Dahlia Snow Princess

A giant, white ball type Dahlia.

Dahlias are brilliant garden plants. They are long flowering, with lush foliage, Dahlias are 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 fit easily into mixed beds and can be grown in pots. Dahlias partner well with Lilies.

Grow Dahlias in 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 10cm deep and stake at the time of planting; this avoids root disturbance later on. Allow for good air flow between the plants. Once planted, you only need to water once they have sprouted, then keep moist during active growth. Add a slow release Tomato fertiliser and some Sulphate of Potash in early summer, then mulch well 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.