Can annual dahlias be grown as perennials?

How to grow annual dahlias

1. Choosing a variety of annual dahlias.
2. Sowing seeds in open ground.
3. Growing seedlings of annual dahlias.
4. Planting dahlias in the ground.
5. Caring for annual dahlias.
6. Growing of annual dahlias in pots and flowerpots.
7. How to save tubers.
8. Dahlias in garden design.

Growing annual dahlias is a snap. Planting and caring for these annuals will be within the power of even inexperienced growers. In addition, the cultivation of annual dalys has its advantages:

1. Unlike the perennial varieties of dahlias, annual varieties are excellently grown from seed. There is no easy task - to dig up and store tubers until spring. It is enough to buy seeds of the kind you like and plant them in the spring.
2. Growing seedlings allows you to get flowering plants as early as June.
3. The flowering of annual varieties is lush and long (lasts until the very frost).
4. At a cost, dahlia seeds are much cheaper than tubers, and more plants can be grown.

What is the difference between varieties of annual dahlias

Depending on the variety, annual dahlias differ in height, flowering time, shape and size of the inflorescence

• Low-growing varieties with a height of 15-20 cm to 45-60 cm.
• Medium-sized varieties grow up to 1-1.2 m.
• Dwarf varieties begin to bloom much earlier than taller varieties.
• In shape, inflorescences are simple, semi-double, double, cactus, pompom.

On the seed bags, the manufacturer gives a description of the variety, sowing and flowering dates. Based on this information, it is easy to select the right variety depending on the planting location. For growing annuals on the balcony, in pots and flowerpots, and for decorating borders and the foreground of mixborders, dwarf varieties are suitable, which are distinguished by early and intense flowering on compact bushes.

Popular varieties of low-growing dahlias: Merry Guys, Figaro, Dandy, Bambino, Vasilisa, Piccolo, etc.

Higher distances can be planted in flower beds and mixborders, in beds, along the fence and wall. Medium-sized annual dahlias: Bright pom-poms, Cactus mix.

There are two options for growing annual dahlias:

1. Sowing seeds directly into the ground.
2. Growing through seedlings.

Sowing seeds in open ground

Annual dahlias can be grown by sowing seeds directly in open ground. Dahlia do best on light, breathable, neutral or slightly acidic soils. Preplant preparation of the land can be carried out in the fall or spring. Add rotted manure, humus, compost to the site for dahlias. Coarse sand and ash will help improve the structure of heavy earth.

When to plant. When determining the sowing time, it should be borne in mind that sprouts appear within a week.Therefore, it is possible to plant seeds in open ground when there is no threat of frost.

Landing. The seeds are buried 1-1.5 cm with an interval of about 30 cm. Since some seeds may not germinate, it is better to plant 2 or 3 seeds next to each other at once. Subsequently, if friendly shoots have turned out, you can leave one, the most powerful plant, and transplant the rest to another place.
Water the crops, mulch or cover with foil to retain moisture.

Growing seedlings of annual dahlias

Growing annual dalys through seedlings allows you to get flowering plants as early as June. In the first half of March, you can start sowing seeds.

A light substrate is poured into a plastic container with drainage holes in a layer of up to 5-7 cm. You can buy ready-made soil or prepare it yourself by mixing 2 parts of sod land with 1 part of humus and 1 part of sand. Perlite or vermiculite is sometimes added instead of sand.

We sow seeds. Before sowing, it is advisable to spill the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or phytosporin to prevent fungal diseases. Spread the seeds on the surface and cover them with a layer of soil up to 1.5 cm. Carefully water the crops and cover with foil. In a warm, bright place, seedlings will appear on the 5-7th day.

How to care for seedlings. As soon as the sprouts hatch, the film must be removed and provided with good lighting and an optimal temperature of about 20 degrees. If there is not enough light, additional lighting should be organized. In poor light, the seedlings stretch out strongly.

Watering should be moderate as the soil dries. Dahlias cannot stand waterlogging, which can lead to the development of the disease - black leg.

Picking. In the phase of two true leaves, dahlias dive into separate pots, deepening the plants to the cotyledonous leaves.

Two weeks after the pick, the seedlings can be fed with complex fertilizer. After ten days, repeat the feeding. Top dressing should be carried out on wet soil so as not to burn the delicate roots of young plants.
Above the third pair of real leaves, you need to pinch the top. As a result, side shoots will grow, the bushes will be more lush.

Planting dahlias in open ground

Before planting in the garden, the seedlings must be hardened. Plants begin to take out into fresh air, increasing the residence time. As soon as the threat of frost has passed, dahlias can be planted in a prepared place.

The site for planting Daliy should be sunny with light fertile soil. Humus or compost can be added to the planting hole, mixed with the ground. Two hours before planting, water the seedlings well. It is necessary to transfer the plants to the planting hole together with a lump of earth so as not to injure the roots. So the bushes will take root faster.

The distance between plants depends on the variety. For undersized dahlias, the gap is 30 cm, for higher species - 50 cm. Water and mulch the planted plants.

Caring for annual dahlias

Annual dahlias are undemanding in care, which consists in watering, weeding and feeding.

Watering

Dahlias do not like prolonged waterlogging, so you need to water the plants as the soil dries out. In dry hot weather, watering can be increased up to twice a week. After watering, it is advisable to mulch the soil. Mulching helps to retain moisture longer and does not form a crust on the soil surface.

Weeding

Weeding is necessary to keep the area around the dahlias clean. Weeds take moisture and nutrients from plants, and the access of light is impaired. Weeding is best done on the second or third day after watering, while loosening the soil. Loosening improves the air permeability of the soil and reduces moisture evaporation.

Top dressing

At the beginning of the growing season, our dahlias need nitrogen to build up green mass.Therefore, if organic fertilizers were not applied to the planting hole when planting seedlings, you can feed the plants with mullein infusions (2 liters of infusion per 10 liters of water). Top dressing should be carried out one week after transplanting. The day before fertilizing, the flowers must be watered.

During the period of budding and flowering, dahlias need phosphorus-potassium supplements. Potassium sulfate and superphosphate or a compound fertilizer with a low nitrogen content are suitable. Two dressings are enough: during the budding period and at the beginning of flowering.

With an excess of nitrogen, the dahlia bushes begin to "fatten", i.e. to increase the green mass to the detriment of flowering. In addition, such plants are more susceptible to infection with fungal diseases.

Timely removal of wilting inflorescences allows dahlias to bloom longer, because the plant does not waste energy on seed ripening and begins to release new buds.

As you can see, caring for dahlias is ordinary and not at all difficult.

Growing dahlias in pots and flowerpots

For growing annuals in pots and flowerpots, dwarf varieties are excellent. Bushes of dwarf dahlias grow no more than 40-50 cm. Flowering begins in June and continues until autumn frosts. Many low-growing varieties of dahlias have been developed, suitable for growing in pots and containers, which grow in a low compact bush with abundant flowering.

Pots should be spacious (at least 5 L) with good drainage holes for water to drain. At the bottom you need to pour a layer of expanded clay. Lightly breathable, neutral or slightly acidic soil is used for planting. Good results are obtained by adding hydrogel, vermiculite, perlite. These additives accumulate excess moisture and then release it as the soil dries out.

Before planting, it is advisable to spill the soil with a solution of potassium permanganate or phytosporin for the prevention of diseases.
Taking care of dahlias planted in flowerpots is somewhat more difficult than in the open field. Care will consist in more frequent watering, top dressing, timely removal of faded baskets. Fertilizers are applied after watering once every two weeks. It is convenient to use complex liquid fertilizers. In August, all feeding is stopped.

In the fall, before the onset of frost, dahlias can be brought into a warm room, and they will delight with their flowering for some time.

How to save tubers

Annual dahlias grown through seedlings, under good conditions, manage to form tubers in a season. In the fall, after the first frost, these tubers can be dug up and stored in a basement or other room with a temperature of about 5 degrees.

Low-growing dahlias form small nodules that can dry out during storage. Therefore, it is better to store them covered with earth, peat or sawdust. Some gardeners leave the tubers for storage in pots that dahlias have grown in all summer. But it must be borne in mind that after a couple of years, the tubers begin to degenerate, and it will be necessary to update the variety by sowing seeds.

The seeds can be harvested on their own, leaving a few faded baskets to dry completely. But dahlias grown from such seeds are likely to be unlike the mother plant.

Annual dahlias in garden design

Due to the variety of colors and shapes, annual dahlias can be planted in separate groups, creating bright spots among the greenery of the garden, or together with other annuals. Here it is important to choose a good combination of colors of inflorescences and avoid excessive variegation.

Dahlias go well in flower beds and mixborders with delphinium, phlox, lobelia. Asters, cosmos and zinnias in matching colors can also be a pleasant companion.

Cactus and pompom dahlias that grow up to 1 m tall will look good in the background of a flower bed or mixborder. Ornamental sunflowers can be planted next to them.

Dwarf varieties are suitable for decorating the border, rabatka and foreground of a mixborder. An excellent addition to them will be undersized marigolds and marigolds with their yellow-orange color palette.
Dahlias planted in pots, flowerpots can be placed on terraces and verandas, near garden benches and gazebos.

Diseases and pests of annual dahlias

Annual dahlias can be affected by fungal and viral diseases. Most common: gray rot, white rot, fusarium, black leg, viral mosaic.
Such pests as aphids, scoop caterpillars, slugs and snails love to feast on juicy green shoots and delicate petals of annual dalys.
To protect your flowers from diseases and pests, it is important to follow the growing rules and carry out preventive plant treatments.

An interesting video about the care of annual dahlias

Other helpful articles about dahlias

1. Varieties of perennial and annual dahlias. On this page you can familiarize yourself with the most different types of dahlias. There are small ones (which can be planted in pots or on the balcony), and there are large and simply huge ones.
2. Growing perennial dahlias. Detailed advice on choosing a site, planting dates, preparing tubers, growing seedlings and much more.
3. Dahlia diseases and pests. The most effective methods for controlling pests and treating diseases of your flowers.
4. When to dig up and how to store the tubers. Dahlias must not only be dug up in time, but also preserved during the winter. How best to do this in an apartment, read this article.

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Nowadays there are a lot of different annual dahlias from the "Funny Guys" series. Their color is quite varied and with their appearance they beautifully decorate various flower beds and rabatki.

Can the tubers of annual dahlias be stored?

The actual cultivation of annual dahlias is not particularly difficult, they grow small bulbs (tubers) by autumn, and then the question arises, how can they be stored in winter for planting next year? After all, the color you like from the seeds for the next year may not work out, since the shade of flowers is not transmitted by the seeds.

The most popular varieties of annual dahlias are:

1. "Merry guys" - the bushes of this variety reach a height of 90 cm. The flowers bloom large and non-double.
2. "Minion Mishung" bush height is 50 cm, blooms with small non-double flowers.
3. "Rigolleto" - the height of the bush is 50 cm, the blossoming buds are semi-double and small in diameter.

It is, of course, possible to save the root of the bush you like, but this will require certain skills, since the one-year-old is more difficult to keep in the winter due to their too small tubers. And because of their small size, they quickly lose moisture. Therefore, it is necessary to find a storage method in which thin tubers will feel good.

IMPORTANT! A place and method is selected so that thin tubers do not lose moisture and remain firm and elastic.

How to keep the tubers of annual dahlias until spring?

Annual dahlias are stored in the same ways as perennial dahlias, only so that there is not a large lunge of tubers, you need to carefully monitor the humidity in the place where the tubers are stored. Therefore, when digging a dahlia, the tubers are divided into 3-4 groups and they try to preserve these groups in various available ways, choosing exactly what will be best for them in the conditions of a certain grower residence. Even storage in the basement, in one case, will work well, and in another case, the tubers will die. It depends on various parameters:

• basement temperature in winter;
• from moisture;
• from too dry air at elevated temperatures.

IMPORTANT! To select a storage place for tubers by experimenting with different places and methods, therefore, they divide the tubers into different groups in order to be determined in one winter period without large attacks of rhizomes.

Dahlia digging

Before you start storing tubers, you need to dig them up correctly. At the first subzero temperatures, the foliage and stems of the plant turn black and they must be cut off, leaving a stump no more than 5 cm above the ground, they do this during a period when there is no rain so that the main stem of the plant does not start to rot.

When digging a bush, it must be dug from all sides so as not to damage the thin roots and only then remove everything from the soil. Having dug up the rhizome, shake off the ground and remove the spoiled tubers so that they do not damage the rest.

IMPORTANT! The tubers that have been selected for storage are washed well in warm water and soaked for a couple of hours in a pink solution of potassium manganese. This is a tubers disinfection procedure.

Storage methods for annual dahlias

Storing tubers in the basement - so that thin tubers do not dry out, cardboard boxes and sand are required. Sand can be replaced with sawdust. First of all, there must be certain conditions in the basement during the winter:

• Air humidity should be 60%.
• The air temperature should be within + 3-5 degrees.

Sawdust or sand is poured into a box on the bottom in a layer of 4 cm, dahlia tubers are laid out in one layer in such a way that they do not touch each other. There can be up to 5 such layers in a box, the main thing is that the height of the box itself allows. Then the boxes are lowered into the cellar.

IMPORTANT! It is more convenient to store in one layer, since it is easier to check for the safety of the tubers.

You may be interested in:

Storing tubers in a clay mash - the prepared tubers are dipped in a clay mash and dried for 3 days, then put into storage in boxes, sprinkling the layers with wood ash. To get a normal 10L bucket talker:

• Clay is diluted with water to a thick sour cream.
• Add a teaspoon of copper sulfate.

Storage of tubers in paraffin - for this method, the bush is divided into separate tubers. Then they are dried and dipped in heated paraffin. Then they are removed to a place where the air temperature will be within 5 degrees Celsius.

IMPORTANT! Whichever storage method is chosen, it must be remembered that only healthy tubers without mechanical damage can be stored.

Can annual dahlias be made perennial?

Since Mexico is the homeland of this beautiful perennial flower, the plant cannot survive the conditions of our winters on its own. And therefore, he needs to overexpose before the onset of stable heat. Therefore, if you save the formed tubers until spring, then annual dahlias will become perennial. Of course, provided that the grower has a desire and a place where you can save the thin tubers of annual dahlias.

The appearance of tubers in annual dahlias

Annual dahlias, with good care in nutritious and loose soil, can grow tubers by autumn. Do not be surprised to try to save them until the next warm season, and then they will delight with their lush flowering almost a month earlier from the seed-planted annual dahlias.

Reviews

Nina Petrovna

Has grown many annual dahlias. The first tubers were given to me by my neighbors in the country. They come not only with simple flowers, but also terry and cactus. Still, the roots turn out to be too thin in the fall and in order to preserve them for the next year, special conditions must be created for them.

Tatiana Semyonovna

I grow annual dahlias in my garden and in the fall I dig a bed of flowers and collect dahlia roots for winter storage. There is a lunge, but not so much, so in the spring I plant already sprouted tubers of annual dahlias.

Ekaterina Pogorelova

I would definitely keep these tubers, as they will completely repeat the mother plant. Seeds are flowers at random. True, the bushes grow taller than those that were grown using seedlings from seeds. Therefore, they must be planted in increments of 40 cm.

Delightful dahlia. Tall growth, luscious foliage, gigantic size flower of the most incredible shades. But it is this regal flower that can be found less and less in the garden. And the reason is not only that giant plants need support. More importantly, large dahlia root tubers are difficult to store. And yet it is impossible to completely abandon this plant. Therefore, dwarf forms of dahlias are gaining more and more popularity. They fit perfectly into any flower garden due to the compact shape of the bush, lush greenery and bright, abundant flowering. And root tubers take up little space during storage. In addition, you can opt for an annual dahlia. Previously, we knew only the variety mix "Merry Boys". These dahlias had a loose bush and small, simple flowers. Such a dahlia could only be planted in a rustic-style flower garden.

Times are changing, and now the market offers seeds of an annual dahlia with semi-double and double flowers, a dense bush shape, various colors of not only the flower, but also the foliage. Unlike old varieties, modern ones practically do not give splitting of maternal qualities. That is, all varietal characteristics are preserved in the offspring.

Miniature dahlias are very important in my garden. First, they look great in containers. Secondly, they are great in low elegant borders. Thirdly, throughout the season, you can plant dahlias from containers in empty places of vegetable beds and flower beds. The most beloved ones are babies up to 35 cm high and luxurious teenagers up to 50 cm. But taller annual dahlias also easily find their place in a flower garden. For example, the variety mixture "Children of the Cardinal" can reach a height of 80 cm, but the plants have incredibly beautiful foliage of beetroot and chocolate with a bronze tint.

An annual dahlia is most often sold as a mixture of varieties, where seeds of the same variety or hybrid are mixed, but with different flower colors. It was this fact that prompted me to grow an annual dahlia in a perennial culture, keeping the root tubers of the plants I liked in the basement. I have been experimenting with storing the root tubers of the one-year-old dahlia for six years now and there were no reasons for grief, although it is always written in the special literature that it is impossible to preserve such planting material.

However, with competent agricultural technology, high-quality planting material suitable for storage grows in one season. Moreover, in the second and third years of growing, some plants with simple flowers have an additional 1-2 rows of petals. This happened with the "Children of the Cardinal" and in the second year the simple red flowers became semi-double. So go for it, experiment. If you like the variety and color, be sure to try to preserve the root tuber.

What needs to be done to translate an annual dahlia into a perennial crop? Based on my experience, I can give some recommendations.

Prepare seedling potting soil in early February. I recommend taking the usual ready-made mixture for tomato seedlings, add 3 tablespoons of wood ash, 1 liter of garden humus to 5 liters, mix well, fill containers and pour with phytosporin solution. Place containers in a warm place for 1 week. From mid-February to the second decade of March, you can sow dahlia. In order to get friendly shoots, spread the seeds on warm, moist soil, cover with about 1-2 cm of dried soil, spray the surface with a spray bottle, then cover with foil and place on a light warm (20-22 ° C) windowsill.Dive seedlings with 2-3 true leaves into cassettes or separate cups. As soon as they settle down in their new apartments, start accustoming them to fresh cool air. In an apartment, this can be done on a glazed loggia, covering the plants only when the temperature drops to + 5 ° C. At the dacha or in a country house, already in April, the seedlings can be moved to a warm greenhouse or greenhouse.

Dahlia should be planted in open ground only when the threat of return frosts has passed, or earlier, but with the possibility of shelter, since at 0 ° C the seedlings die. It is impossible to delay planting, since seedlings in closed ground are strongly stretched and weakened.

Dahlias like a sunny, well-protected area from the prevailing winds with rich loamy or well-fertilized sandy soils. The planting site should be prepared in the fall, filled with compost and wood ash. To obtain high-quality root tubers from one-year-old dahlias, seedlings need to be planted only in open ground, in a container the result will be much worse. In the spring, add 2-3 handfuls of compost, 1 tablespoon of the woody zone to the planting pit. After planting, the seedlings must be watered and watering must also be regular throughout the summer. But feeding is strictly regulated. The first is carried out when peduncles appear. To do this, a solution of green fertilizer is sprayed over the leaves. With the onset of active flowering, the plants are fed first with an extract from wood ash, and after 2 weeks with comfrey infusion. In addition, the soil must be loosened and mulched, weeds are removed. To obtain larger inflorescences and root tubers, no more than 3 stems are left in the bush, starting from mid-July, all stepsons are plucked.

Dahlia root tubers are afraid of frost, so many are in a hurry to dig up plants in early September. However, in order to obtain high-quality planting material, it is better to huddle the bushes high at the end of August, and mulch the soil around. After the first frost, throw a non-woven material over the plants at night. After freezing of the aboveground part, it is cut off, and after 3-4 days the root tubers themselves are dug out. They are dried, washed in a phytosporin solution, dried again, and labels are hung. Prepared root tubers are placed in one row in ventilated boxes, sprinkled with peat chips and placed in a dry dark room with a temperature of 4–5 ° С. If the root tubers shrink during storage, the peat is slightly moistened. When weeping parts appear, the planting material is cleaned of diseased areas, washed in a solution of potassium permanganate, dried and sent back for storage.

In the spring, you can either sow new seeds of an annual dahlia, or plant the remaining root tubers, knowing exactly what kind it is, what height the plants will be and what color and shape it has flowers. And most importantly, you do not have to spend money on the purchase of planting material for border or potted dahlias.