Dahlia seedlings from seeds. Annual dahlias: cultivation, care rules, main varieties

Dahlias are very popular among garden flower lovers due to their long flowering period and spectacular appearance. At the same time, the dahlia family is represented by flowers of various shapes and colors. They are used not only in flower beds, but also as border and even potted plants.

The article talks about the features of growing dahlias in open ground, and also highlights the nuances of caring for them.

General information about dahlias

Dahlias (Dahlias) are members of the Asteraceae family. They have a large number of varieties, different in both shape and color. The plant has a long flowering period, which begins in mid-summer and ends during the first autumn frosts.

Figure 1. External features of dahlias

Despite their spectacular appearance, dahlias are completely unpretentious. They reproduce by modified underground shoots - root tubers. To date, breeders have developed more than 10 thousand varieties of dalia (Figure 1).

Variety of dahlias

Among the large number of crop varieties, there are giants whose stem height exceeds 1 meter, and miniature plants in the form of small compact bushes. However, the main feature of the classification is the structure of the inflorescences (Figure 2).

Based on this, the following groups of daliyas are distinguished:

• Single row (simple)
• Collar
• Anemoneaceae
• Peony-shaped
• Globular
• Decorative
• Pompons
• Cactaceae
• Semi-cactus
• Lotus (nymphaeaceae)

Figure 2. Some popular flower types (from left to right): collared, peony, spherical, cactus

Features of planting in open ground

The timing of planting dahlias in open ground is determined by the climatic conditions of the area. For example, in the conditions of the middle zone they begin to be planted with grown tubers in the first ten days of June. In the southern regions, planting can be done earlier - in mid-May. At the same time, ungrown, divided plants are planted in the ground, which produce young shoots. In this case, the gardener needs to take care of protecting them from possible spring frosts.

Note: For planting, you will need a pre-prepared area with dug holes and supports placed near them (for tall varieties). In this case, the distance between the holes should be half the height of an adult plant, and between the rows - at least a meter. As supports, you can use both wooden and metal stakes, 160-180 cm long, which are driven to a depth of about 40 cm.

It is recommended to plant in the evening or in cloudy weather. The plant is planted as close to the support as possible so that the top of the tuber is 5 cm below the ground level (Figure 3). At the same time, experienced gardeners advise heavily pre-watering cuttings or specimens obtained from divided tubers in order to plant them together with a damp lump of earth. For ease of watering, it is necessary to fill the planting holes not completely, or to make ring-shaped holes around the planted plants. Seedlings must be immediately tied to a support and continued tying as the plants grow.

Planting and caring for annual dahlias

Annual dahlias can be grown either through seedlings or seeds. Experienced gardeners recommend giving preference to seedlings, since in this case you can get flowering plants as early as June. The growing process involves sowing seeds in boxes with prepared soil, and then planting young plants in open ground. A mixture of sand, peat and perlite is used as a nutrient substrate, which is thoroughly watered before planting. The seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil, lightly sprinkled and sprayed with water from a spray bottle.

Note: Usually, no complications occur during the process of growing seedlings. However, it is worth considering that watering should be moderate, since waterlogging of the soil can lead to the development of diseases.

It is recommended to cover the seeded containers with glass or plastic wrap and leave them in a bright, warm place. After the first shoots appear, the shelter can be gradually removed. Strong seedlings are planted in separate pots filled with a nutrient mixture of sand, peat and turf soil, the volume of which should be at least half of the total volume. In this case, the first leaves of the planted plant should be at the same level with the soil.

Rooted seedlings are fed with any complex fertilizer at half the dose. After the fourth pair of leaves appears on the plant, the stem is pinched. Seedlings are planted in a permanent location when the threat of spring frosts has passed. In this case, the seedlings are placed at a distance of 30-60 cm from each other, depending on the size of the plants. In the first days after planting in open ground, it is recommended to cover the seedlings. Sowing seeds directly into open ground is practiced in the last days of May, when the soil has warmed up to a sufficient depth. The sown bed is covered with polyethylene and kept under cover until seedlings appear.

Figure 3. Step-by-step instructions for planting tubers in open ground

Annual dahlias, like other representatives of this family, are quite unpretentious, so they do not require any special feeding. However, you should know that the root system of dalia is very sensitive to excess moisture. Therefore, when choosing a site for flowers, make sure that the soil has good moisture permeability, because the need for moisture for them increases only during drought.

Planting and caring for perennial varieties

Perennial dahlias are beautiful, unpretentious flowers that delight the eye with a riot of colors and a variety of shapes. Shrubs prefer sunny places protected from the wind. They grow well in any soil except wetlands. Planting in open ground is preceded by preliminary preparation, during which the flower tubers are cleared of dried roots and planted in boxes filled with a substrate that retains moisture well.

The containers are kept in a well-lit room at a constant temperature of +18+22 degrees. After the sprouts appear, they begin dividing the tubers. It is made using a sharp knife, taking care not to damage the roots. Each separated part must bear several buds. Tubers can be planted immediately in open ground, or left in boxes to speed up the flowering process.

You should add a little compost or humus to the bottom of the planting hole, then lay the tubers and carefully cover them with soil. In this case, the root collar should not be buried too deep to avoid rotting. In the first week after planting, the seedlings can be watered daily, then watering must be reduced, otherwise the tubers will begin to rot.

You will find more information about planting these flowers in the video.

Caring for dahlias

Perennial dahlias do not require special care. It will be enough to provide them with optimal conditions for growth and flowering. So, on dry days it is necessary to water more frequently. It is recommended to hill up grown plants to a height of 15 cm and tie them to a support, repeating the tie as the flower grows. After watering or heavy rain, the soil under the bushes should be loosened, removing weeds.

To prolong the period and abundance of flowering, it is recommended to remove not only faded buds, but also all side shoots of large-flowered varieties. To increase the number of inflorescences, it is recommended to pinch the stem above the fourth pair of leaves.

Fertilizer

Perennial dahlias need regular feeding. It can be carried out using organic and mineral fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizing promotes the growth of green mass and, accordingly, deterioration in the quality of flowering. For this reason, it is not recommended to use nitrogen-containing fertilizers for feeding. The choice of type of fertilizing is determined by the composition of the soil. Thus, soil rich in humus needs more mineral fertilizing, while organic soil is suitable for newly developed soils.

Feeding dahlias is carried out using the following methods:

• While digging the site;
• Simultaneously with planting;
• Root and foliar methods.

So, during autumn digging, organic fertilizers are applied that have not had time to decompose sufficiently: manure, compost (3-6 kg per 1 sq.m.), bird droppings (at the rate of 1-2 kg per 1 sq.m.), and when spring - wood ash, peat, superphosphate. Ammonium nitrate, urea, potassium salt and potassium chloride are easily washed out of the arable layer and are not absorbed by the roots of the plant. Therefore, it is not advisable to introduce these substances while digging the soil.

If the soil contains a sufficient amount of organic matter, it would be wiser to apply fertilizer directly to the planting holes when planting. Manure or leaf compost (humus) combined with wood ash or stove soot (at the rate of 3-4 tablespoons of ash per 1 bucket of compost) is best suited for these purposes. When planting, pour a quarter of a bucket of the mixture into each hole, mix it with soil and plant the tubers.

Support

Since dahlias have stems that are hollow inside and break when the wind gusts, tall varieties need to be tied to a support. Both wooden and metal stakes can be used as supports (Figure 4). At the same time, supports made from coniferous trees are much stronger than those made from deciduous trees. Additionally, it is recommended to impregnate the lower part of wood stakes with special anti-rotting compounds, for example, a 7% solution of iron sulfate. More durable are metal supports, which can be made from the remains of pipes or pieces of fittings, the diameter of which is from 12 to 20 mm.

Figure 4. Types of flower supports

It is important to know that support pegs are installed together with the planting of tubers or before it, since driving a peg near an adult plant, you risk damaging its rhizome. For growing short varieties, supports 30 cm high are well suited; tall varieties need an equally high support - at least 1.5 meters.

Trimming

In order to increase the number of inflorescences, tall varieties are subject to formative pruning, that is, all side shoots that appear from the leaf axils are removed. This process is called stepsoning. It must be carried out regularly from the moment of planting in the main place until the buds appear on the main stems. You should know that varieties of dahlias such as collared, dwarf and all small-flowered ones do not spawn (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Basic crop pruning methods

It is also recommended to remove excess buds, especially if the flowers are intended for cutting. As a rule, the middle bud in each group of inflorescences is removed, since it is the one with the shortest peduncle. In addition, in tall varieties it is customary to remove the lower leaves, which cover the root collar and slow down the ripening of the tubers. Dahlias grown from a tuber leave two of the strongest shoots, while cuttings have only one. During the flowering process, it is necessary to remove faded buds, which spoil the decorative appearance of the bush.

Pests

More often than others, young specimens with succulent stems, leaves and petals are susceptible to pest influence. Thus, earwigs settle on the delicate petals of the future flower, as a result of whose activity the plant buds take on an ugly appearance. These insects can be defeated by spraying with decoctions of bitter herbs (wormwood, celandine).

Ordinary slugs, which can be collected by hand, can cause great harm. Pests also include thrips and cutworm caterpillars. And the most common pest of these flowering plants is aphids. They fight it with traditional methods, washing it off the leaves with an ash-soap solution, spraying the bushes with infusions of onion peels and garlic, or using other biological and chemical agents (Aktara, Decis, Fitoverm).

Dahlias are susceptible to attack by the red spider mite, which multiplies especially actively during the summer drought. By drinking plant sap, the mite weakens the plants, causing them to dry out. To prevent spider mite damage, it is recommended to spray the leaves of bushes with cold water during drought. Special insecticides are used to treat affected plants.

Digging up tubers

Autumn work in the garden to care for dahlias involves digging up the tubers and storing them for winter storage. Tubers can begin to be dug up after the plant has left the flowering period and its above-ground part has dried out. It is recommended to carry out this procedure on the first warm, frost-free day to prevent premature awakening of the kidneys.

Unwilted stems are cut 3-4 cm above the root collar, then the tubers are removed from the soil using a shovel. They are placed in boxes and stored for several weeks in a cool and humid room. Then the tuber nests should be cleaned of dry scales and small roots, the cut areas should be treated and stored.

The video shows how to dig up tubers of annual varieties.

Storing dahlias in winter

Prepared tubers are stored in winter in boxes, the bottom of which is covered with a 3 cm thick layer of earth. The top of the tubers must also be completely covered with soil. Boxes with planting material are kept in storage with high air humidity at a temperature of +1+7 degrees (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Features of winter storage of tubers

Sometimes it is practiced to store tubers in pelleted form, that is, covered with a layer of clay and dried. In apartment conditions, dahlia planting material is stored in tightly tied plastic bags, sprinkling the tubers with some dry insulating material, for example, sawdust, ash, peat, sand. The most reliable way to store tubers in warm rooms is to use paraffin. Planting material is dipped in melted paraffin, which, after drying, forms a reliable layer that not only protects the tubers from adverse external factors, but also prevents the risk of drying out.

Dahlias can be either annual or perennial. However, growing perennial flowers is much more difficult and expensive, because the tubers will have to be dug up for the winter, processed and stored somewhere until spring. Growing annual dahlias is much easier. You just need to sow the seeds in the spring, then properly care for the seedlings and plant them in open ground on time.

In garden centers you can find a huge number of varieties of dahlias of completely different varieties, which will differ in height (tall, medium and dwarf) and in shape. These can be collared, pompom, cactus and other varieties. But probably the most famous variety is “Jolly Fellows”.

When and how to plant dahlia seeds for seedlings

The generally accepted time for planting annual dahlias with seeds is the end of March - beginning of April. They grow quite quickly, so there is no need to rush with the timing of their sowing.

According to the lunar calendar in 2019

This can help you choose the optimal date for sowing seeds. Moon calendar.

So favorable days for sowing annual dahlias in 2019 according to the Lunar calendar are:

• in February – 6-8, 11-17, 21-25;
• in March – 12-17, 19-20;
• in April – 6-8, 11-13, 15-17; 29-30;
• in May - 8-17, 21-23, 26-28;
• in June - 1, 2, 5, 6, 9-13, 16-20.

Note! For landing perennial dahlias absolutely other favorable days, and here unfavorable - common to all cultures.

Unfavorable days according to the lunar calendar for 2019 The dates for sowing dahlias are:

• in February - 4, 5, 19;
• in March - 6, 7, 21;
• in April - 5, 19;
• in May - 5, 19;
• in June - 3, 4, 17.

According to the lunar calendar from the magazine “1000 tips for a summer resident.”

Planting container and soil

The most common food container with a lid is perfect as a suitable container, but you can use any other container that is convenient for you.

The soil for planting dahlias requires light, nutritious and fertile soil. You can take regular soil and use any loosening substrate. It can be vermiculite, perlite, sand, coconut substrate.

Sowing seeds

Step-by-step instructions for planting annual dahlia seeds:

By the way! You can plant dahlia seeds so that you don't need to pick them. See the video below for more details.

Video: sowing annual dahlias for seedlings with germinated seeds for growing without picking

Another interesting way of planting dahlia seedlings is sowing with boiling water, which gives fairly good germination.

You can also grow seedlings of these flowers in a “snail”.

Caring for dahlia seedlings after sowing

Approximately 3-4 days after sowing the seeds, vigorous shoots should appear.

When the sprouts appear, the shelter will need to be removed, but not immediately, but gradually.

As for the required conditions for the further successful development of annual dahlia seedlings, these are watering as needed, in other words, drying out the soil, maintaining the temperature within 23-25 ​​degrees and 12-14 hour daylight hours, which can be achieved by illumination using special lamps or on the sunniest windowsill.

Picking

When the dahlia seedlings have 2 true leaves, you can safely start picking the plants into separate containers.

You can use special plastic cassettes or disposable cups as containers for picking.

It is possible to use the same composition of the substrate as during planting the seeds.

Important! Before you start picking, do not forget to spill the container with the seedlings with water to make it easier to remove without damaging the roots of the plants.

Picking is carried out in a standard way: carefully pick up the plant with any tool convenient for you and transfer it to a new container, where a small depression has been previously made. Then water it a little. If the soil shrinks, you can add soil to the transplanted seedlings as needed.

Further care for dahlias is no different: regular watering as the soil dries and maintaining effective daylight hours (either a sunny window sill or lighting).

Planting dahlia seedlings in a permanent place in open ground

Dahlia seedlings are planted when the return frosts pass, that is, approximately in the second half of May. If you are not sure that frost may return, then prepare covering material.

By the way! At the same time, you can plant dahlia seeds directly in open ground, but you must understand that you will see flowering much later and not as abundantly.

The place for planting dahlias should be sunny and well protected from the wind.

The soil needs to be loose. It is advisable that compost or humus be added to it, so when preparing the site, thoroughly dig up the soil and add loosening elements to it. And this, among other things, may be humus.

The optimal distance between planting dahlias is 20-30 centimeters, depending on the variety and its height.

The process of planting dahlias in open ground is quite simple: we take out the plant along with a lump of earth and carefully place it in a small hole, and then sprinkle it with soil. Next, don’t forget to water it. All that remains is to mulch with rotted sawdust or some other mulching material.

Caring for dahlias after planting in a permanent place

Further care of dahlias in open ground comes down to frequent loosening and weeding before flowering (weeds must be defeated!), fertilizing and regular watering.

On dry and hot days, flowers require a lot of moisture, so do not forget to water them, and it is better to do this not so often, but quite abundantly. In principle, once every 5-7 days will be enough.

Feeding before the buds set must be done using a complex mineral fertilizer that contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Nitrogen, as you remember, is required for the growth of green mass, and potassium and phosphorus - for laying good buds and flower stalks, in other words, for abundant flowering.

During active flowering, dahlias should be supported and fed again with complex mineral fertilizer, but with a high content of potassium and phosphorus, which are especially necessary at the time of flowering.

Advice! If you want to prolong the flowering of dahlias, then you should remove faded baskets. There are quite a lot of them, and they take up a colossal amount of nutrition. Thanks to this procedure, new buds will form.

Video: caring for annual dahlias - prolonging their flowering

When the flowers have completely withered, it will be necessary to remove the entire above-ground part into compost, and the tubers can be dug up and stored for the winter, and then planted next spring. Here's what's interesting: if you plant tubers of annual dahlias, then most likely you will grow tall and quite huge plants, but with small flowers. Therefore, it’s up to you: if you want to try it, then save it; if not, then there is no need.

Video: digging up tubers of annual dahlias

Thus, if you follow the basic rules of planting seedlings and growing annual dahlias in the open ground, then without making any special care efforts, you will get a very impressive flower garden in front of the windows of your country house.

Video: growing annual dahlias from seeds - planting and care

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Among the many ways to make a local area pleasing to the eye, annual dahlias are traditionally popular; planting and caring for them will not require significant financial investments or any special knowledge.

Landscape design - annual dahlias

Flower beds with annual dahlias delight the eye with the lush brightness of multi-colored buds. These flowers can be used to implement almost any design idea: borders, flower beds, etc., and simply decorate slopes with them. For group plantings, low-growing varieties are traditionally chosen, and tall varieties for single plantings. The peculiarity of this plant is that it can be grown both as an annual (by sowing with seeds) and as a perennial plant (by digging up a tuber for the winter).

In order for dahlias to become a full-fledged decoration of the site at the beginning of summer, they practice the seedling method of growing this plant. Annual dahlias, planting and caring for which began with sowing directly into the flower garden, reveal their potential at the end of summer, when most other garden plants have already faded. By combining both of these methods of cultivating dahlias, you can admire their lush and vibrant flowering throughout.

Annual dahlia - varieties

Having decided to plant low-growing annual dahlias on your plot, you can safely purchase seeds marked “mix” from a trusted place. And as a result, get a bright flowerbed of dahlias that are similar in characteristics (height of the bush, flowering period and even color scheme) and completely different in appearance. Those who prefer to know exactly what they will get at the end should pay attention to the following varieties:

• "Funny boys"- you just have to wait for the first buds of this variety, and it becomes clear that the name was not given to it in vain: bright, simple flowers with yellow centers look so cheerful and playful that they make you smile against your will;
• "Vasilisa"- an ideal option for those who want to enjoy the dahlia splendor without leaving their own home: the low, strong stem and early flowering period make it possible to grow this variety on a balcony or windowsill;
• "Bright pom-poms"- a variety of July round dahlias, fully suitable for decorating garden paths and building facades;
• "Bambino"- miniature (up to 25 cm in height) double dahlias with very large heads, blooming from mid-July until frost;
• "Opera"- large-flowered double dahlias in delicate colors, ideal for edging flower beds.

Annual dahlias - planting

As mentioned above, planting annual dahlias in open ground is possible in two ways: direct, when the seeds are sown directly in the flower garden, and seedlings. The first method does not cause difficulties at the planting stage, but requires more careful care of the crops: careful thinning and planting. In addition, in this case one cannot count on earlier flowering. The seedling method requires fiddling with additional lighting and, but after planting in the flower garden, the troubles are reduced to periodic watering and fertilizing.

How to plant annual dahlias in the ground?

Let's take a closer look at how to plant annual dahlias in each growing method:

1. To sow dahlias directly into the flower garden, small grooves are made on the surface of the soil, into which the seeds are placed and then carefully sprinkled with soil and watered. After the appearance of young shoots, weak and frail shoots are culled.
2. When planting seedlings in a flower garden, dig a small hole under each bush, placing it so that the root collar is slightly above the soil level.

When planning a flower garden, you should remember that the place for planting dahlias should be well lit and protected from the wind. If in partial shade there is still a chance to grow a more or less worthy specimen of this plant, then in the shade dahlias become very elongated and lose the lion's share of their decorative effect. When planting seedlings, it is necessary to handle the roots very carefully - it is best to install the seedlings in a hole along with a lump of earth from a pot.

At what distance should you plant annual dahlias?

Planting annual dahlias in open ground should be done taking into account the fact that over time they will turn into lush green bushes that will need a lot of free space. The gap between dahlias of low-growing varieties should be at least 30 cm, between tall varieties - at least 60 cm. Annual dahlias, planted and cared for in violation of these gaps, are forced to compete for vital sun rays, as a result of which they become very elongated to the detriment of the beauty of the flowers .

When to plant annual dahlias?

Let's take a closer look at the main question: when to plant annual dahlias when growing from seeds? The time to sow them directly into the flower garden is in the second half of May, when the threat of night frosts is guaranteed to have passed. It is customary to move seedlings outdoors in early June, after hardening them off for some time. It is necessary to take care of sowing seeds in seedling boxes no later than the second week of April, so that by the time they are planted in the flower garden, the dahlias are ready to bloom.

Annual dahlias - cultivation

Delighting the eye with a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, annual flowers and dahlias allow you to implement the most daring design ideas with a minimum of labor. By trying new varieties and unusual planting schemes, you can completely transform your site every season. What is so good about annual dahlias is that planting and care are quite accessible even to a person with a minimum of floriculture experience and free time.

Soil for annual dahlias

No matter how strange it may sound, planting annual dahlias in the ground begins long before planting work with preparing the land in the selected area. You need to dig it up, select the remains of previously growing plants and add fertilizer: manure, humus or humus. For full flowering, the plant will need a lot of nutrients, and the soil must have a high level of moisture and air permeability. Both heavy loamy and light sandy soils will be equally unsuitable for dahlias.

Annual dahlia flowers - propagation

For anyone who at least once decides to plant annual dahlias in their flower beds, growing and caring for them will not cause any trouble. And the question of the correct collection of seed material for the next season will become relevant. The time to collect seeds is in October, before frost sets in. The faded heads must be carefully cut off and dried, the seeds collected, and then stored in paper bags. For propagation, you can also use tubers, which are carefully removed from the ground, treated with a solution of potassium permanganate and stored in a cool place.

Annual dahlias - diseases

During the period when annual dahlias bloom, the causative agents of various fungal diseases become noticeably active, under the influence of which the plants lose their external attractiveness, or even simply die. Among the ailments that dahlias become victims of, the leading ones are gray, brown and white rot, fusarium wilt and leaf spot. In the presence of different fungal pathogens, they are provoked by the same factors: excessive density of plantings, cold and damp weather, excess nitrogen in fertilizers.

The problem can only be dealt with through complex actions, including removal from the flower garden and destruction of all affected plants, in combination with the use of special antifungal drugs (fungicides), for example, phytosporin or foundationazole. For the purpose of prevention, you should strictly maintain intervals between plantings, choose well-ventilated and illuminated places for planting, and not get too carried away with watering.

Caring for annual dahlias

Let's take a closer look at how to care for annual dahlias so that the flower garden can be considered a real source of pride. To do this, you should regularly remove weeds from the flower garden and fluff up the soil in it, do not forget about periodic (no more than once every 7 days) watering, maintain the recommended intervals between the bushes and fertilize from time to time. Annual dahlias, planted and cared for according to these simple rules, compare favorably with their fellow tribesmen, grown haphazardly.

How to feed annual dahlias?

Such are the decorative flowers of annual dahlias that planting and caring for them is simply impossible without a little “doping”. The first feeding is carried out at the seedling stage, approximately 20 days after the sprouts hatch from the ground. As the first fertilizer, a ready-made mineral complex with a high nitrogen content is used. Annual dahlias, planting and caring for which are accompanied by regular (every 15-20 days) application of a small amount of fertilizer for flowering plants, grow faster, bush more actively and form large inflorescences.

Pinching annual dahlias

A question that is relevant for all gardeners taking their first steps in growing dahlias is how to pinch annual dahlias and is it necessary to do this at all? Pinching the central stem helps to form a lush bush and stimulates abundant and earlier flowering. To get the largest flowers possible, in addition to pinching the stem, it is also recommended to remove (pluck out) excess buds. This procedure forces the plant to direct all its energy and nutrients not into the leaves, but into the flowers.

Replanting annual dahlias

Like other flowering plants, dahlias should be disturbed and transplanted from place to place only in the most extreme cases. The safest option for replanting annual dahlias is to move them to a new place of residence along with a lump of earth. It would be a good idea to add a little wood ash to the planting hole and water it generously after planting. It is best to carry out such work in cloudy, cool weather.

In general, annual dahlias do not exist; perennials are simply grown as an annual crop. The dahlia bush, which grows to a height of up to 80 cm, looks lush and majestic. Its inflorescences reach 11–12 cm in diameter, and their total number on one plant is 13–15 flowers. To grow beautiful bushes of annual dahlias, plant the seeds of several hybrid plants.

Planting annual dahlias with seedlings in the garden

Annual dahlias bloom much longer than perennial ones. The riot of colors begins with the arrival of the first summer month and fades away only on the eve of the first frost. Unpretentious and completely undemanding in terms of soil composition and frequency of watering, the flowers will begin to grow quickly in any area of ​​the garden. However, there are some features that must be taken into account when planting annual dahlias in a personal plot.

Growing annual dahlias begins with preparing fertile soil in the fall, and in the spring, at the end of April, sowing seeds for seedlings. Immediately before planting the seeds in the ground, the soil is calcined and treated with a weak concentration of potassium permanganate solution for disinfection. A layer of calcined sand is first poured onto the bottom of the planting box and only then earth.

Dahlia seeds are laid out on the surface of the ground in a planting box, sprinkled with a layer of sand and lightly compacted, and then watered. Containers with seeds should be in a warm place where there are no drafts. The optimal temperature for germination is 27 0 C. The first shoots will appear after 6 - 7 days. When the first couple of true leaves grow on them, the seedlings are planted in separate pots. In the last days of spring, when the weather is already steadily warm, seedlings of young dahlias are transferred to a permanent place in open ground, maintaining a distance of 40 cm between individual specimens.

It is difficult for seedlings to adapt after transplantation, therefore, in order to minimize stress in new plants, young annual dahlias are carefully transferred from the planting container to a pre-dug hole, and then spilled with a weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. If there is still a possibility of night frosts, the planting must be protected using geotextiles. The location of the site also affects the time of planting: in the northern regions, seedlings are transferred to open ground in early June, and in the southern regions, dahlias are ready to “move” to a permanent place in mid-May. At the beginning of June, seedlings grown in greenhouse conditions should bloom. Young dahlias are watered very sparingly, since excessive moisture can ruin the root system that has not yet matured.

Sowing seeds of annual dahlias in open ground

There is another option for transforming your site with annual dahlias. In May, immediately after the frosts have gone, flower seeds are planted in open ground. In August, abundant flowering begins, when summer plants have already faded. Annual dahlias prefer slightly acidic or neutral soil. In order for the flowers to grow quickly, in the fall the soil is fertilized with an organic compound or fed with a complex fertilizer. In the spring, it is impossible to fertilize plantings with manure, since the roots of young plants will simply burn. The plant will feel best in a well-lit area. In the shade, the dahlia inflorescences immediately become smaller, and the bushes themselves bloom very reluctantly.

As young dahlias grow, they need to be thinned out, eradicating weak, slow-growing seedlings. Take into account one interesting feature: the taller the annual dahlia grows, the later it will bloom.

How the flower bed will look depends entirely on you, or rather on what types of flowers you choose. Dahlias come in short and tall varieties, of various shapes and colors, with different flowering periods. In addition, dahlias can be combined with other beautiful flowering plants. Thus, pink and burgundy Turkish carnations, tricolor violets and phlox can be excellent companions for bright annuals.

Annual varieties of dahlias

The assortment of annual dahlias is so large that you can get confused. The easiest way is to ask the seller for a mixture of several varieties in one bag, which is usually labeled with the word “mix.” Dahlias of different heights are suitable for garden decoration: tall varieties for decorating flower beds, low-growing varieties for creating borders. Combined plantings that include pompom, needle and star dahlias look very beautiful.

If you have just become acquainted with these extraordinary flowers, ask the seller to show you the most popular varieties in the catalog. Most likely, you will be shown the following varieties of annual dahlias:

Funny boys

All gardeners love this variety for its lush flowering and enjoy decorating their flower beds with these flowers. The inflorescences are represented by single-row tubular baskets and grow up to 10 cm in diameter. The cheerful guys bloom vigorously, delighting the owner with bright and rich colors throughout the summer. Annual dahlias Merry guys are divided into simple and double, low-growing (up to 20 - 25 cm) and tall (up to 70 cm). The plant does not form tubers.

Dandy

You can fall in love with bushes decorated with semi-double flowers at first sight. Inflorescences of various shades are framed with peculiar collars. This low-growing variety is usually decorated with ridges, mixed borders or planted along borders.

Piccolo

These are annual low-growing dahlias up to 40–45 cm high, which easily become the star of the foreground within a flower bed. They can also be grown in a pot: beautiful “pom-poms” in elegant flowerpots become a worthy decoration for terraces, verandas and balconies.

Unvince Dwarf

The plant has well-developed branched stems that grow up to 60 cm in height. At the same time, the dahlia is completely covered with semi-double flowers from 6 to 9 cm in diameter - an impressive picture! The varied colors of the plant’s petals will also not leave anyone indifferent: the inflorescences can be red, pink, snow-white, yellow, purple. In a flower bed or garden, the flowers of an annual dahlia of this variety will perfectly complement lavatera, cosmos, aster or sunflower.

Lark and Mary

These varieties of annual dahlias boast a long flowering period and compact size. Bushes with double, cactus, pompom, semi-double and spherical inflorescences grow up to 60 cm in height and stand out against the background of the rest of the garden vegetation from the beginning of June until the first frost. Another distinctive feature of these varieties is their subtle, pleasant aroma, which attracts bees and bumblebees. You can specifically plant these annual dahlias next to vegetables. Insects swarming around plant inflorescences also pollinate vegetables, so you are guaranteed a good harvest.

Dahlias Cheerful guys

Caring for annual dahlias

If it were not for the striking beauty of annual dahlias, one would forget that such a flower even exists in the garden - the plant is so undemanding to regular care. Annuals need moderate watering only after the earthen ball has completely dried out, and in August you can forget about watering altogether.

From time to time you need to pinch the tops of the bushes - then they will not stretch upward and grow luxuriantly to the sides. At the same time, flowering will also increase - each lateral shoot will be covered with beautiful inflorescences. Keep an eye on the free space around the bushes: if necessary, take the time to weed to rid the plant of weeds. Don't forget to loosen and mulch the soil.

There remains one more important question: how to feed annual dahlias? The plant is first fertilized when flower stalks appear on it. You need to spray liquid green fertilizer on the dahlia leaves. When the bushes begin to actively bloom, they must be fed with an extract obtained from wood ash, and after 12–14 days, the feeding is completed by adding comfrey infusion to the soil. In order for dahlia inflorescences to remain large throughout the entire flowering period, there should be no more than 3 stems in the bush. This means that from the second ten days of July you need to pluck out all the “babies”.

Is it worth digging up and storing tubers of annual dahlias in winter? This video will answer this question:

How to deal with plant diseases and pests

Practice shows that dahlias practically do not get sick, and pest invasions rarely occur. However, always carefully inspect the bushes of your pets - this will help you detect pests in time or notice the first symptoms of a disease and take timely measures.

Here are some diseases that are sometimes found in annual dahlias:

1. Gray rot. The disease is easily identified by the brown spots covering the leaves. After some time, the dead areas grow and the leaf dies, and the rot continues to spread throughout the above-ground part of the plant. If the microorganism penetrates the buds, they will also die. Most often, the appearance of gray rot is provoked by excessively wet soil and too dense planting of bushes.
2. Fusarium. The disease attacks the roots of the plant and “bites” the dahlia at the base.
3. White rot. Putrefactive processes affect individual shoots, painting the surface of their leaves and stems with brownish spots. The inflorescences die.

There are no radical ways to treat these diseases, so it is best to take preventive measures in advance: choose places to plant dahlias, taking into account all its characteristics, make sure that the soil where the flowers grow is moderately moistened. If the disease cannot be avoided, the affected specimen must be disposed of immediately in order to protect neighboring bushes.

Of the insects that can cause the greatest trouble to the dahlia:

1. Aphid. The vital activity of colonies of these whitish pests curls the leaves of the plant and colors them yellow. Aphids can be easily seen with the naked eye; to do this, just examine the inside of the dahlia leaf blades: there will be a sticky liquid or so-called honeydew. What to do in such a situation? If you are sure that the insects appeared quite recently and the infection has not yet become widespread, cut off the diseased bush and burn it. If the aphids have managed to attack several bushes, chemically treat the plants. "Aktellik" and "Fitoverm" are suitable.
2. Slugs. These mollusks are attracted to dahlias by the succulent leaves. Pests disfigure the leaf blades of the plant with longitudinal stripes and holes. To save the bush, slugs are collected by hand. You can also sprinkle a layer of superphosphate, sawdust or red pepper on the soil where the dahlia grows. These substances irritate the delicate tentacles of mollusks and thus protect flower bushes from voracious pests.
3. Bedbugs. Insects cause irreparable harm to the plants on which they settle. They drink juice and eat juicy dahlia leaves. Damaged tissues stop receiving nutrients and in a short time the leaves die - they turn yellow and curl. The chemical preparations Karbofos, Decis and Phosphomid are recognized as the most effective means in the fight against garden bugs.

Growing dahlias in your own garden is a pleasure. You need to spend very little time and effort for the flower to thank its owner with lush and bright blooms. We invite you to admire photos of annual dahlias.