In the “kingdom” of Asteraceae, one of the main places is occupied by dahlias - beautiful flowers that decorate flower beds in garden plots, parks and squares. There are not so many varieties of these flowers - a little more than a dozen, but each of them has many colors. Therefore, dahlias can be planted either as single bushes or in compositions with other annual and perennial flowers.
For the winter, these flowers should be dug up and stored in basements, but if they are left to winter in flower beds, the tubers will freeze. And here the question arises for novice gardeners: when should they take dahlia tubers out of the basements for germination, and how to germinate them correctly?
Why germinate dahlias
Dahlias are quite unpretentious in care. The only difficulty in growing them is the impossibility of wintering in open ground conditions. Traditionally, dug flowers are stored in a warm cellar or basement, where the temperature and humidity are maintained at the same level. In spring, dahlias should be properly awakened after a period of dormancy. To get strong and beautiful bushes, the tubers need to be germinated before planting.
During germination, dahlias undergo hardening, as a result of which, after planting, they tolerate sudden temperature changes well. Sprouted root tubers have strong and healthy sprouts, so they are able to withstand diseases and adverse factors. If you plant dahlias with awakened buds in the ground, they will grow faster and bloom earlier.
Planting dahlias in open ground
Choose a place for dahlias that is sunny or partial shade. Do not plant flowers under a blind fence or in a lowland, where the ground dries out for a long time after rains and waterings. The planting pattern depends on the variety. Tall ones are planted at a distance of 70-80 cm from each other, short ones - 30-50 cm, up to 1 m is left between rows. The exact diagram can be found on the Internet, in the description of your variety, or on the packaging if the tubers were bought in a store.
This package indicates the distance between plants is 30 cm
How to plant dahlias:
- Make a hole the size of the rhizome.
- Place 1-2 handfuls of humus at the bottom and mix with the soil.
- Place the roots in the hole, while the lower part of the regrown shoots should be in the ground. Cover with soil, constantly shaking the rhizome so that lumps of earth get between the tubers and there are no voids.
- While you can see the borders of the rhizome, drive in pegs for gartering tall bushes.
- Water and add more soil if it has sagged.
- Mulch the hole.
Video: planting sprouted dahlias
When to get dahlia tubers for germination
Dahlias are planted in open ground when the weather is warm, i.e. at the end of April or the first ten days of May. If spring turns out to be cold, it is better to wait a little while planting flowers. Otherwise, the young shoots will be damaged by returning frosts. Dahlias need to be obtained about a month before the planting is planned. Typically, tubers begin to germinate in mid-March. In warmth and with sufficient lighting, the tubers will germinate in 2.5 weeks, and at temperatures below +23°C - in 30 days. During this period, the shoots will have time to grow 20-30 cm.
On a note! You should not keep the tubers indoors, because... elongated shoots burn in the sun. To protect tender sprouts from the scorching rays of the sun, they are wrapped in white spunbond. The cover is removed when the bushes take root.
In different regions of Russia, the timing of germination of dahlias may shift by 15-20 days. The beginning of tuber preparation depends on the climatic conditions of the area:
- For the middle zone and the Moscow region, where night frosts are in no hurry to recede, the first or second ten days of April is considered the optimal time for flower germination.
- In Siberia and the Urals, tubers are taken out of storage in mid-May and planted in a flower bed no earlier than the beginning of summer. The soil here warms up later than in other regions of the country, and spring frosts are possible even at the end of May.
- In the Lower Volga and southern regions, it is recommended to remove dahlias from the cellar or refrigerator in April. Tubers can be planted immediately in a greenhouse, and in early May - in open ground. In these regions, spring comes early, so tubers are often planted without germination.
And if you don’t germinate...
Nothing bad will happen, the dahlias will just bloom later. But when planting ungerminated tubers, the literature recommends meeting a number of conditions:
Unsprouted dahlia tubers should be planted in soil heated to 10 degrees Celsius.
Approximately 2 weeks after planting, the first shoots will appear. Dahlias are planted in May, and frosts are possible at this time. You can save the plants if you cover the seedlings with cut-off five-liter bottles without a lid. You can use any covering material (lutrasil, spandbond). It is especially important to cover plants at night, because night frosts are especially insidious.
It happens that spring frosts still damage young shoots. But even in this situation, the matter can be fixed. Leave the plants in the ground. The buds do not germinate all at once; dormant buds will hatch later. Such plants will also bloom, but a little later.
When to get dahlias for cuttings
For cuttings, dahlias are taken out of the basement in late February-early March. They cannot be brought into the house immediately, but must be left for 2-3 days in a warm, but not heated, room. The tubers are covered with plastic wrap so that they do not lose moisture. Then the rhizomes are placed in containers filled with nutrient soil. The substrate can be purchased at a flower shop or prepared yourself. There are several soil mixture options:
- special soil “Coconut”;
- a mixture of sawdust and river sand in equal parts;
- substrate of high-moor peat and sand in a 1:1 ratio.
Dahlias will feel good in any of the proposed mixtures. The main thing is not to use pine sawdust, because... The resins they contain are harmful to plants. Sprouts from awakened buds will appear in 15-20 days. When the shoots reach a height of 12-14 cm, they can be cut into cuttings with a sharp knife. Each bud should receive a piece of the root collar. The shoots are planted in containers with soil mixture.
Caring for dahlias in summer
Caring for dahlias involves regular watering, weeding the beds to remove weeds, periodic fertilizing, and protection from possible frosts.
- Watering is carried out once every 2-3 days. The frequency of watering depends on the soil moisture as a whole. In damp areas it may be necessary to water once a week, in sandy soils - daily.
- After watering and rain, the soil must be loosened so that the ground does not become crusty and air flows freely to the roots.
- Feeding is carried out every month. At the beginning of the growing season, they are fed with nitrogen fertilizers; liquid organic fertilizers are best suited. As soon as the buds on the flowers begin to form, they are fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. For example, they add wood ash or special mineral fertilizers for flowers into the rows.
- On heavily overgrown tops, remove the shoots from the lateral axils and leaves to a height of 30 cm from the ground. This will prevent the stem from growing at the root collar, which will simplify the storage of dahlias in the future.
Tuber preparation
When starting germination, the tubers are cleared of soil and washed with water. Then all rotten or dead parts are removed. Small tubers that are supported by thin roots are useless due to the lack of growth buds. Such thickenings should be removed, because After planting in the ground they rot. Manipulations are performed with a sharp knife, capturing some healthy tissue. It is advisable to lubricate the sections with brilliant green, and then sprinkle them with charcoal or activated carbon.
On a note! Often, tubers are coated with wax or clay before being sent for storage. This protective layer is removed in the spring by gently tapping the surface.
After clearing, the tubers are immersed for 30 minutes in a 1% solution of potassium permanganate. The disinfection procedure prevents the development of fungus and destroys putrefactive bacteria. Dahlia tubers are dried for 24 hours to form a protective layer on the wounds. To do this, they are placed in boxes in one layer and placed in a bright, ventilated place.
If dahlias are dry, how to germinate them
Sometimes it happens that during storage, dahlia tubers dry out and wrinkle. There is no need to rush to throw away such planting material.
Note: Part of the tuber needs to be slightly cut and, if the cut is light, the dried tubers can be reanimated.
To do this, simply sprinkle the planting material generously with water and cover with a bag for 1-2 days. After this, it is better to germinate the tubers in a bag using the technology described above.
Division of rhizomes
Root tubers are divided annually to renew them. Otherwise, the plants will throw out a lot of shoots and build up green mass to the detriment of flowering. This procedure is best carried out in the spring. If the rhizomes are divided in the fall, the tubers may dry out or rot. The procedure begins when the growth points hatch. It should be borne in mind that all the buds are located not on the tubers, but on the root collar.
Each rhizome is carefully cut so that a piece of the old stem and root collar with 1-2 buds remains on the resulting parts. Bushes with so many shoots will be lush and the rhizomes will be strong. If there are more growth buds, they are not broken off, but carefully cut off with a sharp knife. It is recommended to treat the wounds with wood ash and wait until they dry. The germinated cuttings are planted in a permanent place in the first half of June.
Germination of root tubers
Germinating dahlias is an important step for obtaining abundant flowering in the early stages. When purchasing planting material in a store, you need to pay attention to the presence of “eyes”. Tubers need to be provided with suitable temperature, humidity and lighting. They are germinated in several ways:
- in a box with substrate;
- in the package;
- in the trench.
Germination of tubers in boxes
To germinate tubers, use wide, shallow boxes. They can be made of plastic or wood. Ceramic pots will also work. In order for the tubers to sprout, you must perform a number of actions:
- A film is placed at the bottom of the container, then a small layer of sawdust, loose soil or peat is poured.
- The tubers are placed freely in the box, sprinkled with the selected substrate and irrigated with a spray bottle.
- Plantings are placed on a window, glassed-in loggia or in a greenhouse with good lighting. When cool, the sprouts are strong, so dahlias are sprouted at a temperature of +16...+22°C.
- Planting material is regularly moistened with warm water, preventing the soil from drying out. Watering should be moderate so that the tubers do not rot.
Important! Do not sprinkle soil on the root collar of the tubers. It should protrude above the surface so that the buds begin to grow faster.
If all conditions are met, sprouts will appear in 5-7 days. Coconut fiber can be used to germinate dahlias. The substrate is sold in the form of chips, briquettes or tablets. Before use, it is recommended to pour hot water over it, cover with a lid and let cool. You can make a soil mixture from coconut fiber at the rate of 1 kg per 7 liters of soil.
Growing dahlias in bags or trenches
Put tubers, a little sawdust in plastic bags and moisten them. Dahlias are left in a well-lit place. Moisture and warmth promote the awakening of buds and the formation of sprouts. Planting material is regularly inspected for rot. After 10 days, the plastic bags are opened to spray the tubers again with water. The plants will be ready for planting in 7-8 days.
If there is no space in the house for boxes, root tubers can be sprouted on the site by placing them in a trench. This method is more labor-intensive, but gentle on plants. It includes the following steps:
- In the garden, they dig a trench with a depth of a spade bayonet and a width of 40 cm.
- The rhizomes or cuttings are laid out so that they do not touch each other. Different varieties are marked with tags.
- Plantings are covered with loose soil. Metal or plastic arcs are installed over the trench, onto which the film is stretched. To prevent it from flying off in gusts of wind, stakes are driven in or bricks are placed along the edges.
- There is no need to water the soil, because... in spring it is saturated with moisture. After 2-3 weeks, sprouts will appear. The cover is removed and the flowers are grown as usual. If necessary, the sprouted tubers are transplanted to another place.
Maintenance of sprouted root tubers before planting
Caring for sprouted tubers involves regular moistening and ventilation. When sprouts appear on the surface of the substrate, the boxes are moved to a place where the temperature does not exceed +15...+16°C. Plants must receive enough light so that the shoots do not stretch. Otherwise, the sprouts will be thin, weak and break during planting.
In good weather, containers with plants should be taken out into the fresh air, gradually increasing the time. They are placed in a place protected from the scorching rays of the sun. If there are no night frosts, the planting material is left outside, placed under a canopy. This hardening makes the plants strong and enhances growth. When it finally gets warmer, the tubers should be removed from the container and planted in a flower bed. For tall varieties, supports are pre-installed.
Advice! It is better to replace watering with irrigation from a spray bottle. This way you can prevent stagnation of moisture and the development of fungus.
Planting dahlias in the spring is an important process, the rules of which must be followed. If you start germination ahead of time, the shoots will stretch out excessively and then, when replanting the plants, you can lose the bulk of the sprouts. The main task of the gardener is to provide the rhizomes with a warm, bright place and moderate watering. Sprouted tubers form strong bushes that bloom early and produce new buds until frost.
Conditions of detention
Tubers are kept indoors until germination. It is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the substrate, but watering should be sparse. It is recommended to use a spray bottle and water the dahlias by spraying. They will survive short-term drought due to the moisture content in the tubers, but they can rot from excess water. The plants do not need fertilizing at this stage.
When sprouts appear from the substrate, it is advisable to move the box to a cooler place with a temperature of about 15 °C. In warm conditions, shoot growth will occur too quickly, which is undesirable. When the threat of frost disappears, you can begin planting in open ground. If the tubers were not stored in ideal conditions and they sprouted on their own, they are allowed to color before planting in the light and then, without dividing the nest, they are planted in a flower garden.
