Dahlias are essential in the garden so that they have color throughout the summer until the end of autumn. Before you have beautiful dahlia flowers from June, you can anticipate the development of the tubers and thus the flowers by forcing them.
The busy gardener will appreciate the quick pleasure of flowers in the garden. Sometimes, as with dahlias, it is possible to hasten the vegetation from March, plant them already developing and enjoy flowering in advance.
Which dahlias to choose?
The choice turns out to be difficult because the panel colorscolors, shapes, heights, flowering period is huge. Long flowering, which lasts all summer until the first frosts, makes dahlias the stars of gardens, flower beds, pots and borders. Cactus, pom-pom, with anemone flowers, with flowers camelliacamelliawith flowers peonypeony, red, white, pink, yellow, two-tone, from 60 cm to 2 m in height, something for everyone. Let yourself be tempted by this abundantly blooming summer bulb.
When to germinate dahlia tubers?
If you want to anticipate the flowering of dahlias, stimulate the growth of vegetation by forcing them tuberstubers. For planting in May, start forcing dahlias around March. A healthy tuber should be a nice gray-brown color and firm. If you see any soft spots, remove them. So you can have dahlias in full bloom ahead of time.
Sprout several tubers at the same time to save time, and be sure to stagger the germination period to multiply plantings and make the most of flowering.
- Fill a deep box or pot with soil mixture (2/3) a sandsand (1/3);
- Cut off the roots lightly;
- Place tubers, large roots down and stem up;
- The top of the tuber should touch the surface of the ground;
- Cover them completely;
- Water moderately;
- Keep everything in a bright room and protect from bad weather;
- Close the container with a lid;
- Water as soon as the soil dries out;
- Avoid watering young shoots as soon as they appear.
In a few weeks the young stems will develop and you will be able to keep these forced dahlias under cover until planting, which will occur after the last frost, which is mid-May everywhere in France and April in the south, because climateclimate is milder. When you can plant them, dahlias will be 20 to 30 cm tall.
Did you know ?
Dahlias belong to frosty plants that must be pulled out at the end of autumn, after flowering. Once they bloom, store dahlia tubers from one year to the next.
What to do with sprouted dahlia tubers?
Choose a sunny site and, if necessary, fertilize the soil with matured compost for planting dahlias. In May, dig holes larger than the tubers and place them in the bottom of the holes, leaving about 10 cm between the tuber and the surface. Don’t bury them too deep. Fill with soil and then install the stake. Press lightly and then add water. If you plant several dahlias in a bed, space them 30 to 40 cm apart. For growing in a flower pot, choose a container at least 30 cm deep. Check the drainage hole and lay down a layer of gravel or pebblesclayclay. Planting remains the same in rich soil because dahlias are voracious.