Welcome to a new series I’m calling the “Garden Diaries”, in which I will be sharing all of the ups and downs of my gardening journey throughout the year. We grow a plethora of different fruits, veggies, flowers, and more here- so there will be plenty to talk about!
It’s still too cold out (especially at night) to be planting anything outside where I live. However, we have already started dahlia tubers indoors, as you can see below. We’re hoping to get some beautiful blooms this year, like the pink dahlia up above!
We started about half of our total tubers inside, in hopes of staggering when they’ll bloom in the summer. They were started in mid-March, which is more than two months before we’re likely to get our last frost. Dahlias need the soil to be at least 60 degrees when you plant them, and for us, that could be the first week of June or even later. In fact, last year it wasn’t warm enough to plant until mid-June, so you really never know around here.
The dahlia tubers were kept under grow lights for about 16 hours a day and lightly misted with water to prevent them from drying out. However, we did not allow the soil to become too wet as that will promote rotting in the tubers.
Within a week to ten days, almost all of the Dahlia tubers had eyed up and began sprouting. There were only a couple that did not eye up and began to rot. However, I think they did not have enough of a “neck” on them to eye up.
Now, like I said, this series is simply a diary for my garden. There are TONS of resources that I have learned from, especially when it comes to dahlias. For example, the above book, Discovering Dahlias by Erin Benzakein (which you can shop on Amazon), is both beautiful and informative.
There are also many other tutorials from gardeners who have been growing dahlias on a large scale for a long time. I’ve looked at a lot of Swan Island’s tutorials, Floret Farm’s videos, and more. There are a lot of different opinions and techniques out there, so as a relatively new dahlia grower, I’m trying to see what will work best.
Happy pre-season gardening and I’ll see you soon with an update. Our next step dahlia-wise is taking cuttings from some of the tubers that have started, in order to start even more dahlias.
If you are a Dahlia lover and grower, leave your best tips or advice below!
Catch up on the Garden Diaries:
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Grow Bags
for flowers, veggies, and more
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
JNYONG 12-Pack 7 Gallon Thickened Non-Woven Grow Bags, Aeration Fabric Pots with Handles |
$21.99
$20.99 |
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Last update on 2024-11-20 at 14:12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Osmocote Plant Food
for vegetables & flowers
| Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food Flower & Vegetable, 2 lb. |
$15.49
$10.98 |
Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-11-20 at 14:12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
