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Wishing you every success growing dahlias this year

How to grow dahlias. With a little effort you can grow dahlias that put on a show of flowers from June to the first frosts. Dahlias come in a wide range of varieties, colours and sizes. Summer isn’t summer without them!

front cover of pdf - a worm's eye view on dahlias. This pdf covers the types of dahlias you get and advice on growing them from seed, tuber through. Sharing common knowledge and advice on supporting the plants to produce flowers all summer long

We’ve written a worm’s eye view on dahlias. Drawn some cartoons to support it, and published it as both a web page and a downloadable pdf. Here’s a slideshow of our cartoons for laughs. Have a great weekend gardening, and every success growing your dahlias

  • cartoon about growing dahlias. This cartoon shows too worms looking at a group of different dahlia varieties. One worm say” I can name every dahlia variety.” he continues, “ Cactus, semi-cactus, pom pom, ball, waterlily, anemone, decorative, colarette … single,” The other warm, “I can see why”
  • A cartoon about growing dahlias. This cartoon shows two worms in a plant pot with a dahlia tuber. the text on the cartoon leads, ‘Pot up dahlia tubers in May/April to start your tubers off indoors. Pllant out dahlias after the last frost.’ Looking at the tuber One worm says” They named them after Ander dahl.” The other worm says, “what, tubers?”
  • A cartoon about growing dahlias. This cartoon shows two worms in a border with an area planted with dahlia tuber. In the soil next to the tuber is a random AA battery.The copy reads: The bigger the tuber the bigger the dahlia is a myth. One worm says to the other worm” Legend has it you can plant tubers from the size of an AA battery” The other warm thinks to itself, “Knowledge is power”
  • A cartoon about growing dahlias. This cartoon shows two worms in a border with an area planted with dahlia tuber. The copy reads: Dahlias hate cold, wet soil. They’re not hardy, so to dig up tubers, store and replant them again in spring, is normal. One worm says to the other worm” Do you dig dahlias?” The other worm says, “They’re ok”
  • A cartoon about growing dahlias. This cartoon shows two worms in a border with an area planted with dahlia tuber. The tuber has been pinched out. The copy reads: For more flowers later, cut a dahlia’s centre stalk down by two sets of leaves - when it reaches 30 to 40 cms ... One worm says to the other worm” They call it pinching the plant” The other worm says, “Green and light fingered gardeners, eh!?”
  • A cartoon about growing dahlias. This cartoon shows two worms in a border with a dahlia plant. On elf the flowers has fallen over and is lying on top of one of the worms.. The copy reads: To produce more flowers and bushier Dahlias' remove all but five of the shoots sprouting from a tuber. One worm says to the worm under the flower” Feed fortnightly with a high potash feed, like tomatoes” The other worm says, “Don’t forget to tie them in too”
  • A cartoon about growing dahlias. This cartoon shows two worms in a straw filled pot, upside down on a pole. The worms are both in the pot. The copy reads: Dahlia pests include earwigs, who eat the leaves and flowers. Use pots on canes filled with straw to entrap them. One worm says to the worm under the flower” Earwigs crawl in the them, in the heat of the day” ...” The other worm says, “So that’s not you tickling my foot?”
  • A cartoon about growing dahlias. This cartoon shows two worms iin the soil looking at dahlia shoots. One os rounded, the other is pointed. The text on the cartoon reads, ‘Ongoing dahlia care: Regularly pick flowers or deadhead. Water once a week and feed fortnightly/‘ Looking at the stems One worm says” The round buds make new flowers. Deadhead the buds with points..” The other worm says, “And what do points make?”

Which ever variety you’re growing this year, this is our worm’s eye view on dahlias. Here’s a link for more info A worm’s eye view on dahlias

In short, Dahlias like a fertile, moist but well-drained soil, and a sunny, sheltered spot. Dahlias hate the cold. They perish in frosts, and thoroughly dislike damp and wet soil. Back what they like. They like watering thoroughly, once a week, and feeding fortnightly – using a high potash feed, like tomatoes. There you go. Oh yes, the taller varieties need staking.

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If growing dahlias indoors, you can harden them off in a cold frame, before planting in their final positions. Here’s one we made earlier …

Here’s our guide to building a cold fame

Make your own cold frame – we did. If it helps, here’s a pdf to download and use – click this link to open a new page

That’s enough from the worms, here’s some tip-top advise, on dahlias, from the experts

Including protecting your plants from slugs advice.

Gardener’s World talk about how to grow dahlias

Dahlia growing guide from the RHS

‘Three Acres Farm’ A beginners guide to growing dahlias

Great direction, packed full of links and further reading

Year-round garden pruning guide

Great advice and full of quick and simple tips too, for example … don’t cut into tender plants or evergreens right now as their top growth provides insulation from penetrating cold.

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