Prepare

• Dahlias love sun. Find a spot with at least 6-8 hours of sunlight.
• Your area should have well drained soil. Water should not sit on top of the ground after a heavy rain.

Plant

• Do not plant tubers until after your last spring frost. Check with your county extension office to find frost dates.
• Dig a hole 4”- 6” deep. Place one tuber per hole horizontally with the eye facing up, cover with soil.
• Do not water tubers until they are approximately 6” tall. Too much water will cause rot and your tuber will not grow.
• Spread Sluggo Plus over the area you just planted. Slugs and snails are dahlia killers. Be sure to reapply once a month through the season.

Tend

• Once plants 6” tall you can begin watering regularly. Drip line or soaker hoses are recommended to achieve deep watering.
• When plants reach 18” it is time to give them a hard pinch. Pinching promotes branching and will give you more blooms. Snip 3”- 4” out of the center stalk right above the next leaf set.
• Staking your dahlias is also recommended for long straight stems and to prevent your plants from wind/weather damage. We use the corralling method, but you can also stake individual plants if you have just a handful.

Harvest

• The more you cut, the more dahlias you will grow. Cut stems a minimum of 12” long, long cuts produce more long stems.
• Early morning (before 9 AM), is the best time to cut dahlias and will be crucial for a longer vase life.
• Take a bucket of water out to the field with you and place dahlias directly into water after cutting.
• Depending on size and form, most dahlias will last 4-6 days in a vase. Be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight and refresh vase water daily.