There are three ways to grow dahlias: from tubers, rooted cuttings or seed.
Tubers are the roots of mature plants and look like a cluster of brown, carrot-like roots joined by the previous year’s dried stem. You can buy them from garden centres or by mail order in spring, or use your own tubers that have been overwintered.
Staring dahlias in pots is a great way to get them into growth earlier in the season. Simply plant dahlia tubers in large pots filled with peat-free multi-purpose potting compost in March or early April, and then keep them on a windowsill or in a frost-free greenhouse until late May, when it’s safe to plant them outside.
Starting off dahlia in pots will also encourage them to develop more quickly, so they’re likely to start flowering earlier. Before planting, soak tubers in a bucket of tepid water for an hour so they can fully rehydrate.
When planting dahlia tubers, ensure the joint where the roots meet the stem is facing upwards. Label your pots and grow on in a greenhouse or sunny windowsill. Keep the tubers well watered.
Pinch out the tips of the main shoot, down to the top pair of leaves. You also need to remove most of the shoots growing from the tuber, except for five. This encourages bushy plants, strong, vigorous growth and a lot more flowers.
When all risk of frost has passed, harden off your dahlias by placing them outside during the day and bringing them in at night. After a week they will be ready to plant out into their final growing positions.
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Dahlias are beautiful, tender perennials that flower from summer into autumn, providing a long season of colour and interest. They are grown from tubers, which look like a cluster of brown, carrot-like roots joined by the previous year’s dried stem. After flowering, dahlias start to rot back into the ground and the nutrients from the plant are returned to the tubers, which remain in the ground over winter and start growing again in spring. However, because dahlias are tender they don’t reliably
If youre wondering how to grow dahlias, then youve come to the right place. After falling out of fashion for a while, these beautiful blooms have staged a big comeback and their newfound popularity shows no sign of waning. After all, these incredibly varied plants offer something for everyone.Dahlias are totally versatile, too – you can plant them in borders, grow compact cultivars in containers, or treat them as a cutting-flower crop for show-stopping displays indoors. They can also be v