![]() The plants can then be transplanted into their flowering site once there’s no danger of frost, usually in late May, or early to mid-June in colder regions. Stored tubers are best planted in containers in spring and kept indoors or in a greenhouse, so they start into growth early. RHS guide to identifying your soil type RHS guide to identifying your soil typeĪs dahlias are tender, they won’t survive heavy frost, so must be kept indoors until temperatures are consistently above freezing. They need to be sown and grown on indoors or in a heated greenhouse until large enough to transplant outside They are quick and easy to grow, and can start flowering in just a few months. Seeds – smaller bedding dahlias are available as seed, usually as a mix of colours or a single colour strain with some variation in hues. For the widest choice, it's often worth pre-ordering from nurseries. Bear in mind that with tubers and cuttings you’ll usually need a frost-free place, such as a heated greenhouse or indoor windowsill, to grow them on, although in mild regions, an unheated greenhouse, coldframe or even just insulating fleece may be sufficient cuttings are sold by specialist dahlia nurseries. ![]() There is a wide range of different methods for taking cuttings, depending on the plant and time of year. When prepared correctly and planted in the right conditions, they can produce roots and eventually become independent plants. In the Herbaceous Border at RHS Hyde Hall in EssexĪ method of growing new plants from parts of an existing plant, such as sections of root, stem, leaf or bud. In the Hot Garden at RHS Rosemoor in Devon In the Sub-Tropicana Garden at RHS Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire In the Exotic Garden and Mixed Borders at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey Growing from seed is a cost-effective way to create a large displayįor a more inspiration, take a look at the dahlias growing in RHS Gardens in summer and autumn, including: Single flowers are best for pollinators – see our list of dahlias with an RHS Plants for Pollinators awardīig dinner-plate flowers look spectacular, but don’t blend well in borders A few grow very tall, over 2m (6½ft)Īs well as flower colour, consider leaf colour too – darker-leaved cultivars can provide useful visual contrast When choosing dahlias, it’s also worth considering:ĭifferent sizes suit different planting spots – shorter types (bedding dahlias), up to 60cm (2ft) tall, are best for containers and the front of borders. Most dahlias reach about 1.2m (4ft), for mid-border positions, and need staking for support. In RHS Find a Plant the flower types are given after the plant name in abbreviated form, such as ‘C’ for cactus types, ‘Bal’ for ball, ‘Col’ for collarettes. Check out the National Dahlia Society’s useful guide to dahlia classifications. You can also search by height, flower colour, RHS Award of Garden Merit and pollinator-friendliness, to help narrow down your choices.Īround 120 dahlia cultivars have an RHS Award of Garden Merit, which shows they performed well in RHS trials, so are reliable choices.ĭahlia flowers are often categorised by shape – waterlily, pompon, single, etc. With such a range of flower colours, shapes and sizes, choosing dahlias is largely about personal taste. To browse photos and descriptions of many dahlia cultivars, go to RHS Find a Plant. The foliage is usually green, but there are darker colours too that provide a striking contrast to the flowers.ĭahlias are popular as cut flowers, and are also widely grown by enthusiasts for competitive shows. They have been widely bred to produce thousands of cultivars, with flowers in an array of styles, in colours from rich and vibrant to soft pastels, and in all sizes from 5cm (2in) across up to an impressive 30cm (1ft). They are particularly valuable in late summer and autumn, blooming through to the first frosts. tubers usually need to be stored in a frost-free place over winter, although in milder parts of the UK they may survive winter outdoors, especially if covered with an insulating mulch.ĭahlias are long-standing garden favourites for their bold, exotic flowers, produced over a long period. Examples are tuberous begonia, cyclamen, dahlia and potato. They have buds that can produce new plants. Tubers are swollen, usually underground, parts of a stem or root used to store food by the plant.
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