Cacti Dahlias Rose Fletcher

Soft pink, spiky petals with a touch of cream. With their spiky blooms the Cacti and Fimbriated varieties are the most popular of the Dahlias.

Dahlias are brilliant garden plants. They are long flowering, with lush foliage, easy to flower and care for and come in a huge array of colours shapes and sizes.

Dahlias take around 8 weeks from planting to flowering. Plant your Dahlias in a sunny spot. Morning sun is best and they need around six hours of sun a day to flower well. Dahlias are suitable for growing in garden beds or pots.

Plant Dahlias into moist, humus rich, well drained soil. We recommend digging a well rotted cow or sheep manure though the soil prior to planting. Plant the tuber around 10-cm deep and stake at the time of planting, this avoids root disturbance later on. Allow for good air flow between the plants.

Water Dahlias in well then keep moist during active growth. Add a slow release Tomato fertiliser in early summer and some Sulphate of Potash then mulch for best results.

Dahlia flowers are excellent for cutting, and last well in a vase. By cutting the flowers you will also encourage more blooms. When you cut the flowers, do it in the morning before the sun has a chance to wilt them. Cut the stems so there are at least two leaves, this prunes the plant back far enough to encourage more flowers and a bushy growth. Any flowers left on the plant should be removed as they brown in a similar method to encourage more blooms.

Dahlia tubers don't really need to be lifted if the soil is well drained and you don't live in areas where the soil will freeze. But they should be dug and divided every so often to keep them flowering at their best.

Don't be concerned if you have a small tuber, it will set roots more quickly than large tubers and establish easier. The larger tubers have a pre-existing food storage so will form roots a little later, taking longer to establish.

Dahlias were discovered in Mexico in the 1700's. They were named after the Swedish botanist, Anders Dahl.

Supplied as: Bulbs