Marianne's Response
Dahlias
Hi Marianne,
What’s the best way to prepare a bed for planting dahlias? I used to have 7 or 8 and then lost all but 1, replanted last year but none of them came up so not sure what’s up. I did wait until late May so that the soil was not so wet as we had such a wet spring last year.
Thanks,
Susan Box
Posted by sbox on March 8, 2018
Marianne's Response
Dahlias grow from bulb-like tubers and they can rot in wet soil so waiting until May is best. To prepare the soil dig down at least 8 inches to loosen up the soil so it will drain quickly. Add a bag of weed free compost for every 4 feet of soil surface. Mix this into the top three inches of soil. Plant the tubers in this soft soil so the growing tips are facing up. Add some Osmocote plant food to the top inch of soil over each dahlia following label instructions for amount. Now you must protect the tender green shoots from slugs. Put down a slug bait at planting time to give the first emerging stems a chance to build strength and then get ready for a summer of dahlia blooms. Two more tips: Dahlias like full sun and if you plant the tall varieties, add a stake when you first plant the tubers to avoid damaging the tubers later in the season by poking a stake in their hearts. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
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