Dahlias at their summer cottage

Dahlias ... These luxurious plants, with noble beautiful flowers, came to our gardens from the distant past. There are legends about their origin.

They say that once, they grew only in the royal flower beds. Dahlias were guarded as the greatest treasure, but one day, by some miracle, a young gardener managed to steal a flower and plant a curiosity under the window of his beloved. A sad fate awaited the guy, but this sacrifice was not in vain. The cherished flower became available to mere mortals and became widespread. Who knows, maybe your dahlias in the country are the successors of this glorious family. Or maybe their “roots” go to other parables, where the plant has become a symbol of victory? This knowledge may be interesting, but it will not help much in growing and breeding truly “proud” dahlias, so we will leave the study of stories for later and talk about more mundane things, namely creating optimal conditions for their life.

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Where to plant

“The best place for dahlias in the country will be the south side of the house (and they will need to be planted there closer to the wall), as well as near groups of taller plants, also from the most illuminated side”

Flowers of this species love:

1. Light.

2. Warm.

Lowlands and hills blown by seven winds are not suitable for them. In the first, they will die from excessive moisture and accumulation of cold air, and in the second, they will not survive due to drafts. However, this does not mean that the plant should be hidden in a greenhouse or planted in thickets of bushes and trees. It needs a regular supply of fresh air. Based on this, the best place for dahlias in the country will be the south side of the house (and they will need to be planted there closer to the wall), as well as near groups of taller plants, also from the most illuminated side.

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A few words about soil

For planting dahlias, the soil is prepared in advance. Flowers are demanding on the soil composition. The land in the area allocated for dahlias should be permeable, characterized by loose structure, fertility. It should not stagnate with water. If such a risk exists, it is better to prevent it by organizing high-quality drainage. Stagnation of water will provoke the defeat of tubers and roots with rot, and this is fraught with the fact that you will lose not only a beautiful flower bed this season, but also planting material for next year.

The acidity of the soil should be slightly positive or neutral. Too acidic soil is limed, that is, slaked lime is added to it. Too alkaline soil is acidified with peat. If the soil in the country is too heavy for dahlias due to an excess of clay inclusions in it, then its breathability is increased by adding the mixture:

• from sand;
• peat;
• leaf litter.

For soils with low water permeability, additives are provided:

1. Coarse-grained river sand.

2. Gravel.

3. Small slag screenings of coal.

Structural improvement of the soil and an increase in its fertile indicators are achieved by applying organic fertilizers.

It will be necessary to ensure that groundwater does not come too close to the surface at the planting site. The minimum depth of their occurrence should be 70 cm.

The formation of tubers in flowers requires a large amount of nutrients and sufficient moisture. This indicates that the soil in the dahlia planting area in the country at the end of the season will simply be depleted, and flowers will not be able to grow here next year. For the flower bed will have to look for a new place.

Advice. It is clear that there is not much free land in the country to leave it to “rest” for a whole year, and you can safely plant any plants there, except for asters. These flowers are too close in their qualities to dahlias and are prone to the same type of diseases. Such an alternation will lead to the accumulation of pathogens of a flower infection in the soil and the plants will simply be reborn or even die.

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How to plant dahlias in the country?

Planting material can be pre-germinated or immediately sent to open ground.

Germination

If you decide not to take risks and wake up dahlia tubers from hibernation in advance, you need to know how to do it right. Before sticking the material into the ground, it must be prepared for this action.

The process is as follows. About a month before the planned planting, the root tubers are removed from the storage place and closely examined for damage and rot. The detected damaged areas are removed, moreover, they do it radically, to a clean and completely healthy tissue. Sections are disinfected by falling asleep with charcoal. If there is no ash at hand, you can immerse the tubers in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 15-20 minutes or treat with foundationazole. Now the dahlias are ready for germination, but not in the country, but at home.

Root tubers can be planted both in containers and in separate pots. In both cases, the capacities should be low. The substrate can be any fertile soil mixture mixed with river sand in a 1: 1 ratio.

Make sure the tubers are not too deep. The immersion reference point will be the root neck, which should be flush with the top layer of soil. This is important, since the root collar is the area where the renewal buds are located, from which the new growth will actually come out.

On the first post-planting days, containers with dahlias are sent to a warm (+ 20-25o) and well-shaded place, where they will be until 2-3 cm sprouts appear. Watering at this time is moderate. After that, the grown flowers are moved to a bright, but cool (+ 12-15o) room. Watering is practically stopped, except that the soil is periodically slightly moistened in order not to allow the sprouts to deplete. In this state, dahlias will remain until landing in the country.

Landing in the ground

In open ground, dahlias can only be planted after the threat of a return of frost has passed and the soil warms up well.

Usually, this is the period from late April to mid-May. The hole is dug shallow, only 8-15 cm. At its bottom put rotted manure, a little lime and ash and mix it all with the ground. Pitch distance between holes:

1. For dwarf varieties - 20 cm.

2. For medium height - 60-70cm.

3. For giant - 80-90cm.

Plants cannot stand crowding, so it is advisable not to bunch them, trying to plant a flower bed with as wide a variety of varieties as possible.

While the landing zone is being prepared, the root tubers are soaked in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate.

If the planting of dahlias in the country takes place in a period that is doubtful regarding night frosts, then for their safety it is better to cover the flower bed with cardboard, paper or polyethylene.

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Features of caring for dahlias

Watering

Watering dahlias is a sensitive process. Its subtleties are due to the structural features of the flower. The visible powerful aerial part is supported in an aesthetic state by a rather weak root system, which performs a colossal work and which cannot be overloaded. Despite the fact that the plants need a lot of moisture and top dressing, they need to be given in small portions, so they will have to be watered quite often. “A lot” and “immediately” will not work. The roots will not be able to absorb the liquid in full, and this is fraught with rotting for them. It will be quite enough to moisten (do not flood!) The soil under the bushes by 25 centimeters (a shovel bayonet).

Border varieties of dahlias, if such are planted in the country, will not need watering with top dressing. Due to their short stature, they will have enough of those nutrients for the season that were laid in the planting hole.

How to keep moisture

“Fight weeds, which for dahlias in your country house will be sworn enemies, stealing moisture from them, disrupting the ventilation of the roots and thickening their planting”

If it is impossible to constantly stay in the country and observe the irrigation regime, mulching will help maintain soil moisture from arrival to arrival. It can be carried out fearlessly, since the mulch will not disturb the soil air exchange and will not cause waterlogging. Tall varieties preparing for cutting should be mulched with sphagnum peat.

In the struggle to maintain moisture, you can resort to hilling. The process is simple: watering in the evening - hilling up in the morning (shoveling a hill of soil under the main trunk of a bush). And so on: in the evening you rake a hole for irrigation, and in the morning you spud again. This method contributes to the full ripening of tubers. And be sure to fight weeds, which for dahlias in your country house will be sworn enemies, stealing moisture from them, disrupting the ventilation of the roots and thickening their planting.

Fertilizer

Particularly active top dressing is required for dahlias during the growing season. You need to give both organic and mineral compounds. Traditionally, an infusion of mullein and bird droppings is prepared. The first in a ratio of 1:10, the second - 1:20. Two liters of ready solution are diluted in a bucket of water.

Up to one and a half liters of fertilizer mixture is poured under each bush. When the buds appear, dahlias will need potash fertilizers and superphosphate. Here, 30 g of the substance is placed on the bucket. This amount is enough to water 8 bushes. By the way, opponents of chemistry can replace preparations with potassium-rich ash. Nutritional formulas are changed every two weeks.

Formation of bushes

If you have been growing dahlias in the country for more than a year, then it will not be a wonder for you that their bushes need to be thinned out, since in the “wild” form they branch too much. The axil of each leaflet is occupied by a bud, from which a lateral shoot will eventually develop. On this shoot, as well as on the main ones, buds appear. This is one of the reasons for the long and abundant flowering of plants. However, in our climate, only the central and very first of the profitable shoots, on which the buds appeared in the first place, have time to fully bloom.

In this perspective, the lower branches become unnecessary ballast, diverting decent forces to their development and forcing the root system to work in triple mode. As a result, the quality of flowering will suffer and the blooming period will slow down. You should not let the plant bush in vain and wither before our eyes.

It is necessary to carry out stepsoning of dahlias growing in the country in time, removing the shoots that appear in the lower tier. This procedure is done weekly. Shoots break out up to 4 internodes. Break them off, right at the very base. In a bush of optimal shape, a central stem with three to four side branches should remain.

If you abandon the stepson procedure, then waiting for lush flowering from your dahlias will be nonsense. Underdeveloped inflorescences on an overly sprawling bush are unlikely to please you with an aesthetic spectacle. Yes, and broken off and dried lower shoots, and this often happens to them, will give the whole plant an untidy appearance as a whole.

Especially a lot of trouble in this regard will be delivered by tall varieties of dahlias grown in the country. In addition to the profitable lower shoots, they will have to cut off all the lower leaves along the length of 40-45 cm of the stem. Here, excess foliage, in addition to weakening the plant, also does not allow the tubers to ripen well, so there will be nothing to take for winter storage. In flowers cultivated for cutting, extra buds are also removed. Their excess will cause the flower heads to decrease in diameter and cause later blooming.

In dahlias that perform a decorative role in the country, faded buds must be removed in a timely manner. This will prevent the inhibition of the development of new ones.

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Reproduction dahlia

Dahlias can be grown:

• from seeds;
• cuttings;
• separated tubers.

Sowing seeds

This type of reproduction is rarely used specifically for dahlias. Its main purpose is the breeding of new varietal species. Simple gardeners resort to the sowing method, propagating only dwarf varieties of the flower. You can sow dahlias with seeds even if you do not plan to transfer them to the category of perennials, that is, without digging up the tubers every autumn and not bothering with the issues of their storage.

Seeds are sown in the month of March, in ordinary seedling boxes. Ascended seedlings are dived into separate pots or transferred to nutrient cubes. After that, young dahlias, before landing in the country, sent to grow stronger on the windowsill or in the greenhouse. Seedlings will get into open ground only by the end of May. In terms of flowering and appearance, dahlias from seeds are no different from their relatives that appeared from cuttings or cuttings, but in this case, tubers do not have to wait for ripening.

We share the tubers

The simplest, therefore recognized and widespread method of breeding dahlia in the country. The division of the tuber is carried out with a very sharp sterilized knife. Thus, it is possible to avoid the spread of pathogens from infected tubers to healthy ones. The knife is sterilized before the start of the division of each new tuber. It is better to disinfect a knife by burning it with fire, but you can also dip it in strong potassium permanganate.

How to properly divide a tuber

The process begins with a vertical section of the hemp (the remainder of the stem). This must be done so that on each half there are kidneys. Then the procedure is exactly repeated with each of the obtained parts. From one mature tuber, 4 divisions are obtained. If you managed to grow very powerful bushes dahlia in the country, then up to 8 divisions can be obtained from their tubers, the main thing is to ensure that buds are present on each piece, otherwise the shoots simply will not grow from anything.

The division process can be done in the fall, but not immediately after digging up the tubers, but before sending them to storage, or leave it in the spring and divide the roots right before planting. In the first case, in order to preserve the delenok, they will need to be treated with protective preparations. In the second, the procedure takes place without unnecessary excesses, and it is much easier to carry it out, since the kidneys are already clearly visible.

Large tubers can be divided by hand by breaking them into several parts, however, after such a division, before planting, they will have to be disinfected by sprinkling with charcoal or soaking in a strong manganese solution.

Do not be discouraged if the planting material has dried up over the winter and perhaps even wrinkled. This does not mean at all that you will be left without dahlia in the country. Do not rush to throw away the deformed tubers, but soak them for several hours in ordinary water, then place them in wet sawdust, where they will wait for planting.

Working with cuttings

The method of reproduction by cuttings is considered to be the fastest and highest quality. The tubers are removed from storage at the end of December. They are examined as described above and planted to germinate. After shoots of eight centimeters in height appear from the buds, they can be cut off and tried to root. Each cutting is treated with a growth stimulator, immersed in a specific solution, for example, "Heteroauxin" and added dropwise to the prepared substrate of vermiculite and sand, mixed in a ratio of 1:3. You can plant a cutting in clean sand. Best of all, the rooting process will take place in a moderately warm room (+22O) with sufficient humidity (minimum 70%). The first tubers will be tied in the period from 15 to 25 days.

rooted cuttings dahlia planted in the country at the end of May or even at the beginning of June. Plants have enough time to develop normally and bloom in the first season. However, too large flowers from cuttings should not be expected. They are noticeably inferior to tuberous relatives in all respects.

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The nuances of autumn care for dahlias

The most crucial moment during this period will be digging up dahlias and preparing their tubers for storage. If you do not follow a number of rules in this matter, then the planting material will not survive until spring and luxurious dahlias will not appear in your country house if you do not purchase a new one.

So when do you need to dig up the tubers to get beautiful flower beds next year?

Tuberization in many varieties begins in the spring, but the process of their maturation is completed no earlier than by the end of the season. Experts advise removing tubers from the soil as late as possible. To allow the root system to mature, stop feeding the plants and reduce watering. It is desirable to do this from mid-August. At the beginning of autumn, in giant varieties, the faded stems are cut off by 15 cm and the lower part of the plant is exposed, cutting off the side shoots and leaves by 40 cm. After that, dahlias in the country can continue to grow until the onset of cold weather. The first frosts will destroy the aerial part of the plant and cause it to turn black. This will be the signal to start digging.

First of all, cut the stems with a garden pruner at a height of no higher than 20 cm. After that, dig a bush in a circle of a thirty-centimeter diameter. Do this carefully so as not to accidentally damage the roots. Now take a pitchfork and carefully turn out the clod of earth. Select, clean the tubers, and place them in the prepared container.

Before storing dahlia tubers dug out in the country, they are thoroughly cleaned of adhering soil. Once again, the stem is shortened, leaving a stump 7-8 cm high from it.After that, the tuberous part is washed, but not under running water, but in a spacious container so as not to damage the growth zones and integrity. After complete cleaning, it is the turn of disinfection. In this case, potassium permanganate, beloved by gardeners, acts as a disinfectant. The dive procedure lasts up to half an hour. The concentration of the solution should be of medium strength. Drying of tubers occurs in natural conditions, in the open air. Now they are guaranteed to last until spring.

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Dahlias in the cold

In some regions, the first frosts may come as early as September. If you want to prolong the flowering of dahlias, you will have to protect them. The plant is able to survive temperatures down to -2o, but it is still better to help him with this. Of the heating methods, they use covering with caps, heating with bonfires and stoves, and on calm days they create a smoke screen. Make sure that each bush is well planted. Regular rains can break this protective rampart of the earth. If the frost still grabbed a few shoots - they need to be removed. With a strong defeat of the bush, it is dug out entirely, cut off and the tubers are prepared for storage.

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Tips for flower growers

Very often, for beginner gardeners, dahlias bloom too late. What is it connected with? With care errors. To stimulate the plant to bloom, you need to pinch it in time. This is done as soon as the fifth pair of leaves appears. Now it will use its forces exclusively for flowering and seed formation.

Dahlias of curb varieties growing in the country are not subject to plucking. They are small without it. What else will significantly slow down flowering is the soil oversaturated with nitrogen. This component is responsible for the development of foliage.

General recommendations

1. Do not violate the crop rotation schedule. Dahlias can land in their original place only after two years.

2. If necessary, enrich the soil with nitrogen, use ammonium nitrate. 15g of substance is required per 1m2.

3. Tall plants often break under the weight of flowers and from weather, so they need to be tied to pegs driven in from the north side of the bush.

4. Broken sprouts can be reanimated by laying a tire from an even twig on the stems and laying them on a support.

5. You can protect the flower from the cold by hiding it under a spunbond cap or simply covering it with a bucket.

6. You can try to heal a weakened plant by sprinkling it with ashes.

7. It is easiest to protect the planting of dahlias in the country from pest attacks by planting marigolds in the aisles.

How to improve flowering

The dahlia peduncle throws out three buds: one central and two lateral. If the bush is preparing for cutting, then the side buds of the upper tier and the underlying one are plucked. As a result, you will get large beautiful flowers on high strong legs. In the case when the task of the plant is the decor of a summer cottage, you need to do the opposite and pluck out the central buds.

Part of the buds must also be removed towards the end of summer, if the bush is “carried away” by their ligature. This will allow the tubers to ripen.

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Dahlia diseases

The most dangerous for dahlias is not pest attacks, but damage by viruses, bacteria and fungi invisible to the eye. Plants are especially resistant to:

• black leg;
• rot;
• powdery mildew.

Black leg is a disease of young animals. Her symptoms are outwardly noticeable immediately. The stem of the bush turns black and becomes thinner. Prevention plays an important role in the fight against the causative agent of the black leg. It is necessary to disinfect the soil before planting seedlings, watering the hole with a solution of potassium permanganate of one percent concentration.

Yellowing of the leaves and wilting is the first signal of a bacterial lesion.It is better to immediately remove the diseased plant from the flower bed so as not to lose the entire planting of dahlias in the country. The soil in the zone of its growth is covered with bleach and carefully dug up.

Dry rot overtakes the plant during its storage. Therefore, planting material should be regularly reviewed and, if the slightest sign of deterioration is found, the tubers should be immediately cut to healthy tissues.

Powdery mildew is a spider web on the leaves. The fight against it is also carried out with preventive measures, by spraying dahlias with a mixture of 2 grams of copper sulfate, 20 grams of laundry soap shavings and a liter of water.

The spots that appeared on the leaves and their wrinkling will tell about the viral disease. Treatment is not provided. The plant is removed, the soil and working tools are disinfected. After a few days, the treated soil will need to be dug up.

The growths that appeared on dahlias speak of rotting tubers. This is the worst thing that can happen in a dahlia bed in the country, because with this infection, not only a particular plant is affected, but also the surrounding soil. The planting will have to be destroyed, and nothing will be planted on this site for as long as 5 years.

Dahlias also suffer from aphids, thrips, bedbugs, but these pests can be radically combated. Spraying with a soapy solution or tobacco-soap tincture helps well. Dahlia tubers can be gnawed by a wireworm, and its nematode can also choose stems with leaves. The latter, climbing inside, looks like a swelling. Parasites are collected and the entire planting site is disinfected.

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Conclusion

Although this article discusses many nuances of growing dahlias in the country, in reality everything is not so scary. The plant is not too whimsical and capricious, so caring for it will not take a lot of time. In gratitude for every bit of attention paid, your dahlia will throw out more and more buds, delighting with the beauty, duration and riot of its flowering!

Photo gallery - dahlias in the country

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