Annual dahlia: growing from seeds. Perennial dahlias, planting and care Dahlia herbaceous plants for open ground

Dahlia(or dahlia) is a plant of the Asteraceae family. According to various sources, the genus includes from 4 to 36 plant species, mainly distributed in the mountainous regions of Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala.

Wild American species have inflorescences consisting of two types of flowers: white ligulate, non-fruiting flowers at the edges, and small tubular yellow fertile flowers in the middle. Such forms are quite rare in culture. It is from these species that modern dahlias are obtained, united under the name dahlia cultivated, or changeable, having many varieties, and blooming profusely towards the end of summer and autumn. And their phenotype was preserved more by the “Jolly Fellows” dahlias, grown as annuals - their tubers are difficult to preserve, although it is possible with some effort.

Dahlia has tuberous-thickened roots. The stems, reaching up to 2.5 m in height, are hollow, straight and branched. The above-ground part dies off every year. The leaves are dark green, 10 to 40 cm long, arranged oppositely. Inflorescences - baskets have a cup-shaped wrapper, consisting of 2-3 rows of leaves fused at the base.

In most garden varieties of dahlias, the middle flowers are transformed into reed flowers, due to which the entire inflorescence becomes denser, double, and sometimes reaches a spherical shape, while having different colors, often variegated.

Dahlias are very photophilous and heat-loving, so for these plants you need to choose only sunny places, near the southern sides of plantings and buildings. Avoid planting next to large trees that dry out and deplete the soil, as well as in lowlands.

Dahlias are planted in the ground after spring frosts. It is better to plant tuberous dahlias first, and a little later - cuttings. If dahlias were planted earlier, they must be covered overnight during frosts with paper bags or cardboard boxes.

Dahlias are very picky about soil. It must be fertile and have a good supply of necessary nutrients, a loose, lumpy, moisture-absorbing structure. In order to ensure good growth and abundant flowering, in the fall you need to add organic fertilizers to the soil at the rate of 1 bucket per 1 square meter. m. of soil, then carefully dig it at least 30 cm deep. Clayey, heavy soils must be diluted with a mixture of coarse river sand, old sawdust and peat.

Dahlias are voracious plants; in order for them to bloom well, you need to apply mineral fertilizers every 2 weeks, occasionally alternating them with mullein infusion. Pinching and removing side shoots also increases the abundance and quality of flowering.

In October, the rhizomes are dug up, dried thoroughly in the shade in the wind, and then stored, sprinkled with sand, in a dry, ventilated room at temperatures up to +7 degrees, until next spring.

A huge number of dahlia varieties allows for a variety of uses in the garden and has made them one of the most popular autumn crops.

Dahlias are perennial beautiful unpretentious flowers. Probably not a single garden plot is complete without a flower bed with these beautiful flowers. Personally, for me, perennial dahlias evoke more emotions than roses, which are the favorite flowers of many.

More than 15,000 varieties have been bred, varying in color, shape of inflorescences and other characteristics. Some varieties differ in the size of their flowers, which can reach more than 20 cm in diameter. Flowering bushes evoke only admiration and positive emotions.

Varieties of perennial dahlias

• Non-double - Cheerful guys (most often grown as annual dahlias)
• Low growing - Princesse Laetitia (pale pink), Melody Allegro (hot pink with yellow core), Cezanne (yellow)
• Anemone-like - Baywatch (orange with a brown center), Inca (bright red), Honey (light yellow)
• Collared - Grand Duke (red with pale yellow petal tips)
• Peony - Eternal Flame (bright red), Faye and Ice (red and white)
• Decorative - Yellow Happiness (bright yellow), Nonette (cream orange)
• Pompons – Rotbal (dark red), Goldgarby (lemon), Everest (orange-red), Ankres (white)
• Cactus - Jane (hot pink)
• Semi-cactaceae - Tropic Sun (salmon)

Planting perennial dahlias

Perennial dahlias prefer sunny places protected from the wind. Flowers grow well in almost any soil, but loamy and sandy loam soils are still the best. Please note that perennial dahlias will not grow in wetlands. Before planting, in April-May, flower tubers need to be prepared - cleaned of dried roots, planted in boxes with any substrate that retains moisture, except sand. Then, the boxes are left in a well-lit room with a constant air temperature of 18-22 degrees. After 10 days, after sprouts appear, the tubers can be divided. Dividing the tubers should be done with a sharp knife, carefully, trying not to damage the roots. There should be buds left on each separated part. Parts of the tuber are again planted in boxes until they are planted in open ground. You can immediately plant the tubers in open ground, but then the flowers will sprout and begin to bloom later. To plant flowers, dig holes approximately the depth of a shovel. Then, one shovel of compost or humus is added to the hole. The tubers are carefully placed in the hole and sprinkled with soil. To avoid rotting, the root collar should not be deeply buried when planting. After planting, perennial dahlias need to be watered every day for a week, then watering can be reduced. The main thing is to ensure that the soil is always moist, but you should avoid waterlogging, otherwise the tubers will begin to rot. In addition, from too frequent watering, the tubers become saturated with moisture and do not tolerate wintering well.

Care

Perennial dahlias do not require special care, but for abundant flowering and normal growth it is necessary to provide optimal conditions. Perennial dahlias need watering, especially on dry, hot days. When the plants grow up, they can be hilled up to a height of 15 cm and tied up. In this case, the support must be stable. Periodically, perennial dahlias need to be fed, but it is better not to use nitrogen fertilizers, because Such fertilizing promotes the growth of foliage, and flowering deteriorates. After watering or rain, the soil under the flowers needs to be loosened. Faded buds and weeds should be removed promptly. In large-flowered varieties of perennial dahlias, you can remove all the side shoots, then the inflorescences will be larger. If you pinch the main shoots above the fourth pair of leaves, you can increase the number of inflorescences. To obtain a lush bush and large inflorescences, you can carry out formative pruning. However, dwarf, pompom, and collar flowers do not form. In total, perennial dahlias bloom for about three months.

Reproduction

Perennial dahlias are propagated by cuttings, seeds, and in some cases even by grafting. The seeds are sown around April. Shoots will appear on the 10th day, and after about 12 days the seedlings can be planted in separate pots. Seeds can be sown immediately in open ground around May, but seedlings will be more reliable. Perennial dahlias grown from seeds begin to bloom in early August. Flowers are most often propagated by seeds and are used as annual border and dwarf varieties.

For cuttings, the tubers must be planted in nutritious soil and placed in a warm place. Cuttings are usually carried out in January. After the sprouts appear, you need to separate the strongest ones from the flower tuber, with a small heel for quick establishment. Flower cuttings are planted in boxes with substrate. At first, the cuttings need to be protected from direct sunlight and periodically sprayed. Perennial dahlias grown by cuttings begin to bloom not much later than those grown from seedlings.

The easiest way is to grow perennial dahlias from tubers. If you decide to buy tubers of perennial dahlias, then pay attention to their condition, to the presence of eyes at the roots of the tubers. Healthy tubers of perennial dahlias should be firm and smooth.

Preparing for the winter

Despite the fact that perennial dahlias have adapted well to sudden temperature changes, the cold still damages the flowers. The above-ground part does not recover after frost, but the tubers continue to live. Perennial dahlias do not tolerate frost, so for the winter, flower tubers are dug up and stored throughout the winter in a cool room, most often in the basement. You need to dig up the tubers before the first frost, on a dry day. You can determine the time for digging by the leaves of the plant, which are damaged and droop from the cold. The stems of perennial dahlias are cut to a height of about 20 cm from the base, then the ground around the bush must be dug up without damaging the tubers. Then the tubers are carefully removed from the ground; diseased tubers should be immediately removed and destroyed. Healthy tubers, some gardeners wash with water, but you don’t have to wash them and you don’t need to particularly clean the soil. Next, the dried root tubers are placed in boxes and sprinkled with wood ash or sawdust. Tubers of perennial dahlias in boxes are placed in a cool room with low humidity and an air temperature of 5-7 degrees. Perennial dahlias can be stored in the house, but to do this you need to ensure that the air temperature is no higher than 20 degrees. At the same time, the flower tubers are sprinkled with earth, and the box is tightly covered with paper. The room should be well ventilated, and the tubers will need to be checked once a month for timely detection of their diseases.

In general, some forms of low-growing flowers can be transplanted into a pot in the fall and you can admire the blooms at home all winter long.

Diseases and pests

Perennial dahlias are most often susceptible to viral diseases such as viral mosaic and ring spot. In addition, they may suffer from powdery mildew, white rot, fusarium wilt, black leg, and dry root rot. Aphids act as pests.

Perennial dahlias in photographs

After a number of years of relative oblivion among gardeners, dahlias are again becoming fashionable. And a collection of a dozen varieties of dahlias with a wide variety of shapes, colors and sizes is not uncommon now.

According to information found in the literature, there are currently more than 15 thousand varieties of dahlias ranging in height from 35 cm to 3 meters. And all this variety of varieties is divided into 11 large groups, which differ in structure, size, doubleness of inflorescences and shape of reed flowers.

In terms of variety of colors and shapes, dahlias undoubtedly occupy one of the first places among other flowers. But, unfortunately, they are odorless. The decorative quality of plants is determined not only by varietal qualities, but also by compliance with relatively simple agricultural techniques.

Dahlias grow very well in open, sunny areas protected from strong winds. In shaded places and under trees, plants bloom weakly, become elongated, and form small tubers that are poorly stored in winter. The soil on the site should preferably be loamy, structured, well fertilized, moisture-absorbing and breathable.

The soil for planting dahlias is prepared in the fall. To do this, organic fertilizers are added to it (up to 1 bucket per 1 sq.m.) and dug to a depth of at least 30 cm. On heavy clay soils, an additional bucket of coarse-grained river sand and peat chips and a liter jar of stale, blackened sawdust are added.

In the spring, a week before planting, the soil is dug up to a depth of 15-20 cm, adding 2 tbsp per 1 sq.m. spoons of complete mineral fertilizer. When digging the soil with a pitchfork, carefully remove all weeds, especially rhizomatous ones (sow thistle, wheatgrass).

Large-flowered dahlias look especially good along the main paths in the area or in the background - near fences and bushes. And it is better to plant low-growing dwarf dahlias in wide ridges, bordering them with a border of dark-leaved perilla or silvery seaside cineraria. Sometimes shorter plants, such as alyssum, are planted in front of this border.

Dahlia propagation

Dahlias are propagated mainly in two ways: by dividing tubers and cuttings.

Dividing dahlia tubers produced in April-May. The tubers are brought into a warm room, placed tightly in boxes, half covered with earth, peat chips or sawdust and placed in a warm, bright place. The soil is watered from time to time. After 10-15 days, the first eyes appear on the tubers. After this, they begin dividing: using a sharp knife, cut the tubers so that each section contains a tuber, part of the root collar with one or two eyes. Long tubers can be shortened. All cuts are immediately covered with finely crushed charcoal.

The separated tubers are planted one at a time in pots or boxes with nutritious soil, separated by partitions, and placed closer to the light. The room temperature should be 15-20°C, watering should be moderate. After the tubers have rooted, the boxes with the plants are transferred to a cold greenhouse and the plants are gradually hardened off.

But if it is necessary to obtain a large amount of planting material in a short time, then dahlias are taken from cuttings. Depending on the variety and quality of the tuber, more than 200 cuttings can be cut from one mother plant.

For dahlia cuttings In February, the tubers are transferred to a room with a temperature of 18-20°C, laid out in boxes and sprinkled with a nutrient mixture, leaving the necks of the tubers uncovered, watered or sprayed moderately. After 10-15 days, when the first shoots appear, the temperature is reduced to 4-5°C, and the boxes are placed in a bright place.

The best cuttings are obtained from sprouts 6-7 cm long with short internodes, the so-called heel cuttings. They take root faster, grow better and form good tubers. Cuttings can be broken out if there is a growth bud near the open root collar. If the growth points are only in the upper part of the stem, the cuttings are cut with a sharp razor with part of the heel.

The cuttings are planted in boxes filled with a nutrient mixture. For the first 2-3 days, they are protected from direct sunlight and watered moderately. If they begin to wilt, they are sprayed with water from a spray bottle several times a day. The air temperature in the room with cuttings must be maintained at 18-20°C. To improve rooting, cuttings can be treated with a solution of growth substance.

Dahlias are planted in open ground after the threat of late spring frosts has passed. In the prepared area, dig holes, placing them 70 cm from each other. Add half a bucket of humus, 1 cup of wood ash, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of superphosphate and potassium sulfate and 1 teaspoon each of magnesium fertilizer. In northern regions, it is a good idea to place a layer of warm manure or leaves at the bottom of the hole under the nutrient mixture.

Planting and care

A stake is driven into the prepared hole and the plants are planted so that the root collar is buried 5 cm below ground level. Then water it generously and tie it to a stake. The top of the soil is mulched with peat or humus.

Further care consists of tying the plants to stakes, weeding, loosening, pinching side shoots at the bottom of the bush, fertilizing, and watering throughout the season.

It is advisable to carry out the first feeding at the moment the buds appear with a solution of ammonium nitrate (1 tablespoon per bucket of water), spending it on 4 plants. The second time, the dahlias are fed before the mass flowering of the plants with mullein infusion (1:10), using a bucket of solution for three wells. From mid-August, no plant feeding should be done, as this may adversely affect the keeping quality of the tubers.

Dahlias are shaped in different ways. If you need a profusely flowering bush to decorate your area, then you need to pinch the top and remove the stepsons from the side stems. This will result in a branched bush of 2-3 shoots covered with numerous inflorescences. And in order for the plants to bloom earlier, they are grown in one trunk, and all the others are removed as they appear.

Removed stepsons can be used as cuttings. At the same time, the open neck ripens better, the stem does not thicken, which contributes to better keeping quality of the tubers. It is better to pick off the first early buds so that they do not delay the development of the entire plant. In the future, caring for dahlias consists of regularly tying them to a stake and removing faded inflorescences, which spoil the appearance and greatly deplete the plants. Dahlias bloom until frost; one bush can have up to 20-25 inflorescences.

Storing dahlia tubers

Dahlias suffer quite a lot from early autumn frosts. Already at a temperature of minus 2-3°C, leaves and inflorescences are affected. Therefore, before the onset of frost, the lower part of the stem must be covered with earth to a height of 15-20 cm and leaves removed from the lower part of the bush to a height of up to 40 cm. This promotes the ripening of tubers and root collars and their better storage in winter.

Dahlias are usually dug up after freezing. The stems are cut, the stake is removed and the tubers are carefully dug up, shaken off the ground, washed with a hose, disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate, dried and stored in a dry room. The best temperature for storage is 3-5°C. They are stored well in boxes with peat chips or sawdust at an air humidity of 60-75%.

And in an apartment, like gladioli, it is better to store them near the balcony door in a box insulated from room heat.

"Ural Gardener", No. 36, 2009

Photo of dahlias by Svetlana Kononova

The dahlia or dahlia (Dahlia) belongs to the plants of the Asteraceae family and is represented by more than forty species. Dahlias in the garden are a real decoration. Most often, perennial dahlias are planted on plots, which do not require special care and perfectly adapt to the soil and climatic conditions of our country.

Botanical characteristics

A beautifully flowering plant with simple leaves arranged in pairs. Characteristic of the genus is the presence of hollow stems, the height of which can reach 2.0-2.5 m. The root system is relatively developed. All perennial varieties of dahlias have fleshy, tuberous-thickened roots.

The above-ground part of the plant is characterized by annual death in the fall to the root collar. The stem part is straight, branched, smooth or rough. The leaves are pinnate, but there are also species with entire pubescent leaves.

Garden plants of this genus have basket-shaped inflorescences. The marginal flowers are of the reed type, large in size, of various colors. The middle flowers are tubular-type, golden yellow or brownish-red in color. The plant blooms for a long time. Timing may vary depending on varietal characteristics. The fruits are represented by achenes.

Photo gallery

How to preserve dahlias in winter (video)

Main types

Decorative dahlias vary in flower shape and size, as well as flowering time, plant height and length of the growing season.

In size and diameter, dahlia flowers can be:

• giant - more than 25 cm;
• large – 20-25 cm;
• medium – 15-20 cm;
• small – 10-15 cm;
• miniature - less than 10 cm.

When choosing a variety and type, you should pay attention to the following indicators:

• tall hybrids and Dahlia varieties for border decoration have a stem height of 1.2 m or more;
• medium-sized hybrids and Dahlia varieties for border decoration have a stem height of 0.9-1.1 m;
• low-growing hybrids and Dahlia varieties for border decoration have a stem height of less than 0.9 m;
• flowerbed hybrids and Dahlia varieties are 0.35-0.60 m in height;
• dwarf hybrids and Dahlia varieties have a height of no more than 0.3 m.

In recent years, breeders have obtained a large number of varieties and hybrid forms that differ in the shape and structure of the flower.

The best annual varieties

The height of annual dahlias rarely exceeds 40-45 cm, so there is no need to tie them to a support, normalize flowering and pinch the tops, which makes care much easier in home gardening conditions.

The best perennial varieties

Perennials are more demanding on growing conditions and are more difficult to care for than annual varieties. Nevertheless, many gardeners strive to grow perennial dahlias, which are distinguished by their variety of shapes and colors.

Breeding rules

If annual dahlias are propagated by seeds, then perennial varieties can be propagated both by seeds and vegetatively. The most popular and simplest technique is dividing the tubers:

• To awaken the tubers, place them in boxes on sawdust and water them generously;
• after waking up, cut the tubers into pieces so that each fragment has one or more buds;
• sprinkle all the cuts with wood ash and dry them in room conditions for 24 hours;
• dig up the soil and loosen it, clear it of weeds and disinfect it with a solution based on the biofungicide “Fitosporin-M”;
• plant the tubers to a depth of 8-10 cm in the last ten days of May or early June;
• Planting should end with abundant watering of the plants with water at room temperature.

The cutting method involves the following technology for propagating a decorative flowering crop:

• in the spring, using a sharp and clean knife, carefully cut a stalk 7-9 cm long from the tuber, capturing a small trail of peel;
• immerse the cuttings for several hours in a biogrowth stimulator or a solution based on wood ash;
• fill the planting containers with light and nutritious soil and plant the prepared cuttings;
• cover the plantings with plastic film, but control the formation of condensation and ensure regular ventilation;
• After the root system has formed, the young plants are ready for planting in a permanent place.

It should be remembered that if we plant tall varieties, then it is necessary to take care of installing supports and fixing the stems of growing plants to them. When using green cuttings for propagation, it is possible to preserve all the varietal qualities of an ornamental crop, so this option for obtaining a new plant in home gardening is used quite often.

As a rule, if the planting rules and growing technology are followed, dahlias delight with abundant flowering right up to serious frosts. Nevertheless, decorative crops need to follow simple but very important agrotechnical practices:

• mulching the planting of dahlias gives good results, which not only protects ornamental plants from damage by slugs, but also reduces the need for weeding and loosening the soil, and also helps maintain soil moisture necessary for the growth and development of the crop;
• Irrigation measures are also very important for dahlias, which should be plentiful; in the absence of rain and hot weather, you should water the plants a couple of times a week and accompany the procedure by superficially loosening the soil to prevent crust formation;
• It should be remembered that dahlias react very negatively to excessive waterlogging of the soil, and stagnation of moisture often causes rotting of the root system and death of the plant;

• in order to provide plants with an influx of nutrients, it is necessary to apply fertilizers twice a month, alternating mineral and organic fertilizers;
• Dahlias respond very positively to the application of 15 g of ammonium nitrate, as well as fertilizing with mullein infusion diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, or bird droppings diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20;
• at the stage of bud emergence, it is necessary to fertilize with superphosphate and potassium fertilizers at the rate of 25-30 g per 10 liters of water, this amount of nutrient solution is enough to feed seven to eight adult plants;
• It is not recommended to leave more than three shoots on the plant and more than two buds on the peduncle, which allows you to get large and decorative inflorescences;
• All faded flowers, as well as side shoots on tall varieties, must be removed.

When the first significant frosts appear, you should dig it up, after cutting off the above-ground part of the plant at a height of 5-10 cm. It is recommended to remove tubers from the soil in the morning, in dry and fairly sunny weather. The dug up tubers should be cleared of soil and dried well.

Before storing, the root collar of the flower should be dusted with wood ash or crushed activated carbon to prevent rotting. Storage is carried out at a temperature of 3-5°C and humidity levels of 60-70%, in a well-ventilated area.

Watering and fertilizing

As for the features of caring for perennial dahlias, the main condition here is proper watering.

These plants love moisture very much, but excess of it can have a catastrophic effect on the rhizomes. Flowers must be watered regularly, but in small portions. It is enough for the water to soak the earthen ball by 25-30 cm.

But a lot also depends on weather conditions. If it rains often, then watering can be reduced to a minimum or even not watered the flowers at all. It is very easy to check whether a plant needs additional moisture. You just need to loosen the soil and try to dig your index finger into it. If the soil is still wet, then you should wait a while with watering. If it's dry, a little water won't hurt at all.

This is especially true during the flowering period. Organic, phosphorus, nitrogen fertilizers and wood ash are best. If this is a purchased fertilizer, then it should be diluted in water in a certain proportion, and then water the plant with this liquid. Sometimes you can use fertilizers that are simply sprinkled on the ground in small quantities.

If we are talking about organics, then it is better to do this. Wait until the soil dries out. Next, at a distance of about 10-15 cm from the dahlia bush, make a small circular groove about 5 cm deep, where you want to place compost or manure. After this, the groove is filled with water and then sprinkled with soil on top. This way the plant will receive all the nutrients it needs from the soil for a long time.

Pruning dahlias

In order for dahlias to delight with bright and large flowers as often as possible, it is necessary to do pinching - cutting off excess stems. It is recommended to do this constantly, and to remove even more shoots during the flowering period.

Cutting the shoots that emerge from the axils of young leaves is done with pruning shears or a blade if they are very thin. At the end of the procedure, the cut areas should be sprinkled with charcoal to prevent pathogenic bacteria from developing there. It is strictly forbidden to perform pinching in the open sun or in humid weather. In the first case, this will lead to drying out of the stems, and in the second, it can even provoke rapid rotting and death of the plant.

Use in landscape design

Such plants look very decorative on gentle slopes on the south side and as potted plants, which allows you to beautifully decorate terraces, balconies and loggias.

How to germinate dahlias (video)

The flower is popular in landscape design and is used for cutting. Small forms are indispensable in formal flower beds, mixborders and background groups. Particularly popular among domestic amateur flower growers is the charming early-flowering mixture “Figaro Mars” with its compact bush shape and large double and semi-double flowers that can decorate any flower garden in the open ground.

Tuber storage

In order for your flowers to delight you next year, you need to know what their preparation for the winter season involves. You don't have to wait until winter to dig up tubers. This work is being done back in September. To do this, cut the stems about 20 cm high from the ground, carefully dig up the soil around the stem and remove the tubers. If you notice diseased or damaged parts, they must be removed and destroyed. We place healthy tubers in a box and sprinkle sawdust or wood ash on top.

Tubers are well preserved at a temperature of 6-7°C.

This may be a basement, but it must be well ventilated.

Planting and care, taking into account the characteristics of these beautiful flowers, will help you get results that will give you joy for many years.