It's official, dahlias are back in all their
loud and bright glory! They are brilliant
for a pot display (smallish varieties) or to
add lots of late summer colour into
borders and the bees love them!
Some find growing dahlias a daunting
prospect but there really is no reason to,
yes they look a bit weird and scary but give
them a go, they really are quite obliging and
so worth the effort come summer!
Whether your bought tubers have just arrived or you've dug out those overwintered
in your shed, now is the time to pot them up togive them a head start. They look
extraordinary,a fascination to a inquisitive
4 year old and apparently rather like a bunch
of old sausages!
Pot them up in a large-ish 2 - 3 L pot per tuber bunch in some multi purpose compost with their stem poking an inch or so above the surface of the soil. If any of the tubers look rotten just cut them off and discard before potting up.
Water them in well, keep moist and place
somewhere light and frost free - a cold frame
is ideal of you have one.
Wait until May - June when they are a
healthy bushy plant and plant out into a
sunny spot with rich soil or a handsome
large terracotta pot.
Water well, especially when hot and enjoy
their glorious colours from July all the way
through to November.
