Dahlias: when to dig up tubers in the fall in the Moscow region, Siberia, Leningrad region, preparation for storage at home

Do I need to dig up dahlias for the winter?

Dahlias are majestic and very beautiful flowers, regardless of the variety. Thanks to selection, they can have different colors, sizes and shapes of inflorescences, fit well into any flowerbed, and become an interesting addition to the bouquet. The plant is very demanding of care; in order to preserve it for cultivation, it is necessary to strictly follow agrotechnical rules and be sure to dig up dahlias from open ground for the winter.

Important! If the plant's bulbs are not removed from the ground in the fall, they will freeze and disappear.

In autumn you should dig up tubers of any varieties of dahlias.
In autumn you should dig up tubers of any varieties of dahlias

Features of growing dahlias

Although this is an unpretentious plant, the key to luxurious flowering of dahlias is proper planting and careful care. When selecting a location, the following requirements must be taken into account:

sufficient illumination. Flowers need sun for at least six hours a day, otherwise their appearance will be dull;
area protected from the wind. Firstly, dahlias do not tolerate drafts. Secondly, the north wind can freeze the leaves;
flat place. Dahlias do not like cold and humidity, this leads to rotting of the roots, so low-lying and swampy areas are not suitable for them;
Dahlias do not tolerate either excess or lack of moisture. Therefore, if the groundwater is shallow (up to 70 cm), the flower bed must be raised for it. The best option is to arrange a drainage layer of gravel or expanded clay on the bed;
You shouldn’t plant dahlias next to large trees either: they greatly deplete the soil, in addition, in strong shade the plants will stretch out and bloom poorly;
Any type of soil is suitable: black soil, loam, and sandy soils;
neutral soil is ideal for them, so acidic soils are limed before planting;
Plants cannot be planted in one place for more than two years, otherwise too many pests and diseases accumulate in the soil, which impairs flowering;
The distance between bushes is determined by the shape and height of a particular bush variety.

Is it possible to store tubers of annual dahlias?

Annual dahlias should be dug up and stored in the fall in the same way as perennials. However, for greater preservation of the corms, it is important to especially carefully control the humidity in the place where they lie. It is advisable to divide the material into several parts and try to store each using a different method. This will greatly increase the plant's chances of survival. It is worth noting that even if you store dahlia roots in the basement, it may work one year, but the material will die the next.

Advice! When choosing a place for wintering a crop, you should experiment with different methods and variations.

Cultural information

A flower garden with dahlias looks amazing: red, white, pink, yellow and other colors. The varied palette of shapes and shades leaves such an impression with its effect that lovers of these plants prepare seedlings year after year. Flowering begins in June and ends with the frosty season. How to properly grow dahlias from seeds? First, let's get acquainted with the features of these bright colors. Annuals come in many varieties, from which you can always choose the ones that suit your garden.

There are many advantages over perennial varieties and other inhabitants of flower beds:

Long flowering, lasting until frost.
Large flowers, colorful and varied in shape: spherical, double, with glossy petals.
Annual dahlias are easy to plant from seed and then care for. Tubers do not need to be dug up and stored.
Growth is possible throughout the Russian Federation, including in the north.
The culture is unpretentious for any climate, soil, and does not require constant watering.

Attention! The most effective growth and flowering is achieved on neutral soils. Or a soil with low acidity is required.

Dahlias love to grow in bright, sunny areas. They belong to the Asteraceae family and differ in height, the presence of doubleness, and flower diameter.

When to dig up perennial dahlias for storage in the fall

In autumn, it is recommended to dig up the corms of perennial dahlias at certain times, which depend on the climate in the region of growth. If you remove them from the ground ahead of time, where optimal conditions remain at temperatures above 0 degrees, they will survive storage worse. If you dig up plant bulbs in late autumn, there is a high chance that they will freeze and die.

Comment! The period for digging up dahlias for winter storage varies in each region.

When to dig up dahlias in the fall in the Moscow region

The tubers of the crop complete their formation in the second half of autumn; it is for this reason that it is very important to remove them from the ground on time. The fact that the bulbs are ripe is signaled by the drying and withering of the aboveground part of the plant. For the Moscow region, the optimal time for digging up crops is considered to be from early to mid-October. During short-term frosts, flowers can be left in the ground, but they should be spudded. If there is a threat of severe frost, the plant must be dug up immediately.

For successful wintering, the crop bulb must be fully mature

When to dig up dahlias in autumn in Siberia

In Siberia, where the summer is not as long as in central Russia, plants with a short growing season are grown. This feature is important to consider when choosing a dahlia variety. A variety suitable for this climate zone should fully ripen a month after flowering. If autumn is early, then it is recommended to dig up the plant from the second half of September. The varieties with dark buds are the first to be removed from the soil, the last are those that grew from annual tubers. If the weather is persistently warm at the beginning of autumn, the procedure can be postponed for a couple of weeks.

Read more How to properly cut dahlias in spring and autumn

When to dig up dahlias in the fall in the Urals

In the Urals, as well as in Siberia, dahlias are dug up after flowering. This is a northern region, autumn comes earlier here and with the unexpected arrival of frost, the roots of the crop will begin to rot, and the tubers may awaken growth buds. In this case, the plant is unlikely to survive until spring. Therefore, in the Urals, it is advisable to dig up dahlias at the end of the first month of autumn, before the weather deteriorates too much.

When to dig up dahlias in the fall in the Leningrad region

In autumn, towards the end of September or early October, night frosts occur in the Leningrad region. It is at this point that gardeners advise starting to dig up dahlia bulbs for storage for the next season. Despite the fact that the weather may improve in the future, it is better not to take risks and not allow the buds on the root collar to grow.

When to dig up dahlias in the fall in the middle zone

As for central Russia, here dahlias are harvested for the winter towards the end of autumn, in the second half of October, depending on weather conditions. If the air temperature drops below 0 degrees unexpectedly and for a short time, then you can wait a little with the procedure. But in the case when the frosts are long and autumn comes early, it is better to start digging up the corms before the onset of stronger cold weather.

The timing of digging up dahlias in the fall is greatly influenced by weather conditions.

Features of growing dahlias in Siberia

Here the landing site is of particular importance. It should be sunny and protected from the north wind.

Dahlias are planted in open ground in mid-June; climatic conditions do not allow this to be done earlier. To do this, they must be germinated at the end of March, so that after planting they immediately begin to grow and have time to bloom before autumn.

When planting, the lower pair of leaves is buried 5–6 cm into the soil. This is an important technique, since Siberian spring frosts often destroy the entire above-ground part, despite the shelter. And then the buds in the axils of the leaves of the lower node, located underground, awaken and begin to grow.

In this region, leaving no more than two trunks when growing from a tuber becomes even more important, since otherwise, even with the active removal of stepsons and extra buds in the summer, you may simply not wait for flowering: all the plant’s energy will be spent on the formation of shoots.

Already in mid-August, the lower leaves are removed from the stems, this speeds up the ripening of the tubers. At the end of August, dahlias are hilled up to protect the bases of the shoots from autumn frosts.

How to dig up tubers correctly

With the onset of autumn, by the time it comes time to dig up the dahlias, the upper part of the plant is almost completely dry, so it is cut off, leaving a trunk no more than 5 cm long. Then the bush is dug up, lifted from below with a shovel and carefully removed from the soil.

Important! To remove a plant from the ground, do not grab it by the stems.

Next, the soil is shaken off the tubers, its remains are washed off with water, and the material is examined for the presence of diseases. Many people recommend soaking the roots in a solution of the drug “Maxim” (for half an hour). Before preparing for winter, the bulbs are well dried.

Dahlia diseases

The most dangerous thing for dahlias is not attacks from pests, but damage from viruses, bacteria and fungi invisible to the eye. Plants are especially bad at resisting:

black leg;
rot;
powdery mildew.

Blackleg is a disease of young animals. Its symptoms are outwardly noticeable immediately. The stem of the bush turns black and thins. Prevention plays a major role in the fight against the blackleg pathogen. It is necessary to disinfect the soil before planting seedlings by watering the hole with a one percent solution of potassium permanganate.

Black leg of dahlias

Yellowing of leaves and wilting are the first signal of bacterial damage. It is better to immediately remove the diseased plant from the flowerbed so as not to lose the entire dahlia planting in the country. The soil in its growth zone is covered with bleach and carefully dug up.

Bacterial damage to leaves

Dry rot overtakes the plant during its storage. Therefore, you should regularly review the planting material and, if you detect the slightest signs of deterioration, immediately cut the tubers to healthy tissue.

Dry rot on dahlia leaves

Powdery mildew is a cobweb coating on the leaves. The fight against it is also carried out with preventive measures, by spraying dahlias with a mixture of 2 grams of copper sulfate, 20 grams of laundry soap shavings and a liter of water.

Powdery mildew on leaves

The spots that appear on the leaves and their wrinkling will tell you about the viral disease. No treatment is provided. The plant is removed, the soil and working tools are disinfected. After a few days, the treated soil will need to be dug up.

Viral disease manifests itself as spots on leaves

Growths that appear on dahlias indicate rotting of the tubers. This is the worst thing that can happen in a flower bed with dahlias in the country, because this infection affects not only the specific plant, but also the adjacent soil. The planting will have to be destroyed, and nothing will be planted in this area for 5 years.

Growths signal root diseases

Dahlias also suffer from aphids, thrips, and bugs, but these pests can be radically combated. Spraying with a soap solution or tobacco-soap tincture helps. The dahlia tubers can be gnawed by the wireworm, and its nematode can also take a liking to the stems and leaves. The latter, once inside, looks like a swelling. Parasites are collected and the entire planting area is disinfected.

Insect pests on dahlia leaves

Storage conditions

The main principle of storing dahlias in the cold season is to maintain optimal humidity and temperature in the room. The bulbs should lie in an unheated place where the humidity is kept between 70-80%. The material with which they are sprinkled must be dry. If the tubers begin to wilt, lightly sprinkle them with water.

At what temperature should dahlias be stored in winter?

The optimal air temperature in the room reserved for storing dahlias should be stable throughout the winter. Ideal conditions are considered to be from +3 to +6 degrees. If for some reason the temperature drops below 0 or above +7 degrees, the tubers will die.

1.Seven secrets of success:

1. Growing temperature: summer - from 18 to 25 ° C, winter - for the onset of abundant flowering, it is worth providing a cool dormant period at a temperature of 12 - 15 ° C.

2. Lighting: shading from the scorching direct rays of the sun on summer days. In spring and summer, the dahlia can bathe in the sun in the morning and evening, for 3 to 4 hours every day.

3. Watering and air humidity: dry the top layer of soil to a depth of several centimeters between watering in spring and summer. In winter, the frequency of watering is reduced in accordance with the room temperature - the substrate is simply protected from completely drying out by keeping it cool. Air humidity increases with the onset of warm weather.

4. Pruning: Some dahlias need to be pinched to form side branches.

5. Soil: Nutrient-rich, loose soil with a slightly acidic or neutral pH and a high content of organic matter.

6. Feeding: mineral or organic fertilizers every 2 weeks during the growth period. In mid-autumn, feeding is stopped and resumed only in the spring, with the appearance of the first signs of new growth.

7. Reproduction: by dividing tubers or sowing seeds.

Botanical name: Dahlia.

Home dahlias - family

Homeland of the plant. Mexico.

Description. Dahlias are perennial herbaceous plants with dark green oblong-lanceolate leaves up to 7 cm long. The underground part is represented by a large brown rhizome. Leaf blades often have denticles along the edges. The stems are erect, have a cavity inside, and are brittle. Many forms have been developed in various heights, sizes and shades of colors, except blue. There are terry and simple varieties. The flowers are actually large inflorescences, consisting of many small tubular flowers located in the center and ligulate flowers along the edge of the inflorescence. Often tubular and reed flowers have a contrasting color.

Height of dahlias. Dwarf species up to 50 cm high are suitable for indoor keeping.

Where to store dahlia tubers in winter at home

There are several places suitable for storing dahlia corms from autumn to spring. The basement is best suited for this purpose, but if there is no necessary space, you can place the processed material in a cellar, garage or on an insulated balcony. If there are few bulbs, you can keep them in the refrigerator compartment.

Read more Pinching and pinching dahlias - video, photo

Can dahlias be stored in the refrigerator in winter?

Many gardeners are forced to store dahlias in the apartment during frosty periods; the refrigerator is perfect for this purpose. The prepared material can be treated with paraffin, wrapped in cling film or newspaper and placed in the refrigerator compartment. At a temperature of +4-7 degrees, corms usually lie well and do not deteriorate until spring.

When are tubers harvested?

Dahlias are plants that are sensitive to frost. Already at −1°C the leaves turn black. It is recommended to mulch the bushes with loose soil at the first threat of autumn frosts. It will protect the tubers from the cold.

Do dahlias have a dormant period? Yes, there is, since it is not an evergreen plant, the tubers are dug up in the fall.

If during early frosts only the leaves were damaged and the stem did not turn black, the tubers are not dug up. When good weather sets in after freezing, the accumulation of nutrients continues in the tubers. This occurs due to the fact that the stem carries out photosynthesis.

Tubers are usually dug up at the end of September - beginning of October. They are stored in the cellar. There they will be able to overwinter, covered with coarse sawdust.

The dahlia is an amazing flower, distinguished by a wide range of colors and a variety of shapes. Using knowledge on breeding, growing and caring for this plant, the gardener will make it a decoration for his dacha. In addition to the flower bed, dahlias can be grown in large pots, placing them on the terrace near the porch in the summer. Dug up together with the tuber in the fall, it can still bloom for some time on an unheated balcony.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZtYqL60HeGU

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How to properly store dahlia tubers in winter

You can store dahlia bulbs in winter using different methods: in a box with sand, sawdust or peat, in ash, treated with paraffin. If there is not much material, then it can be wrapped in three or four layers of newspaper or placed in plastic bags and tied well, then put in the refrigerator.

Important! Once a month you need to check the tubers and remove damaged specimens.

Corms should be periodically inspected for rot and spoilage.

Storing dahlias in sand, sawdust, peat

One of the most popular ways to store dahlia corms from autumn to spring is to place them in the basement in boxes or cardboard boxes with sand, sawdust or peat. To do this you should:

Place a layer of the selected material (3-4 cm) on the bottom of the container.
Place a row of onions on top of the “pillow” so that they do not touch each other.
Place the container in the basement, where the temperature will be maintained at +3-5 degrees and humidity at about 70%.

Advice! It is recommended to mark the dahlia variety on containers with the material.

Storing dahlias in ash

For this method you will need ash and a clay mash. To ensure that the bulbs are well preserved, you should:

Dissolve the clay in a bucket of water until it becomes thick sour cream.
Add 1 tsp to the composition. copper sulfate.
Dip each plant tuber in the mixture, then dry for three days.
Place the processed bulbs in a box and place them in the basement, where optimal storage conditions will be maintained throughout the winter.

Storage in vermiculite

Vermiculite is a material that retains moisture well. Thanks to this, the roots will not dry out, although when it warms up in the place where they are kept, they may begin to germinate. To prevent this, it is better to choose not garden vermiculite, but coarsely fractionated one. After the tubers are laid out in a box and covered with material, the workpiece is covered with polyethylene and taken to a cool place.

Treatment of dahlias with paraffin

This method is considered the most labor-intensive and expensive, but it guarantees the best result in preserving the crop’s corms. The process involves the following steps:

Melt paraffin candles or ready-made paraffin in a deep saucepan; the temperature of the composition should be kept at +70-80 degrees.
Using tongs, carefully take one plant bulb at a time and dip them into the container.
After the paraffin has dried, place the tubers in boxes in one layer.
Remove material for storage.

Each dahlia bulb must be completely covered with a paraffin shell

Preparing dahlias for storage

In autumn, the crop must not only be dug up correctly, but also carefully prepared for storage. To do this you should:

Trim the stem, leaving it no more than 50 mm long.
Immerse the tubers in warm water and rinse them thoroughly.
Immerse the material for half an hour in a solution of 40 g of furatsilin and 10 liters of water.
Spread the roots on newspaper and dry.
Carry out the manipulations required for the selected storage method.

Comment! Only whole corms of the plant can survive the winter safely, so it is better to discard damaged specimens immediately.

How to properly store dahlia tubers in a cellar or basement in winter

It is most convenient to store dahlias on racks in a cellar or basement, the main thing is that the necessary conditions are maintained there throughout the winter (humidity 60-80%, temperature from +1 to +7 degrees). If the room is dry or the tubers begin to fade, then the air will have to be humidified using a spray bottle. Once a month, it is recommended to inspect the material for the appearance of diseases or damage. If the damaged area is insignificant, then you can try to save the tuber by cutting off the rotten part and treating the cut with potassium permanganate, brilliant green or fungicide. In this case, it is better to put the damaged specimen in a separate container to prevent contamination of the remaining roots.

Read more Dahlias Merry guys: growing from seeds, when to sow, care, photos

How to store dahlias in an apartment if there is no basement

If the option of storing dahlias in the refrigerator is not suitable, and there is no possibility of storing the material in the basement, you can try placing it on a closed loggia in well-insulated boxes. If there is a threat of frost, the containers should be brought into the apartment and placed in the coolest place, and when the temperature returns to normal, return them to the balcony. If there is no glazing on the loggia, then you can try to save dahlias by the balcony door or on the staircase.

Reviews

“Yes, all these storage methods have their place, but I want to talk about one more method. Thus, I store dahlia tubers for about 5 years. The point of the method is that you need to dig a hole, the depth of which should be at least 1.5 meters. A container is placed in this hole, into which the tubers are placed, previously dipped in a clay mash. Then the container is covered with a lid and buried. In the spring, the tubers are taken out and planted.”

“I have tried all kinds of methods. I kept it in clay and in cellophane. For the last few years I have been storing it in sand. I liked this method more than the others. It’s very convenient, at any time you can look at the tubers and understand if everything is fine with them. True, of course you need a lot of sand, because dahlias are my favorite flowers. I have a lot of different types, I try to keep them all. But it's worth it".

“I am a lover of these flowers. And so my neighbors often ask the question of how to preserve annual dahlias until spring. The answer is simple. I have been storing tubers in dry sawdust for many years. To do this, I take boxes, pour sawdust into them and place the tubers, with sawdust again on top. Then I put the boxes in the cellar. The main thing is that the air temperature in the cellar should not be lower than +3.”

“Annual dahlias, is it possible to save the tubers? I often hear this question from others. You can, most importantly, know the storage rules. To begin with, the tubers need to be washed, dried, treated with foundation, and then proceed to storage. I really liked the way it was stored in polyethylene. I have many different types of dahlias, and this method is also suitable because I store dahlias by type. That is, tubers of the same type in the same polyethylene, and so on.”

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Saturday, February 22, 2014 21:37 + to quote book

We store dahlia tubers in cling film.

Recommendations and common mistakes

Digging up dahlias and their further storage is a troublesome process, but if you do it, adhering to all the recommendations, the probability of a positive result is very high. To achieve it, you should:

Dig up plants at the right time, before the arrival of persistent frosts.
Do not separate the tubers until spring, as large specimens are preserved better.
After digging, disinfect the roots in potassium permanganate.
It is good to dry the bulbs before sending them to the basement.
Check the roots for safety and remove defective ones.
Constantly monitor the humidity and temperature in the room where the dahlias are located.
When using sawdust, give preference only to large ones made from coniferous wood.

If we talk about mistakes, then most often gardeners, when trying to preserve dahlias, try to moisten them - they spray sand or other material in which they are placed. And excess moisture poses a great danger to tubers. Also, when storing roots in sawdust, flower growers often place them in plastic bags, where the plants die due to accumulated condensation.

Dahlias should be dug and removed from the ground carefully so as not to damage the tubers.

Types of dahlias

Today there are thousands of varieties of dahlias and several types of their classification. Among this luxurious assortment you can find amazing specimens of the most incredible shapes and colors. There are mini-dahlias with compact bushes, and giants whose height exceeds a meter - the choice is almost limitless.

Collared dahlias have petals of various sizes: in the middle they are short and rolled into “tubes”, and on the outer part of the inflorescence they are long and flat.

Collared dahlia

Needle dahlias differ from all other varieties in their thin petals, each of which is twisted into a tight tube. Their length can vary greatly. In addition, it is worth noting one of the subspecies - semi-needle dahlias. Their petals look more like graceful cones rather than needles.

Needle dahlia

Globular dahlias are the owners of lush round inflorescences. The petals are large and fleshy. Each of them is slightly rolled into a tube. The inflorescence is loose and soft.

Globular dahlia

Pompon dahlias are closely related to the globose dahlias. They also have fluffy inflorescences consisting of slightly curled petals. But pompom flowers are noticeably smaller in size than their counterparts, and their inflorescences feel denser to the touch.

Pompon dahlia

Nymphaeal dahlias are strikingly different from other species. They have flat inflorescences. In the center there is a fluffy center of short tubular petals. Most often it looks convex. The edging of the flower is a row of wide flat petals.

Dahlia nymphaeum. Photo from the site sadovoda.ru

Anemone-shaped dahlias are somewhat similar to collared dahlias. Inside there are short, elegant tubes. Along the perimeter there are wide flat petals.

Anemone dahlia. Photo from greenservice.kz

Peony dahlias have lush inflorescences. Each of them contains several rows of wide oval petals, and in the middle there is a group of short ones, twisted into graceful tubes.

Peony dahlia. Photo from site dizajn.pp.ua

https://agronomu.com/bok/3245-posadka-i-uhod-za-mnogoletnimi-georginami-v-sadu.htmlhttps://ogorod-bez-hlopot.ru/georginy-mnogoletnie.htmlhttps://7dach. ru/YanaYanavskaya/georginy—posadka-i-vyraschivanie-117.html

Temperature conditions and humidity

When choosing a place to store roots, an important role is played by the temperature and humidity at which they will spend the winter. Dahlia tubers must be stored under the following conditions:

Temperature readings are within 3 – 6° degrees Celsius.
Humidity is about 60-70%.
Ensuring constant ventilation of the room.

Temperature conditions must be observed in order to avoid premature germination of buds, the spread of putrefactive microorganisms, or, conversely, freezing of tubers. It is important to periodically check the rhizomes for rot, mold, and other damage; this will help avoid damage to all planting material. With the onset of the first days of spring, the tubers are transferred to a warmer room.

Recommendations from flower growers

After the rhizomes are carefully removed from the soil, they must be carefully shaken off the ground without damaging their integrity. Experts recommend preparing tubers for winter in stages.

Extracting tubers from the soil. Carry out the work carefully, following the recommendations of experienced gardeners.
Cleaning roots from clay balls, rotten shoots, roots, small tubers. Leave healthy and large tubers. In case of severe contamination or soil adhesion, they are washed in warm water.
When the roots are cleared of soil and excess shoots, division is carried out. It is necessary to cut the stems almost to the base of the rhizome. Only tubers with already formed buds are separated for storage. There are solid specimens with underdeveloped buds; they can be left without separation.
Treatment with disinfectants. For these purposes, prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate; soak the roots in it for no more than half an hour. You can apply a solution of Fundazol, soaking the specimens for 30 minutes to 2-3 hours.
Drying tubers. To dry completely, the disinfected rhizomes are left in a dry, well-ventilated room.

At the end of the preparatory work, the dahlia tubers are ready for a long winter; they need to be removed to a previously prepared place.

History and interesting facts

The dahlia was first introduced into Britain from Spain in 1798, and countless varieties of dahlias, many of them bicolored, were subsequently developed in Britain and elsewhere, from the species D. variabilis to D. coccinea. Dahlias. The plant is native to South American countries.

Initially, dahlia tubers were mistaken for edible food and eaten as vegetables. Later, dahlias were given the status of garden plants. Thanks to the efforts of breeders from different countries, the dahlia has become very popular. Plants are famous for their variety of different colors, beauty of shape and ease of care, and sometimes reach large sizes. There are about 10,000 plant species in the world.

Pest and disease control

Dahlias Cheerful guys flowers, like all other plants, are susceptible to various diseases and attacks by pests.

The most common pests that visit these plants are:

Pests	Symptoms	Means of struggle
Aphid	Yellowing and curling of leaf blades, the presence of sticky honeydew on their back side.	For minor damage, remove damaged leaves and then burn them. If there is a large concentration of pests, treatment with strong insecticides (Iskra, Fitoverm, Actellik) is necessary.
Slugs	The appearance of small holes on the leaves.	Pests must be collected manually and destroyed. To scare away slugs, use traditional methods. One of them is to place a mixture of sawdust and red pepper around the bushes of plants.
Plant bugs	Yellowing and curling of leaf plates, the appearance of brown spots on the bush.	Every day in the morning until the pests are completely destroyed, treat the bushes with Karbofos or Phosfamide.

The diseases inherent in dahlias are as follows:

Diseases	Symptoms	Means of struggle
Gray rot	The appearance of small brown spots on the leaves, which, when the disease is advanced, move to the buds. The leaf blades wither, dry out and fall off.	Adjustment of watering and irrigation systems (prevention). For treatment - treatment with various fungicides (Topsin, Fundazol).
White rot	The presence of brown spots and white fungus on the stems and shoots.	For preventative purposes, disinfect the soil before planting seedlings in it. Carefully monitor the moisture level in the soil. Treat all existing wounds with bleach. If a disease is present, remove the affected area of the stem below the damage and destroy it.
Fusarium	Withering of the buds, the presence of a pinkish coating on the leaf blades. Rotting of plant roots.	Treat the bushes with Oxyx and Fundazol.

To avoid the use of chemicals and pesticides in flower beds, as well as the spread of disease or pest invasion, experts recommend timely implementation of preventive measures.

Periodic thinning of dense thickets, control of watering, irrigation, weeding, mulching, and removal of wilted flowers help prevent diseases and preserve the beautiful appearance of flower plantings.

Germination of seeds

Study the landing features. The seeds of the annual dahlia will produce all kinds of flowers in different shades. Dahlia flowers are very beautiful. Before you start sowing your seeds, start spreading the potting soil mixture into the tray. Soil for planting can be purchased at any garden center. Sprinkle dahlia seeds over the surface of the soil. Then cover lightly with soil. Only use a little water to keep the soil just moist, and continue to water the soil slowly during germination. Germination occurs quite quickly - within 7-10 days. Do not overfill the water. Keep in mind that unlike a plant seed, dahlia seeds will not sprout the same day, germination will occur over several days. Once the young seedlings have reached a height of approximately 3 inches, they will be ready to be divided and transplanted into small pots. These containers should be filled with potting soil and sand mixture, approximately 2/3 pot soil and 1/3 sand. Then pour enough water into the seedlings so that the soil wets them as they take root. Continue to water and keep the soil moist as the plants grow. The seedlings will remain in these containers and continue to grow for about 4-5 weeks before they are ready to be transplanted outside. Before transplanting outside, it is recommended to first blacken the young seedlings. They should be moved into a cold frame or trays and can be placed outside during the day and brought in at night for a period of 7 to 10 days. This needs to be done. This will help curb the young seedlings so they will experience less shock when transplanted. Therefore, choose a sunny location that has well-drained soil for transplantation. After you transplant your dahlias into their homes, be sure to wash them until they stand on their roots. (Approximate time 1-2 weeks) Please refer to regular instructions for further dahlia care. The shoots will appear - this will be your first joy. It's better to spend your time doing what you love. You just need to gain some experience in this matter.

Read also: How to properly grow balls that grow in water

Caring for dahlias

We feed low-growing dahlias with complete fertilizer. To do this, dilute 15 grams of fertilizer in a bucket of water and pour it under the bushes. These plants can be fed with fertilizer such as Kemira Universal. We fertilize at the beginning of summer. From June to July we apply slurry under the bushes 2-3 times. We make the last fertilizing with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in early August. Thanks to this procedure, the tubers ripen faster.

Caring for low-growing dahlias also includes regular weeding (at least 4 times per season) and loosening the soil.

Disease Control

Dahlias can become infected with mosaic virus, bacterial canker, or powdery mildew. We burn bushes affected by mosaic or cancer. In the place where diseased plants grew, this type of flower cannot be planted for 4-5 years. When affected by powdery mildew, we pollinate the bushes 2-3 times with ground sulfur. We also use spraying with 0.5% lye or 0.5% colloidal sulfur.

How to control pests

Low-growing dahlias are often attacked by pests. These include aphids, thrips, wireworms, woodlice and slugs (which also often bother irises, hosts, asters and chrysanthemums). To combat thrips and aphids, we spray plants with 0.1% karbofos. From wireworms that damage flower tubers, adding 4-5 grams of hexachlorane per 1 square meter to the soil helps. m. To combat woodlice and slugs, we scatter granules of potassium salt and metaldehyde around the plants.

How to plant and care

The unpretentiousness of annual dahlias, affordability and exceptional decorativeness have made them very popular among flower lovers, both beginners and seasoned ones. These cute flowers are planted with seeds, seedlings at home, and sometimes the nodules are preserved for the winter (doing this for more than 2 years in a row is not recommended due to the degeneration of varietal characteristics).

It is recommended to buy seeds in special stores, preferring trusted or well-known manufacturers. It often happens that the bag contains other (usually simpler) dahlia seeds.

Seeds in the ground outside

I sow annual dahlias directly into the outdoor soil in the spring. I make sure the ground warms up and dries out. Don’t bother throwing seeds into icy soil; such haste will not lead to anything good. At best, they will sprout later, at worst, they will rot.

The optimal period is the beginning (if it is already warm) or mid-May (Urals, Volga region, middle zone). With this method of planting, the flowering of annuals is postponed to the end of July, beginning of August; these autumn colors enliven the space so much!

We choose a sunny, open place for these flowers.
The soil needs to be loose, loamy or slightly acidic.
When digging, we add whatever fertilizer we can find - this includes wood ash, humus or compost, and superphosphate.
We level and mark the bed: the distance between plants is 25-30 cm (low varieties) and 50-70 cm (tall varieties).

Place dahlia seeds in shallow (2-2.5 cm) grooves, water and sprinkle with humus or peat mulch. This way, a crust does not form on the soil, and shoots will appear faster. The seeds germinate amicably and also easily tolerate replanting if they sprouted densely.

Advice! Don’t be afraid to plant weaker seedlings in another place; they will take root well and form strong plants.

Seedling method

I would like to immediately warn novice gardeners who are planning to sow dahlias for seedlings too early, for example, in March (you can find such recommendations on the Internet). Your seedlings will stretch out, become thinner, and will fall when planted in the ground. There is only one way out of this situation - to pinch the top.

Since it takes approximately 55-60 days from germination to the appearance of a flower, you need to plant seedlings at home in early or mid-April. Flowering will then begin in June and continue until autumn.

The seedling method is good for the middle zone and more northern, as well as Siberian regions. When planted in this way, annual flowers will bloom earlier than those sown directly into the spring bed.

We prepare containers or individual cups, pour special soil or garden soil into them.
We make depressions of 1-1.5 cm and lay out the seeds, sprinkle with earth.
Water from a spray bottle, cover with film (and they will germinate without it).
After a few days the sprouts will hatch, the film can be removed.

Dahlia seedlings are planted outside in warm soil, even if the seedlings have grown only 5-7 centimeters. Keep the distance between plants the same as when planting seeds directly into the ground (described above).

Growing and care

To maintain the straightness of the dahlia stem, a coniferous or iron stake, about 180 centimeters high and 20 millimeters in diameter, is driven into each hole. If the stake is made of wood, then the end that should be in the ground is impregnated with 7% iron sulfate. After the stakes are driven forty centimeters into the soil, the sprouts are tied to them. This is done in one or two places depending on the height of each sprout. In addition, you can attach inscriptions to them with the names of each grown variety.

Dahlias are distributed into the ground, focusing on their future height. Low ones are planted in front of tall ones. After the plant has been in the ground long enough and there are no traces of holes left, you will need to make furrows at the roots. This will help the water not flow to the sides when watering.

Once in the ground, dahlias need constant watering. Lack of water can impair their growth, spoil flowering, and lead to hardening of the stem. In hot, dry weather, dahlia requires daily watering. After this, the top layer of soil in the hole will need to be loosened again. As soon as the buds form, the soil will need to be mulched with peat and humus.

A special role in growing dahlias is played by giving the bush the correct shape.

If the plant is taken from cuttings, then one of all the stems is saved. Subsequently, the stem is pinched at the third node so that it bifurcates. If the tubers have been sprouted, only a couple of buds are left on them.
In varieties with large flowers, in order to increase future inflorescences, you need to get rid of all shoots from the leaf axils. They are called stepsons, and their elimination is called stepsons. Without this, they break, increasing the risk of parasites or fungal spores entering the plant.
Stepchildren are pruned from the very moment the dahlia roots fall into the ground, and continue until the inflorescences form. This is done along the entire length of the plant to the internode that separates the bud node from the rest of the stem. They need to be cut as close as possible to the place from which they grow.
For dahlia varieties with small flowers, it is not necessary to get rid of stepchildren.
In addition to removing excess shoots, excess buds are also removed. Usually there are three of them, the middle one is ahead of the others in development and is unsuitable for cutting. It is removed so that the other two can form longer peduncles with powerful inflorescences.
To facilitate the ripening of tubers and prevent thickening of the trunk, several leaves at the bottom are cut off, exposing the neck of the root.

The formation of the bush begins after getting rid of the first stepsons or immediately after pinching the top.

For exhibitions, dahlia sprouts planted in pots are thinned out, leaving a couple of the strongest ones. In the future, they are pruned as soon as they throw out eight leaves. At the pinching site, two stems grow. After they throw out the second pair of leaves, they are also pinched so that they bifurcate. This is done to prevent the plant from becoming tall and at the same time forming a voluminous bush.

As soon as the cold weather sets in, dahlias should be planted to a height of no more than twenty centimeters from the ground. Early hilling saves plants from freezing. If the roots lie deep, you can wait a bit with hilling.