Dahlia (dahlia, dahlia) is a relative of asters, perennial. It is named after the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl, and the Russian version is Johann Georgi, a researcher from St. Petersburg.
The plant is native to South America, where the Indians still call it "chichipatl", "acocotle", "coco cochochtitl".
Description
Dahlias planted near the house look impressive. Height - 0.5-2 m. The leaves are large, dissected, oblong. Baskets of inflorescences of various shades, beautiful in shape, with petals in several rows or simple.
The petals are different, depending on the group of dahlias. Tubular flowers predominate in the core, reed up to 40 cm along the edge. Blossoms from June to October. Bushes are powerful. They have root tubers. Annually, recovery buds are formed on the root neck. In a temperate and cold climate they are dug up.
Annual dahlias
Dahlias are annual and perennial. The former are grown from seeds and live for one season.
With their help, you can quickly close unsightly places on the site or an empty part of the flower bed, until other flowers have grown.
Varieties of annual dahlias
Annual dahlias are divided into more than 10 groups.
Grade | Bush Height (cm) | Inflorescence | View of the petals Bloom |
Figaro | Not sprawling, dwarf, 40. | Around the circumference of about 7 cm, various colors. | Multi-colored with a yellow middle. July-October. |
Cactus mix | With a lot of peduncles. 60. | About 30 cm in various colors. | Reminded needles twisted, reed, narrow and sharp. June-September. |
Funny boys | A lot of stems, very branched. 50. | Flat, various shades, the core is golden. | Lightly twisted. Midsummer-fall. |
Picolo | Compact. 45. | Approximately 9 cm, multi-colored. | Many shades. July-October. |
Bambino | Small. 25. | About 8 cm. | Bright, yellow and red. Summer autumn. |
Opera | Undersized. 35. | From white to cherry. | Broad, spade-shaped. July-October. |
Minion | Compact, with a lot of peduncles. 35. | Simple, buds appear early. | Oval. July-October. |
Growing annual dahlias from seeds
Dahlias are obtained from seeds by two methods, either in March through seedlings, or in May immediately into open ground. Observe landing rules:
- Prepare containers by treating them with a solution of manganese.
- Humus, peat, sand are mixed.
- Seeds are soaked for a day.
- Sow in pots of 3 seeds, deepening no more than 1 cm.
- It is watered to wet the earthen lump without over-wetting. Close, creating greenhouse conditions.
- They put in a warm place, the air temperature is about +25 ° C. Inspect and ventilate periodically, do not allow waterlogging, checking for mold.
- 2 weeks after the appearance of the entrances, a pick is carried out.
- When 4 real leaves grow, seedlings are planted in a greenhouse or garden ...
Planting seedlings of annual dahlias in the flower garden
Prepare the soil in advance, dig, add mineral fertilizers. Then make landing pits, leaving between them 30-50 cm, paying attention to the characteristics of the plant.
Flowers are transplanted by transshipment without damaging the thin roots. They make watering, cover the ground with sawdust or dry grass. High grades with wide ribbons or cloth are tied to a stick or high pole mount.
How to Collect Seeds from Annual Dahlias
Very strong plants are marked for the collection and storage of planting material, allowing them to mature for about a month and a half. They hang a label for future blanks, trying not to lose the flower among others.
They harvest in early autumn, on a calm sunny day. Seeds are laid out on paper envelopes indicating the variety.
If seeds are harvested from hybrids, next year their varietal qualities will be different.
Perennial dahlias
The names of perennial varieties are repeated annuals, they are distinguished by inflorescences, and not by the period of cultivation. As well as methods of reproduction. Perennials are planted with tubers. Dahlias are divided according to the shape of a flower into the following species:
Simple
They have petals in one row, low with a yellow core, only 0.6 m with straight, branched branches. Varieties: Princess Maria, Yellow Hammer, Orange, Cupid, Collette.
Anemone
Terry and semi-double flowers, reed petals, tubular in the center. Tall perennial over 100 cm. Looks great in a mixborder.
It has varieties: Inca, Mambo, Polka. Comets, Lambada.
Pion-shaped
Large semi-terry or terry, reminiscent of peonies. High. En Rouge, Red Tunic, Bendall, Beauty Chic, Opera.
Collar collar
Large baskets having a width of 10 cm. On top of the flat extreme petals are white narrow ones that resemble a collar. Tall varieties of 120 cm. Bloom from mid-summer until the first frost. Popular views loved by flower growers: Gioconda, Knight, Granato, Butterfly, Heart of Danko.
Spherical
Multiple petals of various colors, more than 9 cm, with wide obtuse extreme petals. High branched bushes, used for cutting. Varieties are varied, the best are Kenora Fairball, White Astaire, Gypsy Night, La Bayadere.
Pompoms
They got their name because of the small flowers that resemble small pompons. Terry, 5 cm with extreme blunt petals, tubular, folded in the form of tiles.
Painted in different colors except blue. Bushes are dense, with strong branches. Bred species: Viking, Little William Rocco, Amber Quinn.
Cactus
Shrub plant, forming up to 15 peduncles. Dense flowers, 10 cm in diameter, pointed petals in the form of needles. Used for cultivation in a group or in a single way. Black Look Wizard, Favorite, Princess Park, Blackbury look amazing.
Semi-cactus
Transitional group of medium asters. It rises to a height of 130 cm, lush foliage. Terry inflorescences, large, partially tubular, pointed flowers. The best varieties: Meteor, Island Delight, Papes Pink, Just Peachy,
Nymphaeum
Huge branched bushes. Leaves dissected into several parts. The flower of 18 cm, reminds a water lily, consists of petals inclined to the center. Roots are tuberous. Famous and popular types: Twin, Kens Flame, Rapallo.
Decorative
The largest class of dahlias with terry flowers. Leaves are opposite. Flowering from July to September. Flowers bend to the stem, which gives a stunning effect.
Planting tubers in the open ground
In temperate latitudes, dahlias do not leave inside the earth. For annual flowering, rhizomes are dug up in the fall, in the winter months they are stored properly, and then planted in the spring. There are two ways to do this. For an earlier appearance of buds, root tubers are planted in large pots for germination, then placed in the ground. Or immediately after the end of the threat of frost, they are planted in the garden.
This method of propagation has advantages. In the roots, all the signs of the mother plant are preserved.
Preparing tubers for planting
Tubers are germinated in a greenhouse or on a window sill, in prepared containers with soil treated as seedlings. Inspect the roots before planting, remove dried ones. Planted without deepening, leave 3 cm above the surface, preferably with the kidneys. When they begin to germinate, they are taken out of the ground, shaken and divided with a knife, leaving one young bud on each part. Sections are treated with a biostimulant.
Separated parts are instilled back into containers for further growth. If extra shoots appear, they are cut and rooted in the ground. After the last cold weather, around the end of spring, they plant it in the garden.
Prepare the wells in advance for planting every 60 cm, add phosphorus, potassium, magnesium. Tubers are laid in the soil so that only sprouted shoots are visible above the surface, and the roots are covered by 5 cm.
Site selection
Dahlias are thermophilic and hygrophilous flowers. These properties are taken into account when choosing a site for planting. The place is flat or slightly elevated, covered by landings or buildings, sunny. Flowers are not planted in the lowlands. The earth must be fertile, breathable. If the soil is heavy, add sawdust, humus or sand. Dahlias love neutral or slightly acidic ground. Gardeners take care of soil deoxidation in the fall, adding slaked lime.
Flower beds are not made near the trees so that they do not pick up moisture from the dahlia.
Dahlia Care
Dalia is looked after, as well as for any landings. They periodically eradicate the soil, get rid of weeds. Pinch excess stalks as they grow, achieving the splendor of the bush. Some of the branches are cut so that they do not interfere with air exchange, cuttings are cut from them and root. Removing weak shoots allows you to ventilate the bush to avoid infection with diseases of gray rot and fusarium. Faded inflorescences break off.
Periodically check for diseases, as powdery mildew may appear during wet summers. To avoid troubles make potash and phosphorus fertilizers, fungicides.
Watering
Watered every week, pouring 10 liters of water under the bush. Then, when the soil dries up, it is spudded.
Top dressing
The first time they feed when planting flowers in the ground, then every 2 weeks, alternate mineral and organic fertilizers.
During feeding, add 15 g of ammonium nitrate, as well as superphosphate and potassium at the rate of 30 g per 10 liters. As organics, they use manure, mullein or bird droppings, strongly diluted with water, so as not to burn the roots. Contribute 1 liter under each plant.
Supports
Tall varieties of dahlias are tied to a trellis or dug stick every 35-40 cm. The garter material is not tightened strongly so that it does not bite into the plant. Use ribbons, special wide mounts, cutting from old rags. Wire and rope do not fit.
How to dig tubers and store dahlias in winter
The stems and leaves of dahlias wilt at the first frost. Make a hole to a depth of about 30-40 cm from the main shoot, digging a plant. The remaining soil is removed from the tubers, washing them under a stream of water, and dried for a month in a ventilated room at a temperature not exceeding +12 ° C. Then they are treated against diseases and rot and cleaned until next summer.
Rhizomes are packed in cardboard boxes or paper bags, or left in paraffin and a sand pillow in the cellar or refrigerator compartment for vegetables. The substrate should be slightly moistened.
Periodically, root tubers are inspected for damage and rot. Ill specimens are destroyed.
Dahlia breeding
Carried out by cuttings or division of tubers.
Cuttings
Parts of the branches with the heel are cut, the section is treated with a biostimulator. In winter, they are left in the cold so that they do not germinate. When planting in the summer, they are rooted in boxes.
The shoots are placed at an angle to the surface of the earth, moisten the soil and cover with a film or covering material. After the appearance of a good coma of roots, the sprouted plants are transplanted into the ground.
Rhizome Division
Do in the fall, after digging the plants. The healthiest tubers are selected, separated from each other and stored. The next stage of reproduction takes place in the spring. It is described above.
Pests, diseases
Problem | Remedial measures |
Brown leaf spot | The leaves are treated with a solution of Bordeaux liquid or other preparations containing copper. |
Blackleg | Watered with a solution of onion, carried out every week. |
Root rot | They treat the roots with special fungicides. |
Fusarium | Spilling the soil with solutions that disinfect it. |
Cucumber mosaic | Destroy the plant completely. |
Earwig | Spray with an insecticide. |
Slug | Ashes are scattered around the flowers, through which the pests do not crawl. |
Aphid | Damaged stems and leaves are cut, sprayed with infusion of biological products with laundry soap. |
Spider mite | Remove the cobweb with a cloth, wipe the leaves on both sides with oil-containing preparations. If there is an ultraviolet lamp, the lower part is visible. |