Decorative Dahlia Cara's Heart

Mid to bright pink, spiky flowers.

Dahlias are brilliant garden plants. They are long flowering, with lush foliage, come in a huge array of colours shapes and sizes, and are easy to care for. Dahlias are suitable for growing in garden beds or large pots.
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.
Plant Dahlias into moist, humus rich, well drained soil. We recommend digging a well rotted manure though the soil prior to planting. Plant the tuber around 10 cm deep, and it is a good idea to stake tall varieties at the time of planting, this avoids root disturbance later on. Allow for good air flow between the plants.
You don't need to water your Dahlias in, just keep them moist during active growth. Add a slow release Tomato fertiliser in early summer and some Sulphate of Potash, and 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 as they have a higher moisture content and so will last longer. Cut the stems so you are taking at least two leaves, this prunes the plant back far enough to encourage more flowers and 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 couple of years 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. The size of the tuber can also depend on the variety. All are of flowering size.
Dahlias were discovered in Mexico in the 1700's. They were named after the Swedish botanist, Anders Dahl.

Supplied as: Bulbs