on the street for 24 hours.

Planting dahlias with tubers

The landing procedure is simple, but there are a number of rules that need to be considered:

  1. Planting dahlias by tubers in the spring means digging holes, which must be three times as large a clump of roots. At the bottom, put the brewed compost or manure, and sprinkle the earth on top of it.
  2. Lay the sprouted tubers and dig so that the ground is covered and a few centimeters of the stem.
  3. To properly develop high dahlias, planting and care in the open ground implies the installation of a support for the stem. After the procedure, be sure to pour the plants with cold water and mulch the soil with a layer of about 5 cm of wood bark or sawdust, mixing them with peat or compost.

When to plant dahlias in the open ground?

The presented flower culture is demanding to the temperature regime and does not tolerate frosts. For those who want to know when to plant dahlias tubers in the open ground, it is worth considering that the ideal time is the period from late May to early July. At this time, the earth is already warming up well, and one can not be afraid that something will happen to the plant. Note that flowering will begin 60-90 days after emergence.

Dahlias - cultivation and care

There are several mandatory procedures that are important for good growth and rich flowering. These include watering, fertilization and pruning. Care for dahlias involves mulching the site, which protects against slugs and weeds, and will still retain moisture. Another point on which to stop is the plant pests.

  1. The main enemies are slugs and earwigs, when they appear, treat the bushes with decoction of wormwood or celandine. Carry out the procedure once a week.
  2. In hot weather, it is recommended to spray the flower with systemic insecticides . If aphids attacked, the folk method will help - treatment with a soap solution.

What temperature do dahlias stand in the open ground?

The information has already been mentioned that this flower culture is temperature-demanding, so serious jumps and falling indicators below zero are critical and the plant can die. The growing temperature of the dahlia should be above 0 ° C, but some varieties can withstand a value of minus 2 ° C. With such indicators it is necessary to excavate the tubers so that the plant does not die.

Watering dahlias in the open ground

The presented flower culture needs regular irrigation. Watering should be such that the soil is moistened to a depth of 25-30 cm. If you pour dahlias, the growing of the plant will be in question, because the roots can start to rot and the flower will die. To keep moisture, after moistening, it is recommended to soil the soil, and before the next watering the land should be razgristi.

Care for dahlias - top dressing

For proper development, it is necessary to carry out regular fertilizing, so the frequency of fertilizer application - every 14 days. Growing annual dahlias and caring for them in the open ground implies alternation of organic and mineral fertilizers. This rule applies to perennial varieties.

  1. A good option for fertilizers is ammonium nitrate, which is used in the proportion of 15 g per 1 m 2 .
  2. Another suitable option is tincture of bird droppings, observing the proportion of 1:20, or Mullein in the amount of 1:10. For each bush pour 0,5 buckets.
  3. When the first buds appear, it is recommended to carry out top dressing using potassium fertilizers and superphosphates. Observe the proportion that a bucket of water is taken 30 g. This amount is enough for 8 bushes.

Caring for summer dahlias

In the hottest time, you need to make sure that the land does not dry out much, so watering should be regular. Care for annual dahlias, as well as for perennial bushes, implies the use of mandatory support. This is due to the fact that the stalk of the plant is hollow and strong wind can break it. If the trouble still occurs, then use the following advice - attach a strong branch to the stem and fasten it, for example, with a bandage, and then, put the support.

To bloom and delight the eye of dahlias, planting and care in the open ground means carrying out such a procedure as pruning. Experienced gardeners do not recommend leaving more than three shoots on the bush, otherwise the inflorescences will be small and not so ornamental. On each peduncle there should be 1-2 buds. In time, remove the wilted flowers, as they delay the formation of new flowers. In addition, when growing high varieties throughout the season, try to remove the lower lateral shoots.

Dahlias - winter care

This flower culture is thermophilic, so it does not tolerate winter cold. Instructions for the cultivation of flowers dahlias in the open ground implies the excavation of tubers when the first frost. In most cases, this period occurs at the end of September or the beginning of October. The procedure is as follows:

  1. First cut the stems, leaving about 10-15 cm.
  2. Dig up the tubers with a shovel and remove all the earth, washing it off with water. After that, dry them in the open air for 4-5 hours. If it's cold, then it's better to bring them into a warm room.
  3. Take the boxes for storage and pour the tubers into them with sand or sawdust. Put them in a well-ventilated room, where the temperature is at + 5-7 ° C, and humidity is 60-75%.