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Together with gladioli, lilies and begonias, the dahlias are one of the most important and popular summer-flowering bulbs. Dahlias are widely cultivated due to the huge range of colours and flower types available, its many uses, and fairly easy cultivation.
Some two hundred years ago the first Dahlia arrived in Western Europe from its native habitat in Mexico. Nowadays, it is difficult to find this original dahlia among the current dahlia assortment as flower enthusiasts and growers have done much in the way of developing new types, shapes and colours.
Dahlias are not winter hardy and cannot tolerate frost. Many people pot up dahlias indoors 6 weeks prior to planting them outdoors, to get a "jump" on the season and thus get earlier blooms. Only plant outdoors after the last spring night frost. In fall, dig up and bring tubers inside before the first fall night frost. When you store the tubers in a cool but frost-free spot you can keep them until re-planting time next spring. You can increase the bushiness of the plant by pinching out the tips of the main stems 3 weeks after planting. Taking off the faded blooms during the summer months will prolong the flowering life.
Dahlias are absolutely perfect for borders. Here, often combined with annual plants, most of them also excel due to their extremely long flowering period. The result? A cheerful rainbow of colours. Dahlias can also be assigned a leading role in the perennial border, the tall varieties fitting in perfectly in the back row. While making their presence known when the summer-flowering plants are in full bloom, they are still going strong with the last autumn-flowering asters are in bloom. Borders featuring spring-flowering plants simply cannot do without dahlias.
When selecting plants for bedding purposes, the colour effect they produce is the most important factor. What’s more, plants for bedding must be uniform in size, sturdy, and brightly coloured. Finally, they must not grow too tall.
Provide proper drainage for the pots. Holes in the bottom and low on the sides, as well as adding a layer of clay granules to the bottom of the pot or container, are musts. Use ordinary potting soil available from any garden centre. |
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