A Couple Brief Announcements
Sell-out Sale
We have exciting news! All of our dahlia tubers are now on sale for just $5.99 each! We have restocked several quantities. They all have eyes and most have sprouts! They want to grow! You can view our remaining tubers on our website.
Wallpaper Packs
Keep an eye out, we have new wallpaper packs coming soon! Currently our Kenora Lisa wallpaper pack available. Treat yourself or your friends and family to some lovely blooms on the computers and phones they use every day. With their affordable prices, they make fantastic gifts.
Frost Date
Do you know when your last frost date is? Do you know the current ground temperature in your area? Why is this important to know about? It is helpful to know the last frost date in spring. This date gives us a good hint when it is warm enough to safely plant outside. It is also helpful to know the ground temperature, which should be at least 60 degrees.
Here are two websites I recommend:
Last frost dates (spring) First frost dates (fall) for 2023 by ZIP code: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/frostdates
Soil temperature maps by ZIP code: https://www.greencastonline.com/tools/soil-temperature
Planning to Plant Outdoors
You can plant in raised beds, directly in the ground or containers. Dahlias need at least 6 hours of sun. They do like some afternoon shade. They need well drained soil. You can amend your soil if you have clay.
Planting Depth
Plant the tuber horizontal, sprout up 4-7″ deep. If you bought clumps of tubers from the big box stores, plant them the same depth as a clump. Cover the tubers with soil. We do not recommend using Miracle Gro Soil, as the fertilizer present in the soil has been known to burn plants. We recommend organic soil, free of all additives.
Watering
It is not recommended to water tubers until they break the surface and are about 3″ tall. This is because the tuber has not yet developed a root system, so they can’t take in water. The biggest newbie mistake is to over-water tubers which leads to them rotting in the ground. The exception is living in a dry, hot climate. In those cases, water once a week to help the tuber get the root system established.
Support
Your dahlias that grow over 3 feet tall will need some kind of support. A round tomato cage, a stake, a bamboo cane, or T-posts with netting are good choices.
Spring Rains + Tarps
In the initial planting, we do not want the tuber to get water until it’s about 3″ tall. I really like using a round tomato cage for each of my plants. In order to protect the tubers, I visit my local hardware store and will purchase several plastic tarps (paint dept.) When rain, storms, or wind is forecast, I pull the plastic tarps over the tomato cages and secure them with clothespins (the spring type). It works great! I re-use those same tarps all through the growing season.
Happy growing,
Paula York
Owner, Lakeshore Dahlias LLC