Dahlia

[Paul_TT]

I am completely new to allotments but have taken a 16m x 14m from the parish council having semi retired this month

I want to grow vegetables for the family and friends. However I want a bed of dahlias. There is a simple reason for this . My grandfather was a hard working miner all his life and his dahlias were his pride and joy. Have always said when I had some time I would follow in his footsteps but I have no idea where to start.

I have made a 5 ft x 12 ft raised bed just for flowers which i have turned over and added some well rotted horse manure. I was intending buying dormant tubers from a dahlia specialist and planting them out late April The soil is relatively light and is well draining The plot faces south in an open allotment so should get good sunshine over the summer months.
Any recommendations please to change any of the above or does that sound OK for a first year attempt. When should I stake the plants and should I be OK it I plant them each in a 2 ft x 2 ft space to grow into

Any recommendations please as to what to plant I want to try and grow the different styles of Dahlia

[elsie-scot]

Welcome.

Ask the other plot holders as someone is likely to be a dahlia grower and they help with local knowledge. Are you going to show them or just for fun?

I saw a you tube video “how Geoff and heater grow dahlias” They grow for show but it gives a good account of how to grow them.

[bramble]

Hi Paul and welcome.
Have you decided what type of dahlias you want to grow.
There are a huge variety to choose from.
Small sing flowers, cactus, pompom and of course the big brash dinner Plate variety.
Go 9n line on some of the dahlia sites to give yourself a better idea..
If you have a good bit of disposable income then one of the dahlia breeders will suit your needs.
Lidl and Aldi and I'm sure other stores I am not familiar with will be selling them cheaper.
I bought a lot in Lifl a few weeks ago and have started thrm in pots in my conservatory and will 0lsnt them out when the risk of frost has passed.
You can also buy packets of seeds and grow from them.
When you're up and running you can save your own seeds.
I hope this may be of help.
They are a great flower and the bees love them.

[nickdub]

I am completely new to allotments but have taken a 16m x 14m from the parish council having semi retired this month

I want to grow vegetables for the family and friends. However I want a bed of dahlias. There is a simple reason for this . My grandfather was a hard working miner all his life and his dahlias were his pride and joy. Have always said when I had some time I would follow in his footsteps but I have no idea where to start.

I have made a 5 ft x 12 ft raised bed just for flowers which i have turned over and added some well rotted horse manure. I was intending buying dormant tubers from a dahlia specialist and planting them out late April The soil is relatively light and is well draining The plot faces south in an open allotment so should get good sunshine over the summer months.
Any recommendations please to change any of the above or does that sound OK for a first year attempt. When should I stake the plants and should I be OK it I plant them each in a 2 ft x 2 ft space to grow into

Any recommendations please as to what to plant I want to try and grow the different styles of Dahlia

A couple of years ago I bought a packet of Dahlia seed for under £2 and grew over 100 dahlia plants from it, some of which flowered the same year. I kept the tubers inside over winter and planted them out last year and had about 50 plants which flowered. I was intending to dig them up last Autumn to bring them inside again over winter, but I went down with the flu so they are still in the ground which is absolutely sodden after the deluge we've just had here - whether any will grow again this year I don't know.

[Scarlet]

There's lots of growing info and photos/varieties in both these threads on the dahlias we have grown the past two years:
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...es_100655.html
More photos in this one towards the end.
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ear_98385.html

I buy my tubers from Peter Nyssen.
Most of them are £2 each. They should be having a sale soon. I would look soon as lots of varieties sell out quickly. I ordered my tubers at the beginning of January.

As Nick says - seeds are a cheap of starting and they flower the same year - all mine did last year. But you don't know what you are growing. I grew Bishop singles and the bees loved them and I loved them all! They also bulked up well - the tubers were this size at the end of the season.




Although if you buy in tubers to start you get to choose your varieties. I've found the big decorative dahlias look fabulous in the garden but they can get top heavy in the vase as well as on the plant. So really need to be staked well.


With this in mind I have bought several more ball varieties in for this year. One of my favorite for cutting last year -was downham royal. Lovely color and lots to pick.


The honks varieties are a little different - comes in lots of colours


Last year I used bamboo canes and string. They need it in place as soon as you plant - it looks messy.

I also used a square frame with string criss crossed. About a foot off the ground. The plants grew up through. It worked well but ideally I needed another tier.

I have been to a Dalia specialist that uses coir netting a in a double a tier and the plants are well supported. I was just too tight to buy the nets.

I've also seen - the square wire fencing? Cut and made into a tall cylinder. Cut into about a four foot length and rolled to form a tube? Plant the Dalia. Place the hoop over the top. Stick a cane in either side to wedge it down. The plant grows through and gets supported all season. The beauty of this is you can keep your cylinders forever. I may try that this year.

[Paul_TT]

Dahlia

Many thanks for these insightful responses I really do appreciate the help and will get myself in the allotment once the weather improves

Again many thanks

[rary]

If you will be frost free from mid May you can plant your tubers straight into the garden, if not and you still want to plant at that time you will have to provide frost protection which could be a layer of straw, if using stakes for support these should go in at time of planting, as Scarlet has said some people use netting stretched over the bed which supports the plants as they grow through you could use wide spaced wire mesh nailed to a wooden frame for this the netting support would be your best option at the width of your bed as you could have difficulty accessing some of the plants to tie them in I have a friend who grows his plants closer together for support and just puts strong stakes round the outside and connects them with string