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Home > Plant profiles > Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’
Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’
 Botanical name: Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’.
Common name: ‘Bishop of Llandaff’.
History:The scientists looked at the Dahlia as a possible source of food because a disease in the early 1840`s had destroyed the French potato crop. However after tasting the Dahlia they gave up the idea and decided just to grow it for its beauty. Before insulin was discovered diabetics were often given a substance called Atlantic starch or diabetic sugar made from Dahlia tubers.
Origin: Dahlias are native to Mexico and South America, and were first recorded by Westerners in 1615. This specific hybrid was bred in 1927 by Treseder in Belgium.
Name: Dahlias are named after Dr. Anders Dahl, a Swedish botanist and a pupil of Linnaeus. Until recently they were also called ‘Georginas’ after the botanist Johann Georgi of Petersburg. This Dahlia was named after Bishop Hughes of Llandaff, Wales, who was the bishop until 1924.
Comments: With it’s striking red flowers and dark foliage this Dahlia makes for a bright colour accent. Use it as a brilliant contrast to the soft greens and greys of other perennials in borders, beds and cottage gardens. Great in containers too!
Cutting: Dahlias make superb cut flowers and picking the blooms (or removing spent blooms) will promote continued flowering.
Digging:Dahlias only need to be dug every year when planted in very badly drained soil. In most soils it should be carried out in winter every 2-3 years. To avoid spearing tuberous roots, begin digging a foot away from the centre of the plant. Once out of the ground cut off the yellow frosted stems to within 5cm of the tubers & allow the tuber to dry out for 3-4 days. Remove the large old tuber, and then divide the remainder of the clump. Ensure that you leave a bit of the old stem attached because it is from this point that next year’s growth will sprout. Once you have dried and split the tubers store them in a cool dry place. Dahlias need digging and dividing every 2-3 years as they are vivacious multipliers. If the tubers are not dug they can ‘choke’ each other due to lack of space. The divided Dahlias make superb gifts for gardening friends.
Contacts:
The National Dahlia Society of Victoria
Fran Grylls
10 Salmon Street Welshpool 3966
Victoria Australia
Phone: (03)5184 1376.
Fax: (03)5184 1317.
www.dahlia.org
Family: Asteraceae.
Plant type: Tuber.
Size (HxW): 110cm x 80cm.
Planting time: After the spring frosts, ideally between August and November.
Depth and spacing: Lie the tuber 5-8cm under the soil surface with the ‘eyes’ (growing points) upward and 80cm apart.
Watering: Keep the soil moist whilst plants are growing. Dahlias are not tolerant of water-logged soils but are heavy users of water, so good drainage is very important.
Frost tolerances: Heavy frosts trigger dormancy.
Flowering time: Summer to autumn.
Soil: Rich well drained, loamy; but any soil properly dug and prepared in advance with well rotted animal manure or other fertiliser. Dahlias grow best in soils with a pH 6.0 to 6.5.
Aspect: Sunny with protection from strong winds.
Climate: Cool to temperate.
Fertilizer: An annual application of blood and bone (avoiding direct contact with the tuber) or any other complete fertiliser. Bi-weekly feeds should be added during growth for optimum performance.
Hazards: Mildew can be a problem in humid conditions, allow extra space between the plants for better air ventilation (5cm).
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