We have the Aztecs to give thanks for the dahlia , a tender bulb ( in reality a genus Tuber ) plant in tardy spring for gorgeous blooms in late summer . A long - lasting cut bloom , the Dahlia pinnata makes a great addition to any garden .
The history of Dahlias
The genus Dahlia get its name from an eighteenth - 100 Swedish botanist , Andreas Dahl . A congeneric of the daisy , the Dahlia pinnata was first cultivated by Aztec botanist in Mexico . In the early 1500s , it was find by Spanish explorer who brought this tuberous industrial plant back to Europe . Interestingly , they had the same problem with the storage of the Dahlia pinnata tubers as do many modern - 24-hour interval gardener .
The Dahlia became a deary in the garden of workings - class Europeans after being disdained by the upper socio-economic class as being too aureate for their cautiously manicured gardens . However , the heyday gained protuberance in the mid-1800s after a devastating blight wiped out the tater harvest in France and the Dahlia pinnata tuber was thought to be a good reserve for this stiff vegetable . It was not , but dahlias soon became pop in gardens both for their flowers and interesting leafage .
Dahlia flowers appear in many colors and bloom sizes
Based on the flower type , the American Dahlia Society lists 20 classes in a broad variety of colors : blank , yellow , orangish , pale pink , lilac , and red . flower size of it ranges from half an inch to a animal foot or more across , and flowers may seem as tight balls to very open , from single to double over , with petal that are matt , curved , or roll out into thermionic valve .
Although aperennial flora , in northern climate dahlias do n’t survive wintertime so are treated as annuals . They are plant in the spring as soon as the stain has warmed up and after the last chance of frost , right around the time you plant tomatoes out of doors . They can be grown one year as annuals , or the genus Tuber can be lifted and stored in the nightfall after the first heavy frost kills the foliage . Read about how to store dahlia genus Tuber over winter .
Dahlia planting tips:
Larger dahlias will require sustenance as they grow . To avoid harm to the root later on , ride a stake into the ground at planting time , a few inches from where you engraft each genus Tuber . As the plants produce , splice the stalks to the stakes with forked strand of garden twine . Pinching back the nerve centre shoot when three sets of leaf appear will keep the flora bushier .
How to store dahlia tubers for planting next spring
Most dahlias will flower in late summertime and former decline . Some of the newer and bedding varieties are comparatively short , a foot or so eminent , and mostly bloom repeatedly through the season . Pinch off expend salad days from these to encourage continual flowering . Once Robert Lee Frost has blackened the leaf , and after the tubers have harden in the soil for a hebdomad , it ’s meter to dig them up and store until the next spring .
With a sharp knife , hack the stem at a height of about a foot . Then cautiously grind up the clumps , take care not to injure or spear up the tubers . Trim the shuck to a few inch . excite off the loose filth and assort the tuber , let them to dry for only a couple days ( or they will start to shrivel and dry too much ) .
Brush off the remaining filth , then to keep them from drying out over the winter , place in a pliant base in a box containingpeat moss , wood shavings , coarse vermiculite , fairly ironical compost , or a similar material . covering fire , label and store in a wry , nerveless ( non freezing ) place . The idealistic storage temperature is 40 degrees F. Check every few week to verify tubers are n’t shrivel or staying too wet which will cause tubers to rot . If the tubers are shriveling , lend a footling moisture . If too blind drunk , leave bring out until the memory medium dries out , or supersede it with drier material .
If you have large clumps of tubers , individuals can be part with a knife . Just check that to keep a musical composition of the jacket crown ( the thickened stem where the tubers join together ) , which has the future grow points or eye . Then wrap each tuber with plastic wrap . Easiest , especially if you are already turn tubers in large stack , is to just bestow the pots into a non - freezing area for winter , and keep them juiceless .
More dahlia crest , cultivar ( cultivated variety ) itemization and resources can be found from theAmerican Dahlia Society .
Dr. Leonard Perry is an Extension Professor at the University Of Vermont and an advisor to the Vermont Association Of Professional Horticulturists . A version of this clause originally look on the University Of Vermont Extension site .
We garden in Pennsylvania , United States , zone 6B. Much of the information we portion out is based on garden in our temperate sphere . But many of the flowers , vegetable , and fruit we write about can be grow in grime other than ours ( clay ) and significantly dissimilar weather condition conditions and elevation . You might require to choose specific varieties for your region , modify your garden , add soil amendment , or adjust the soil pH to match our results . Please check your local university extension service website for specific for your area .
