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How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Dahlia Flowers
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I live in NE Indiana. Last fall a friend surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of Dahlias and I fell in love with them. I am a new at gardener. I want to add Dahlias to my gardens but am overwhelmed by all of the information below. Is growing Dahlias as difficult as it appears? Perhaps I should get a few more years of gardening experience before attempting them? What are your thoughts please?
Hi Marleene,
It’s not hard to see why you fell in love with dahlias!
Gardening is all about trying new things, so if you want to grow dahlias in your garden you should try it. Growing dahlias will be easier if you plant tubers and not start from seed. For the first year, you can start small and plant only a couple tubers to see how it goes.
There are a few things you want to remember: Don’t plant your tubers until after all threat of frost has passed. Plant them in an area that gets lots of sunlight (6 to 8 hours). When you do plant, make sure to follow the steps outlined above.
Since your location is in growing zone 6a, you will want to treat your dahlias as an annual, meaning you want to lift them from the garden in the fall and store indoors during the winter months and then plant again in the spring.
And to get an idea of what dahlia varieties grow best in your area, check with your local gardening center or reach out to your local cooperative extension for guidance.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
What about Dahlia seeds? I would also love some guidance on beachside gardening. Thanks
Hi Mary,
While dahlias are typically grown from tubers, you can certainly grow them from seed. The only thing to know is that if you collect seeds from a dahlia you grew, it will not grow true to what you had in the garden. Only tubers will stay true to type. Growing dahlias from seed is how new varieties have been created.
If growing from seed, you will want to check the last spring frost date for your growing location and plant the seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before that date. Once the threat of frost has passed, you can start by slowly introducing them to outdoor conditions (hardening off) before planting in your garden or in a container.
If you live in a colder region (Zone 7 or lower), you should dig up the tubers at the end of the growing season and store them indoors over winter to be replanted the following spring.
As for beachside gardening, it depends on a number of factors. You want to choose plants that thrive in conditions that come with living near the ocean—salt, wind, and sandy soil—as well as ones that are suitable for your growing zone. In terms of what plants do well in your location, it would be best to check with a local gardening center or cooperative extension for guidance.
My dahlias went through one hard freeze - can I save them by digging the tubers up now?
Hi Kim,
You typically want to dig up your dahlia tubers after the foliage has died back following a frost and before a hard freeze. With that being said, depending on the severity of the freeze your tubers might be okay. You should dig them up as soon as possible and inspect the tubers. If your tubers froze, they will need to be replaced. If the ground did not yet freeze to the level they were planted there is a chance they will be okay. If the tubers appear okay, store them for the winter in preparation for planting in the spring. There is still the chance the hard freeze killed the tubers, but you will not know until next year’s growing season.
When do you plant dahilia seeds? I'm in zone 8.
Hi Courtney,
While dahlias are typically grown from tubers, you can certainly be grown from seed. The only thing to know is that if you collected the seeds from a dahlia you grew, it will not grow true to what you had in the garden. Only tubers will stay true to type. Growing dahlias from seed is how new varieties have been created.
With that being said, you will want to check your last spring frost date for your Zone 8 location and plant the seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before that date. Once the threat of frost has passed, you can start by hardening them off (slowly introducing them to outdoor conditions) before planting in your garden or in a container.
In the fall, you can collect the tubers from your dahlia plants and store them over winter to be planted the following spring, as the tubers do not do well in cold winter conditions.
Is there a dahlia for zone 4. I live in Michigan
Hi Katherine,
Dahlias can most certainly be grown in Zone 4, but must be treated as an annual as the tubers will not survive your winters. Plant tubers after the threat of frost has passed in the spring and then lift the tubers to store for the winter following the first frost in the fall.
In terms of what dahlias to plant, you should discuss this with your local garden center to see what is available and/or contact your local cooperative extension to learn what varieties of dahlias thrive in your specific area.