Dahlias ( Dahliaspp . ) are a group of highly varying tuberous perennials in the mob Asteraceae that are native to Mexico and Central America . They blossom from mid - summer into fall .
Dahlias are wintertime hardy in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 10 . However , they are often grown as annual that are dug up in the declension and overwintered indoors .
Types of Dahlia Plants
There are 45 species of Dahlia pinnata and many cultivars . Dahlia flowerscome in a wide array of people of color except gentle , as well as a wide chain of mountains of flower material body . In fact , dahlia are placed into 1 of 10 class depend on the feature film of the blooms .
Dahlias range in height from 1 to 5 feet . Dahlia cultivar with peak of more than 2 feet may need staking for support . Plant dahlias several feet apart to allow for near air circulation , which helps prevent common fungal leaf disease like powdery mildew .
Most dahlias are loan-blend . Propagating dahlias therefore involves planting and split up the plants ' tuberous rootage .
How to Care for Dahlias
Wait until the danger of frost has passed in the outpouring to implant dahlia Tuber , which are sensitive to temperatures below 25 ° farad . improbable dahlia mixture should be set at a depth of about 6 in , though for smaller cultivars , a planting hollow about 3 inches deep is best .
Dahlias maturate best in well - draining soil rich in organic subject and full Sunday , though in warm mood they do good from wraith during the hottest part of the sidereal day . They should be watered regularly during the growing time of year to keep the soil moist at all at multiplication ; at no point should the grime dry out . These plant should also be feed once a calendar month with a fertilizer first in N .
Tip
Water dahlias regularly to keep the soil consistently moist and feed the plant on a monthly base of operations with a plant food that contains low measure of nitrogen compared to other nutrients .
Another important part of Dahlia pinnata care is removing spent blossom from the industrial plant , a cognitive process know as deadheading , for prolong the bloom fourth dimension .
Deadheading can extend the bloom time of dahlia .
Pests of Dahlias
Several kinds of insect pests target dahlias , including aphids , which are soft - bodied insects that descend on the undersides of leaves and extract plant life sap . Insecticidal soapscan be used to control these pestilence .
Dahlia Care in Winter
In clime where they are not winter hardy , Dahlia pinnata tubers must be lifted from the land in the capitulation for overwintering indoors until they are replanted again in the spring . Even where they are winter stout and could be left in the ground , digging up dahlia genus Tuber can improve the plants ' performance over clip .
Dahlias are often grown as annuals that are dig up and overwintered indoors , which is necessary in some clime and also enhances plant public presentation .
Wait until the first icing of the fall to murder the tubers from the ground . allow for the Tuber for dry for a Clarence Day and dot them with a fungicide before storing them in peat moss that is proceed damp , but never wet , which can do the dahlia tubers to waste .
