Dahlia Tubers

Dahlias love warmth. Plant tubers after your last frost when the soil has warmed to about 55-60 degrees.

Dahlias are a late summer and fall blooming flower, so be patient with them. Depending on variety, weather, and care you can expect blooms to begin opening at the end of July into August. They’ll be the shining start in your gardens by mid-August and through September and beyond!

Give your dahlias about 12 inches of space. Squeezing them into 9” is fine and letting them stretch out up to 18 inches works, too, especially if you choose to pinch them and let them branch out.

Tubers should be planted horizontally 4-6 inches deep.

Dahlias love nice and bright sunshine. Some shade can be helpful in the heat of the summer, but aim for most of their day to be spent soaking up the sun.

Tubers are slightly prone to rot, so make sure you plant in a well-draining spot.

After planting, refrain from watering your tubers unless the soil is extremely dried out.

When the plant starts to emerge from the ground, begin watering regularly if Mother Nature doesn't seem to be keeping up. Dahlias do like to stay pretty well hydrated.

For a bushier, branching plant cut the center stem above a set of leaves when its about 9-12 inches tall with at least 4-5 sets of leaves. This step is optional.

Once the plant begins to bloom, deadhead or cut stems regularly for the best showing of flowers. The more regularly they’re cut, the more they’ll bloom!

At the end of the growing season, chose to dig up the tuber clump to store for the winter or leave it alone and get new tubers in spring(treating it as a true annual). This step is slightly specific to where you live, those in more southern states with extremely mild (or nonexistent) winters should do their own research on this part or contact Katelyn.