Growing guides
Written once, kept current, timed to the dahlia calendar. Each guide cites its sources, and we name no farm negatively, ever.
Dahlia Care in August: What to Do at Peak Bloom
August is peak bloom and the last month before the tubers take over. What to feed, what to watch for in humid weather, and which plants to mark now for lifting.
Dahlia Care in July: What to Do Right Now
July is peak dahlia season, and the plants need different things now than in spring: deep watering, the feeding switch, staking, disbudding, and pests.
How to Deadhead Dahlias for Non-Stop Bloom
Pinching happens once. Deadheading happens all season. How to spot a spent bloom, where to cut, how often to walk the row, and what seed set costs you.
Dahlia History: From Aztec Tuber to Flower Show Obsession
How an Aztec food-crop tuber crossed the Atlantic as a failed potato substitute and became the flower behind a 19th century collecting mania.
How to Take Dahlia Cuttings from Tubers
One tuber can make many plants. How to wake a mother tuber, take and root cuttings, and use day length so they build strong roots instead of a weak tuber.
Leafy Gall, Crown Gall, or a Healthy Dahlia Crown?
Leafy gall and crown gall are real, incurable, and easy to confuse with a tuber waking up. How to tell bacterial gall from a healthy dahlia crown.
How to Grow Dahlias from Seed
Why grow dahlias from seed: every seedling is a brand-new variety. How to sow, germinate, and save seed, and why named varieties never come true from seed.
The Dahlia Care Calendar: A Month-by-Month Guide
A month-by-month dahlia calendar, from ordering tubers in winter to lifting and storing after frost. The whole season at a glance, adaptable by zone.
How to Cut Dahlias for the Vase
Dahlias do not open more after cutting, so harvest stage is everything. When to cut, time of day, conditioning, and how to extend a short vase life.
Dahlia Pests and Problems: A Field Guide
The honest field guide to dahlia pests: earwigs, slugs, aphids, thrips, mildew, and tuber rot, plus the organic and conventional controls that work.
How to Plant Dahlia Tubers
When to plant dahlia tubers by soil temperature, how deep, how far apart, whether to sprout indoors, and why you should hold off on watering at planting.
Dahlia Tubers vs. Rooted Cuttings: What to Buy
What you get with a dahlia tuber versus a rooted cutting, why farms sell cuttings, first-season performance, and which suits beginners best.
How to Pinch and Stake Dahlias
Pinch dahlias at 8 to 12 inches for more blooms, then stake or net them so the stems stay upright. Plus disbudding for bigger flowers.
Dahlia Viruses: What "Virus-Free" Really Means
Dahlia viruses are common, even in healthy-looking plants. What the science says, how they spread, and why 'virus-free' really means 'virus-tested.'
How to Divide Dahlia Tubers
Learn dahlia tuber anatomy, when to divide in fall or spring, how to find viable eyes, and how to make clean cuts that callus and store well.
How to Store Dahlia Tubers Over Winter
Dig, cure, and store dahlia tubers through winter. Storage media, temperature and humidity targets, the plastic wrap method, and monthly checks.