If you need a reliable border plant to provide a glorious burst of colour, you simply cannot go wrong with dahlias. Offering a dazzling variety of shapes and sizes, there is something to suit any space, and they work in pots too, which gives you the flexibility to move them around when you fancy a change!

Planting dahlias under protection in April (before hardening off and planting out in late May) will ensure large, healthy plants with lots of flowering potential – and it means you’ll be able to take cuttings too, so you can create even more plants for your display!

Starting Off

Choose a generous pot to accommodate your tuber and fill around it with multi-purpose compost, making sure that you leave the ‘crown’ or top of the tuber showing.

Ensure that the compost stays moist, and place your pots in a light, frost-free place.

Within a few weeks, you should expect new shoots to appear.

Planting and Care

Once the risk of frost has passed, you can harden off your dahlias and plant them outside, where they’ll do best in a sunny site. They are hungry plants too, so make sure you prepare your soil by digging it over and incorporating lots of organic matter.

Leave 15-45cm between plants when planting, depending on the variety you are growing, and water them well. Then once the plants are 30-50cm tall, cut out the tips of the main stems to encourage side shoots for more blooms. Water your plants generously during dry weather and, for an extra boost, add liquid fertilizer every two weeks.

Although in some areas dahlia tubers can survive the winter outside, it’s best to ensure they’ll be available in future years by lifting and storing them in Autumn, as soon as it starts to get frosty – this is particularly if you are gardening in heavy soil.

Visit us to check out our range of lovely dahlia tubers, plus we have all the pots, planters and compost you’ll need to create some dahlia-dazzle in your garden!