Thank you for purchasing
Dahlia Tubers from BourndaGrow

​

I have been growing these flowers for a number of years and have steadily built up my stock through purchasing online and dividing my existing tubers whilst dormant.

​

My plants are disease/virus free and have been supplied with growing eyes evident to ensure the viability of the tubers.

​

Do not be concerned with tuber size as this does not relate to the size of the resulting plant – tubers come in many different shapes and sizes but should not be overly shrivelled or mouldy/rotten. If you have received a division containing multiple (clumps) of tubers this is great for you as it usually means that the grower did not wish to risk damaging the tubers by breaking them down further – the more viable tubers you have the more eyes to throw stems from and therefore more flowers.

​

You may leave the tubers in the ground over winter if you are in a frost free area as long as they don’t become waterlogged. They should be dug up and divided whilst dormant every couple of years to encourage good vigour. Excellent drainage is essential for Dahlias year round, they enjoy good fertile soil and a regular drink during growth and flowering. First thing in the morning or late afternoon, trying not to wet the foliage where possible.

When you are ready to plant – usually Sept/Oct in our climate carefully remove any sawdust or packing medium from the tuber – growth eyes may be bumps or actual stems that have started to sprout. Don’t be too concerned if you break the growing shoot when planting as it should throw others if viable.

​

Dig a hole 10-15 cm deep and plant the tuber horizontally with the eyes or shoots facing up. Cover with soil but unless weather is particularly dry do not water until growth has emerged.  The tubers are very vulnerable to rot whilst dormant but will need water to support growth once started. Space tubers approx 30 cm apart and either stake individually ( best done at time of planting to minimise risk of damage to tuber) or several plants may be coralled (surrounded by support). Protect emerging shoots from slugs and snails and put some fresh blood & bone on soil around shoot to dissuade rabbits. Apply a  slow release fertiliser when plants reach around 10 cm, a soluble flower feed (higher potassium) will assist with blooming when applied regularly through the growing season.

​

When plants reach 15-20cms (3-4 sets of leaves) pinching out the main stem down to a good set of lower leaves will help to encourage denser growth with stronger, longer stems and more flowers. Be sure to remove spent flower heads again cutting down to a set of lower leaves to encourage good growth habit. If you would like to cut flowers for the vase remember that they will not continue to open after cutting so need to be harvested when almost completely open but before the rear petals are showing age. Remove the lower leaves and any buds and plunge immediatley in to a clean bucket of water. If you prefer to enjoy the flowers in a garden setting, deadheading the spent blooms will encourage further flowering.

​

When plants have finished flowering in late Autumn you may like to leave a few flowers to ‘go to seed’ waiting until they are completely dried before harvesting and collecting seed to sow next season. They will not grow true to the flower collected from but may produce a beautiful keeper for your garden or even the next “unicorn”. Cut spent plants down to around 15cm (some people bend stems over to prevent water entering the hollow and causing rot) – do not dig up until plant is completely dormant. Tubers can be damaged very easily when lifting and some do not store well. Ensure they remain cool & dry whilst dormant with good aeration.

 

Good health & abundant flowers from my garden to yours -  

Karyn

BourndaGrowFlora.com.au

@bourndagrow