Dahlias can be found in every area; pompons stand out among other varieties. A spectacular flower that attracts everyone's attention. It is a real decoration of the flower bed.
Pompon dahlias come in a variety of colors. The flower attracts attention at first sight. The unusual shape, bright colors, and simple growing process make the plant very popular.
Characteristics of the species
Dahlia pompom is a bushy annual plant. It has spectacular inflorescences-baskets of a large, spherical shape. The size of the inflorescences reaches up to 6 cm in length. Long, strong peduncles are painted in bright, rich colors. The strong stems of the pompon dahlia reach one meter in height. The width of a bush with strong shoots often grows up to 50 cm.
Pompon dahlia is an annual plant. It is grown using seeds. With the onset of stable weather and warm days, it is often sown directly into the ground. However, to obtain earlier flowering, dahlias are often grown in seedlings.
Active flowering of pompon dahlia begins in July and continues until frost. These incredibly beautiful flowers are suitable for cutting and can last in a vase for a long time.
It is very easy to distinguish the pompon dahlia from other varieties by the shape of the petals. Usually they are rolled into an original, neat tube.
Germination of seeds
Perennial and annual pompon dahlias can be grown from seeds. The main thing is to follow all the rules. 7 days after sowing the seeds, you can notice the first sprouts. At this stage, you should remove the plastic film from the boxes and move them to a room with good lighting. Otherwise, the seedlings will begin to drag heavily.
If you grow annuals, you should sow the seeds in early April. If you plan to propagate your favorite variety with tubers in the future, then you should plant the planting material in March. This will allow you to get plants with a strong and well-developed root system in the fall.
When the first shoots appear, it is worth providing the seedlings with sufficient moisture and ventilation. It should be taken into account that water should not stagnate in the soil. Otherwise, the risk of plant infection with various diseases increases. It is best to moisten the soil with a spray bottle without eroding its top layer.
Varieties of pompom dahlias for the garden
There are many varieties of charming pompon dahlias designed for growing in summer cottages. The most common variety is the pompon dahlia.
No less often grown by amateur gardeners:
- dahlia pompom ball;
- Fatima;
- Ancress;
- Rocco;
- Smile.
Dahlia pompom mixture produces bright, unusually beautiful flowers that will become a spectacular decoration in any flower bed.
How to pick seedlings
Pompon dahlias require high-quality care. When 3 leaves appear on the bores, they need to be picked. For each plant, it is worth preparing a separate pot filled with soil, which was prepared in the fall. It is recommended to make a hole in the bottom of each container through which excess moisture will escape. The soil for planting should be sweaty and loose.
Dahlia pompom seedlings should be planted in pre-prepared containers. To do this, you should dig up seedlings with a small lump of earth from a common box and place them in a cup with soil. The plant should be buried to the level of the cotyledons. The sprouts must be moistened after transplantation. To do this you should use a spray bottle. Subsequent watering of seedlings should be carried out only after the top layer of soil has dried.
Growing conditions
A charming summer flower, often found in summer cottages, is the pompon dahlia, which can be grown from seeds even by a novice gardener. The pompom dahlia is very sensitive to frost and with the onset of the first cold mornings, the leaves and flowers of the dahlia die off.
At the dacha, this charming flower is usually grown from seeds.
Preparing the soil for seedlings
To make the planting process easier, you can purchase ready-made soil in the store. If you wish, you can prepare the soil composition yourself. To do this, you need to mix sand, humus, and turf soil. Each component must be taken in equal quantities.
The soil that was made independently must be disinfected. You can use several methods:
- Place the soil in a plastic bag and place in the freezer. The soil should lie down for 24 hours.
- Place the soil on a baking sheet and leave for 2 hours at a temperature of 200 degrees.
It is important that dahlia seeds place high demands on the soil. In order for the seedlings to be friendly, it is necessary to prepare nutritious soil containing nitrogen substances.
Planting and propagation
To grow the pompon dahlia shown in the photo, you need to choose the sunniest area. In the fall, a large amount of organic fertilizer is applied to it, and in the spring, pompon dahlia is planted.
The seedling method will bring the flowering period closer and significantly extend it, which is especially important for areas with cold climates. Pompon dahlia is sown for seedlings 50 days before planting in a permanent place, most often in February-March.
Peat tablets can be used to germinate seeds. Wet peat is an excellent germination medium. To do this, the tablets are placed in a previously prepared container and spilled well with water. The tablets swell and increase significantly in size. Two seeds are placed in special recesses and sprinkled with peat. Water the tablets from a spray bottle or by pouring water into a tray. The container with the planted seeds must be wrapped in film or covered with glass until the first shoots appear.
To obtain friendly shoots and strong plants, maintain a high temperature in the room. Subject to optimal growing conditions, seedlings appear within five days after sowing.
To place the seedlings, choose a well-lit place or use lamps. As a result of a lack of light during the germination period, weakened, elongated plants are formed.
Let's start sowing
It is necessary to pour soil into the container for seedlings of pompom dahlias. Purchased or a mixture of sand, humus and turf soil in equal parts is suitable. Another option is peat, sand, perlite.
The soil is calcined and disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate, Fitosporin or other drugs of the same group.
Attention! Some gardeners recommend using peat tablets for sowing seeds of pompom varieties.
The seeds of these flowers are not small, so sowing them is not problematic. Place two pompom dahlia seeds in one tablet.
The soil is moistened and dahlia seeds are laid out on the surface, sprinkled with a little soil and pressed down. Lightly moisten with a spray bottle and cover the container with glass or film.
In order for dahlia seeds to germinate on time and amicably, they will have to be provided with a temperature of at least 26°C. If you sow several varieties, mark their emergence with labels or colored bookmarks.
In a week, maximum 10 days, shoots will appear. As soon as this happens, immediately remove the film or glass and move the container to a lighted place. In cloudy weather, provide additional light to the seedlings, otherwise you will end up with elongated seedlings.
If the dahlia seedlings turn out to be thickened, pick. Although this procedure is recommended for any type of seedling. The pompom dahlia is no exception. Diving will improve the conditions for the growth of the root system and allow the seedlings to become stronger. It is carried out in the phase of two to four true leaves.
Before picking seedlings of pompom varieties, the soil is disinfected with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. Its composition should be identical to the soil in which the seeds were sown.
Now the seedlings need proper care. Watering should be moderate. If water stagnates or is over-watered, pompon dahlia seedlings may suffer from a fungal infection.
Before planting in the ground, it is better to harden the seedlings. This will help them adapt to new conditions more easily and settle down faster. Seedlings of pompom varieties are planted in warm soil even when the possibility of return frosts has passed. When transplanting, try not to destroy the lump of earth around the roots. In the first days, the bed is covered from the nighttime drop in temperature.
Further care for the plants consists of watering and fertilizing (if necessary).
Important! Keep the soil moist.
Water pompom dahlias as the soil dries out, avoiding overwatering. It must be remembered that excess moisture causes fungal diseases in dahlias, and a deficiency leads to drying out of the foliage.
Planting seedlings in the ground
With the onset of warm, windless days, the seedlings are periodically taken outside for hardening. Pompon dahlias are planted in open ground when the threat of frost has finally passed.
To do this, first dig up the ground, adding a small amount of humus, sand and perlite.
Pompon dahlia loves to grow in individual pots. The seedlings are transplanted so that the first leaves are located at soil level. When the dahlia has taken root, you can begin the first feeding using complex fertilizers.
In open ground, seedlings are placed keeping a distance of 60 cm between plants. You can increase the survival rate of seedlings by covering the plants with cut plastic bottles or agrofibre.
Caring for dahlias
Planting dahlia tubers is not an unimportant stage in development, but proper care in the open ground is no less important. After planting, it should consist of timely watering, loosening the soil, weeding and fertilizing. Don’t forget about shaping and timely garter.
Watering
Dahlia bushes need to be watered abundantly; in hot weather, their frequency should be increased to 2 times a week. Be sure to ensure that the soil does not dry out. If plants experience a lack of moisture during the formation of buds, the inflorescences will be small or ugly. To make it easier to maintain soil moisture, the surface of the ground under the bushes can be mulched with humus or peat.
Loosening
After each watering or rain, the surface of the soil under the bushes must be loosened to prevent the formation of a soil crust. If this is not done, the root system begins to lack oxygen, which in turn negatively affects the development of the entire plant.
Feeding
Although flowers such as dahlias are considered unpretentious, proper planting is only half the battle; they also require timely care. Correctly applied fertilizing plays a very important role in this.
The first feeding is carried out in early June. At this time, plants are given nitrogen group fertilizers so that they can develop strong and powerful bushes. For these purposes, you can use urea or ammonium nitrate. In the absence of mineral fertilizers, mullein or bird droppings are suitable.
The second feeding is carried out at the end of June or beginning of July. At this time, dahlias are fed with complex fertilizer, so they begin to prepare for laying buds. For these purposes, you can take, for example, nitroammophoska.
The third feeding is carried out in the bud formation phase
At this moment, it is very important to provide the plants with a sufficient amount of phosphorus and potassium, which play a decisive role in the formation of future flowers. If there is a lack of these elements, you may not expect abundant flowering.
At the end of August, they begin to prepare the tubers for wintering. Feeding at this time is carried out with nitroammophos and superphosphate.
Shaping and garter
During the summer, dahlias develop stepsons in the axils of the leaves. To prevent them from weakening the main shoot, it is recommended to periodically remove them. If this is not done, the flower will form too large a leaf mass to the detriment of flowering. Small-flowered varieties of dahlias: pompon, collared, anemone-shaped, etc. should not be planted.
After four leaves are formed on the central shoots, they must be pinched. As a result of this, side shoots begin to grow, which are pinched above the second pair of leaves. This method allows plants to form lush bushes. You should know that you should not leave more than three central shoots on one plant.
To get large flowers, you need to pluck out almost all the side buds. If you don’t do this, there will be more flowers, but they will be smaller. The first buds should also be plucked out; if they are left, the further development of the bush begins to be delayed.
Tall varieties need peduncle garter. Their fragile stems are unable to withstand the wind and therefore break easily. To do this, a stake is driven in next to each bush, the height of which should correspond to the height of the peduncles. For gartering, it is advisable to use soft material that will not cut into the stems.
Tuber division
The most common and simplest method allows you to get well-developed flowering plants in the first year of cultivation. The division of the tubers is carried out after the sprouts hatch on them. To do this, large specimens are carefully separated by hand or using a sharp knife according to the number of sprouts. After this, the cut areas should be sprinkled with charcoal powder and dried a little.
Cuttings
This method is less common; it is used mainly only by experienced gardeners, since it requires certain skills. To propagate dahlias by cuttings, you need to remove the tubers from storage at the end of January and plant them for germination. After the sprouts reach a height of 9-10 cm, you can begin cuttings. To do this, they are cut and then planted in any loose substrate. The optimal temperature for rooting is +22 °C.
If everything was done correctly, after 2-3 weeks the first roots will appear on the cuttings. After they are completely rooted, they are planted in separate containers. Young plants are planted in open ground in early May; they need to be cared for in the same way as specimens obtained by dividing tubers.
Diseases and pests
Wilting of the tops and buds of the pompon dahlia indicates fusarium. It actively develops when the bush is thickened or dahlias are grown in a shaded place. In this case, the leaves become covered with brown spots, dry out and fall off.
- Leaf spot appears as yellow-green spots on pompon dahlias, often turning brown. For treatment, foundationazole is used, and the affected areas are removed.
- Gray mold is often caused by planting density, shaded areas or excess nitrogen fertilizers. At the same time, brown spots appear on the surface of the pompom dahlia leaves, gradually spreading to the entire plant. For treatment, foundationazole and topsin are used.
- Brown rot affects young shoots of dahlia pompon. Its development is facilitated by planting seedlings too deeply. Alirin is used to combat the disease. In case of deep damage, the entire plant is removed and the soil is treated with garden lime.
Pests:
- Caterpillars. Insecticides are used to control caterpillars.
- Nematodes. Plants cannot be treated and are dug up and burned.
- Slugs. Slugs are collected by hand or the plants are sprinkled with red pepper and superphosphate.
- Aphid. The areas affected by aphids are cut off, and the plant is treated with phytoverm.
How to properly care for a dahlia
Step 1. Water For watering, use only settled water. Watering frequency is two to three times a week. If groundwater passes close to the surface of the earth and stagnation occurs, drain it. Watering should be done in the morning or evening at the root. If leaves get too much water, they can rot. Stop watering at the end of August
Step 2. Fertilize The first time - after two weeks after planting, the dahlias should be fed: infuse mullein; dilute the infusion in the ratio of 1 part mullein to 10 parts water; pour 10 liters of infusion; add 20 g of superphosphate and ammonium nitrate to it. The second and third feeding - in mid and late June: mix 50 g of superphosphate and wood ash; pour the mixture with a bucket of water and stir. Potassium fertilizing - in mid-August: potassium sulfate 30 g. DO NOT apply mineral fertilizers with the main component nitrogen
Nitrogen promotes abundant formation of green mass and reduces bud setting. Attention! All proportions are given based on one bush
Step 3. Carry out agro-mechanical work Loosening: Before watering, the plant must be thoroughly loosened. Oxygen will penetrate deeper to the roots. Hilling: When the stems grow about half a meter, earth up the flower
Make a hill around the trunk at least 40 cm. Hilling will help tall varieties maintain stability. Mulching: The mulching process will retain moisture in the soil and reduce the amount of weeds. Mulch is made from sawdust, crushed tree bark or peat with a layer height of 5–6 cm
Step 4. Form a bush The formation process is mandatory for tall plants. Border and dwarf varieties do not need this procedure. Forming options:
1. Stepson. Remove shoots from the sides to increase stem height and inflorescence size. This is the best way to speed up flowering. 2. Pinch. The procedure for slowing growth in height and developing side shoots. To do this, remove the upper parts of young sprouts after the buds have fully formed on the stem. The bush spends less energy on the development of green mass and devotes it to the formation of buds. 3. Pincer. To make the flowers large and lush, you can remove the upper central inflorescence on each shoot. Extend flowering: To make dahlia bushes bloom longer, pick off faded flowers without waiting for the seeds to drop.
Step 5. Control pests and diseases. Diseases: Dahlias are disease resistant. Sometimes they are affected by the following diseases: gray rot; leaf spot; fusarium; mosaic. If infected with fungal diseases, remove and burn areas with manifestations of the disease. Treat the bushes with fungicides. In case of mosaic disease, remove the entire diseased bush. Treat nearby plants and the bush planting site with chemicals. Pests: Dahlias are parasitized by: aphids; slugs; cutworm caterpillars, greenhouse whitefly. Single harmful insects can be collected manually. In case of large accumulations, treat with insecticides. Stem nematode is a special case. Sign of defeat: The dahlia stops growing, becomes twisted and withers. How to proceed: The plant cannot be saved. In addition, other bushes may become infected. A diseased dahlia should be dug up and burned. Plants should not be planted in the infected area for some time. For treatment, plant the ground in this place with marigolds
Step 6. Prepare for wintering Preparing for winter includes the following steps: 1. In September, stop moisturizing the dahlias. After frost the bush will wither. 2. During this period, the plant is pruned. Cut off the entire bush. Leave the stem up to 15 cm high above the ground. 3. After about a week, dig up the tubers in warm, dry weather. Shake off the soil and leave to dry in the open air for several hours. Then take it into a ventilated area and dry it. 4. To store in sawdust, vermiculite or paraffin, the roots should be washed, dried and divided into shares. When storing in boxes and in sand, these steps are not necessary.
The Legend of Dahlias
According to a legend that has survived to this day, the first graceful buds of fluffy flowers appeared on the site of a cooled fire, which was the last to go out during the glacial period of the era. Thus, it became a flower symbolizing the beginning of a new, more comfortable time.
Whether this is true or not is difficult to say. Most likely, the beautiful story was invented to popularize this unusual flower. Although even without mysterious fairy tales, the plant quickly found its admirers, first in Europe, where it came from the colonies, and then throughout the world.
Does it need to be trimmed?
The issue of pruning dahlias is debatable. Experienced flower growers are engaged in the formation of tall bushes, believing that this is how they achieve abundant and lush flowering.
To do this, cut off the main stem, and also remove the very first buds on the dahlias. After pruning, the side shoots will begin to grow more intensively, and additional buds will form.
After pruning, pompom dahlia bushes look like large flowering balls.
Description of the variety and characteristics
Pompon dahlia varieties are in demand because of their bright, original inflorescences. Their baskets are dense balls, ranging in size from 4 to 7 cm, the marginal petals are folded inward and adjacent to each other. The color is uneven; there may be a more intense color at the edges, less intense towards the middle, and vice versa.
The plants are bushy, oval-shaped leaves. Typically, pompon dahlia bushes are leafy, and yellow, purple, lilac, and red balls of flowers look like lights against a green background.
These dahlias are very similar to their counterparts - the spherical varieties, but the size of the pompom flowers is smaller. In addition, their shape can be flattened, more reminiscent of a pompom rather than a ball.
The height of the bushes varies, it all depends on the variety, as well as growing conditions. There are plants reaching 80 cm, and there are also low dahlias - dwarfs. All of them are distinguished by lush flowering, and with proper care they will delight with their beauty throughout the summer season.
ON A NOTE! Pompon dahlia varieties are most often used for cutting.
These flowers are great in group (only one dahlia), as well as in mixed plantings. They are “friends” with a variety of annuals: marigolds, verbena, asters, they look great with gladioli, and are beautiful in compositions with montebretia.
They are grown by seeds, tubers, here everyone is guided based on their requirements, wishes and capabilities.
How to get seeds
How to get your seeds? You will have to collect them in the fall, from completely faded baskets.
Features of obtaining seeds
In order to obtain your seed material, it is necessary not to remove the faded pompom buds from the bush, but to allow them to fully ripen. Typically, the full ripening of the dahlia achene occurs in autumn, the period when it rains. Therefore, you can cover the buds with film, and if cold weather is expected, it is better to cut off the buds on the stem and put them in water at home. In about 10-14 days, the achene will ripen completely.
You can tell that dahlia seeds are ripe by the appearance of the achenes. It changes color from green to brown, the scales peel off.
The dried achene is cut off, the seeds are taken out, dried for another couple of days and stored. It is best to use paper bags for storage, on which it is advisable to indicate the type of dahlia. The optimal humidity level is up to 60%. Seed material is not stored in plastic bags, condensation appears there, and the seeds begin to deteriorate.
Preparing seedlings
Growing seedlings at home begins in early March. There are no difficulties in caring for dahlias. There is only one factor to take into account - flowers do not like frost. Therefore, they are grown in warm weather. The process of planting seeds for seedlings:
- Containers for planting seeds need a drainage system. To do this, holes are punched in the bottom through which excess moisture will flow out.
- We fill the pots with soil enriched with useful substances, so it is better to purchase a ready-made mixture for flowers.
- The seeds fall into the hole no more than 1.5 cm. It is recommended to leave the distance between the holes 3-4 cm.
- You can pick flowers after several true leaves appear. It is better to plant each flower in a separate pot.
- It is recommended to plant seedlings in open ground after May 20.
Mulching and watering
A mixture of pompom dahlias with other varieties will make the flowerbed more original. She can please the eye for a long time. The variety of colors is simply impressive. There are special varieties that have been glorified by many writers - black dahlias. In order for plants to grow well and produce buds, proper care is required.
It is mandatory to mulch the areas where dahlias are planted. This will simplify plant care, as there will be no need for regular weeding and loosening the soil. In addition, mulching protects seedlings from slugs. After mulching, the soil retains moisture longer. This is true during periods of drought.
As for watering, it is recommended to moisten the soil up to two times a week. Provided it doesn't rain. However, moisture should not stagnate near the roots, since the tubers of pompon dahlias are prone to rotting. If a dry period has arrived, hilling will help keep the soil moist. This should be done after watering.
Reviews about the variety
Raisa, Balashikha
Dahlias were very popular when I was little. We grew several bushes, and I always went to school on September 1st with a bouquet of these flowers.
Now I have several varieties at my dacha, but I don’t grow them as tubers. I buy seeds (most often I take pompom, spherical and cactus seeds) and plant them as seedlings. I like them for their ball-shaped flowers, and in cacti they are also shaggy, terry type.
Maria, Gatchina
In our village, where we go for the summer, we grow only one variety. This is a pompom dahlia - a bright ball of yellow-orange blossoms. It grows everywhere in our garden. In autumn we dig up the nodules, dry them and put them in the neighbor’s basement for storage. They lie there during the winter, and in the spring she takes out hers and ours at the same time. We don’t even know the variety by name, but it is unpretentious, and there are always a lot of flowers.
Anna, Kimry
I’ve never grown dahlias before and had trouble storing them. I saw beautiful pom-poms at a friend’s place, I liked them so much that I decided to plant them myself. They have been happy for four years now, and there are no problems with the nodules. I store it in the basement, in a dry cell, separate from vegetables. Before storing, I dry it and put it in paper bags. They store well, I take them out in the spring. I plant it in a new place each time when the cold weather goes away. They grow wonderfully and bloom for a long time.
What fertilizers and how to apply them
Photos of pompom dahlias turn out beautiful and extraordinary. Outwardly, such flowers resemble neat balls of bright colors. In order for plants to bloom well, they need to be fed properly. It is recommended to apply fertilizer every 14 days. It is recommended to alternate organic additives with mineral ones. To feed dahlias you can use:
- 15 grams of ammonium nitrate per 1 cubic meter of water;
- mullein infused with water in proportions of 1 to 10, respectively;
- infusion of bird droppings in a ratio of 1 to 20 parts of water.
When the first buds appear, it is worth using potassium supplements and superphosphate. To prepare the solution, 30 grams of the substance per bucket of water is required. This amount is enough to feed 8 dahlia bushes.
Choose the right place
The mixture of pompon dahlia colors will delight you for a long time if you choose the right place to plant the seedlings. A flowerbed with such flowers should be placed in an open, sufficiently lit area. In this case, the soil must be well drained. It is worth considering that pompon dahlias do not tolerate cold air and drafts, as well as dark places. If plants are planted in a shaded area, they will begin to stretch strongly. Because of this, the stems will become thin and weak, and the buds may not appear at all.
In addition, water should not stagnate in the soil. Therefore, it is worth choosing an area with loose soil. It is better to place the flower bed on a small hill. This will protect the plants from early frosts. In this case, moisture will not accumulate near the dahlia root system.
It is worth noting that such plants are not particularly picky about the composition of the soil. However, the soil must be fertile and loose. Soil with a slightly acidic or neutral composition is ideal. In the autumn, it is recommended to add fertilizer to the soil where the flower bed will be located. Manure, compost or humus are ideal.
