We are at the height of dahlia season right now, but the great thing about dahlias is the season goes on and on and on!
The season starts in early July and finishes with either frost, or the cold rains. I have picked dahlias on Remembrance Day. They are fabulous for bouquets – they don’t last a long time, but are great showpieces for a few days.
Native to Mexico, they were brought to Europe in the 1700s by a French botanist and are widely hybridized to provide many flower types and colors.
My mom was an avid dahlia grower when she was at her home in Ontario and dahlias had to be dug out each fall and replanted in the spring. Her heavy clay soil made it a monumental task. In earlier years I always dug them out here as well, but with warmer winters, and some properties with many plants, we sometimes take a chance on leaving them in the ground, depending on the prediction for winter conditions.
One client in Lynn Valley had nowhere to store them so we left them in the ground for the last winter and, amazingly, they survived due to a thick layer of horse manure and pine needles for mulch.
My best success for storage is to dig the tubers in the fall, store in slightly moist peat moss in a place that will not freeze or get above 10 degrees and be kept dark. It is important to label each tuber, so you don’t end up with too many of the same colour or give away your only favourite tuber. A survey ribbon tied around the stem works well for writing the details about height and colour, or if you have multiple tubers of a colour, cardboard file boxes work well as they have lids and can be stacked up for efficient storage.
In the spring I examine the tubers, the healthy ones are divided, and if time and space permits, I put the keepers in pots for an early start. They will be able to take a light frost once potted. The best home for dahlias is a sunny spot in the ground, as they need a lot of sun to bloom well and are heavy drinkers. Slugs love them, so you will need to monitor for slug damage. If planted in pots, the pot should be large and have a big saucer under it which can be kept full of water. Large dahlias will need staking.
Now is the time to take notice of who has what and make your requests for when the tubers are divided in the spring. (You might offer help with digging and labeling.)
The Saturday market at Loutet Farm has lovely bouquets and many have one or more of their many varieties of dahlias. My new favourite is a large deep purple splashed with white. I also love my dwarf purple pom-pom.
Heather Schamehorn is a certified residential landscape designer, educator, sustainability advocate and acupressure therapist. Contact via perennialpleasures.ca
