How to grow Dahlias

Growing dahlias is a great hobby. American's have taken this handsome flower with its multitude of types and colors as their own. Dahlias are spectacular, command attention anywhere. Besides the magnificent colors dahlias show-almost every color but blue-there's great fellowship among growers which makes them go long distances to meet other growers and learn what they're doing.

Anyone can grow dahlias of exhibition quality by following the seven simple rules below. These suggestions are just as good in Maine and Minnesota as in Georgia.

1. Don't plant too early. It's easy to get impatient when spring comes, but don't plant right after the last frost. Dahlias planted too early mature in hot weather and produce poor flowers. Even in mild Georgia climate, dahlia growers wait until May 15 to June 15. Those dates are recommended in the North, also.

2. Take care of your soil. Dahlias aren't fussy about soil, provided it's deeply cultivated, well drained, and have plenty of humus. They also need full sun to produce good flowers.

Compost or other humus should be dug into the dahlia bed every year. Cultivate the surface soil until plants are about a foot high. After that, feeder roots are near the surface and likely to be damaged by cultivation. Use mulch the rest of the season to keep down weeds and conserve moisture. Plant bulbs as shown in sketch-6 inches deep (a little deeper if soil is light; slightly less if tuber is small). Cover with 2 inches of soil.

3. Give plants enough room. Since dahlias are heavy feeders, their roots need plenty of room to spread. The large varieties need at least 3 feet between plants. Smaller dahlias used for mass effects can be placed 1 to 2 feet apart.

4. Top and disbud plants. Pinch out the tops of dahlia, plants after the second set of leaves has developed. This makes the plant branch to form four flower stalks instead of one.

If you want huge, exhibition type of blooms, leave the tip bud but go down the stem removing side buds, except for the two bottom ones on the stalk which are needed to produce later flowers. Disbud only large types; pompons and other small dahlias should have masses of flowers.

5. Use care in feeding. Soil too rich causes more failures with dahlias than too-poor soil. Work two good handfuls of bonemeal into soil for a distance of about 2 feet around the spot where each tuber will be planted.

When plants start growing, work about one tablespoonful of complete plant food, into the top inch of soil in a ring a foot more out from the stalk. Feed every two weeks in slowly increasing amounts.

Don't use high-nitrogen plant foods, stems will become soft and plant will grow leaves at the expense of flowers. It often helps to add a small amount of wood ashes to supply the potash dahlias need.

6. Stake dahlias well. Dahlias, being soft stemmed, break easily. Use sections of the steel rods used for reinforcing concrete as stakes; they don't rot or mildew. However, wooden stakes are good and easier to get.

For large dahlias, stakes should be 5 to 6 feet high and driven 18 inches into the ground. Knot the cord on the stake and then tie loosely about the plant.

7. Dig and store tubers carefully. After the first frost has killed the tops of your dahlia plants, cut off stalks and dig the roots. Loosen soil around the clump and raise the roots carefully so as not to break any tubers from the stem. Turn upside down in the sun for a few hours to let any juice drain from the hollow stalks. Then dust with sulfur, wrap in paper or cover with dry sand, peatmoss, or sawdust, and store in a cool, dry spot.

Varieties and types. In selecting your dahlias, you can choose among several thousand named varieties, ranging in size from the dwarfs up to the giant-flowered, 6-foot-tall exhibition types. As for colors, the only thing you can't have is a blue dahlia..