Dahlia Growing Guide

Always open up and inspect your dahlia tubers on arrival. Store them in 40-50 degree temps until ready to plant. Dahlia tubers like high humidity, do not let them dry out as they will shrivel and you will be sad.

Plant tubers in the spring after all danger of frost has passed. They enjoy full sun and rich, well draining soil. If you live in a very hot climate, they appreciate partial shade. Place them 4-6” deep with the eye (sprout) facing up, 12-18” apart. We also add a handful of alfalfa pellets/meal to each hole for fertilizer. Be sure to label if you want to keep track of your cultivars. Unless your soil is very dry there is no need to water until they sprout, otherwise you may risk them rotting.

Pinch your dahlia plants when they are 8-12” tall and have 3-4 sets of leaves. This will encourage the plant to branch and produce many more blooms on longer stems. Though pinching will delay your first bloom by a few weeks, it is a must for cut flowers and well worth the wait!

Dahlias do require support during the growing season (with the exception of the shortest cultivars). You can tie them to a stake or corral them with twine if planted in a row/bed.

Dahlias can be fussy, but when you make them happy they will reward you with abundant and gorgeous blooms from July-October (or first frost). You can then dig them up and save the tubers for next season!