Dahlias are perennials, so do not believe those who claim the existence of annual varieties. Although this rule does not work on the territory of our country, since in the middle zone of the winter they turn out to be so severe that dahlias immediately die. Therefore, in our latitudes, they have to be grown as annual plants.
However, in this case, dahlias are able to remain perennials. Only needed in the fall dig up their tubers and, waiting for spring, plant them again.
Annual dahlias are among the common plants that can be found at any flower shop. And every amateur gardener has the opportunity to choose any preferred method of growing them outdoors - through seedlings or seeds.
Content
Landing
The most common way for gardeners to grow annual dahlias is to plant seedlings in open ground. But first you need to choose a place where annual dahlias will grow, and carry out certain activities.
Planting site selection and soil preparation
It is recommended to plant dahlia seedlings in a lighted place, and soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction should prevail in the selected area. During preparation, it is necessary to dig up the site, while simultaneously introducing humus into the soil. To make the soil looser, sand is added to it.
Landing features
Experienced gardeners most often grow annual dahlias by planting seedlings. And they do this for a reason, because they know that in this case the first flowers will begin to bloom in June. Thus, the whole process can be describe in two stages:
- first, boxes with soil are prepared in which the seedlings are grown;
- when the weather is favorable, young plants are transplanted into open ground.
It is recommended to fill the seed containers with a mixture made from peat, sand and perlite. Water the soil thoroughly before sowing seeds. If plastic containers were chosen for growing seedlings, then holes need to be made in them. After placing the seeds on the surface of the soil, they are sprinkled with a mixture of sand and soil. After that, the crops must be carefully watered from the spray bottle.
Usually the process of growing seedlings takes place without any complications. The seeds are distinguished by excellent germination, and young plants quickly take root after picking.
However, it should be borne in mind that watering should be moderate, otherwise, due to waterlogging of the soil, the seedlings may get sick.
It is possible to plan sowing seeds for seedlings at different times, however, it is preferable to do this between March and April.
when the seeds are sown, the containers must be covered with glass or polyethylene, after which they are transferred to a bright, warm place. You don't have to wait long for seed germination. The first shoots appear in two to three days.When the seeds begin to germinate, the shelter is removed, but this is not done immediately, but as new seedlings appear;- when the seedlings become stronger, a pick is carried out into individual pots. Moreover, it must be planted in such a way that the first leaves are at the soil level. For a dive, it is necessary to use a special planting soil, for the preparation of which sand and peat are used, which are mixed with turf soil in an amount of at least half of the total volume;
- when the dahlias successfully endure the pick, they begin to carry out top dressing, for which any complex fertilizers are used. However, given that the seedlings are planned to be fed, they need to be applied in half the dose. After a while, you will need to pinch above the fourth pair of leaves;
- when the last wave of spring frosts has passed, they begin to plant seedlings in a permanent place;
- the plant should be placed no closer than 30-60 cm from each other. However, this interval is determined taking into account the size of the seedlings.
It is possible to increase the survival rate of seedlings if in the first days keep her under cover... To do this, you can use a special thin covering material or, which is more often practiced by most gardeners, dark plastic bottles in which holes must be made for air to enter.
In the middle zone of our country, it is best to sow seeds in open ground at the end of May. With a greater delay in sowing, the first dahlia flowers will bloom no earlier than August. After sowing, the bed must be covered with plastic wrap, which is not removed until shoots appear.
Reproduction
The Merry Boys harvest the seeds of annual dahlias in the fall, when they reach maturity. For this pluck seed podsin which the seeds are. They reach maturity about 30 days after the dahlias wilt.
The collected seeds must be placed in a cool dry place to dry. After that, they need to be poured into paper packages and stored in them until spring.
Care
Annual dahlias are unpretentious plants, so they can easily do without additional feeding. Therefore, even if they are planted on marginal soil, they will be able to please the gardener with no less abundant flowering here without special care, as when grown in organic-rich areas.
However, there is one requirement that every gardener should be aware of: moisture stagnation is unacceptable at the place chosen for planting dahlias, therefore, if necessary, the moisture permeability of the soil will have to be increased.
Dahlias do not need to be watered too often; their water demand increases only on dry days.
Pest and disease control
Dahlias "Funny guys" are no different from other flowering plants, so you need to constantly monitor their condition, in order to timely identify signs of damage from diseases and pests.
as a preventive measure, it is recommended to dig deep into the soil every year in the fall. Thanks to this operation, you can reduce the risk of hitting dahlias with caterpillars;- good results can be achieved by liming the soil. First of all, this operation is effective for preventing such a serious disease as fusarium. The signs of the disease are wilting of the tops and buds of dahlias, which is simultaneously accompanied by the browning of the lower parts of the plant;
- fungal diseases can also harm these flowers. The risk of their development is highest in shaded and neglected plantings. If this disease is allowed, then the leaves will begin to become covered with brown spots, and subsequently dry up and begin to fall off;
- white rot is also a danger to dahlias. It can be determined by the wilting of the shoots, while the stems begin to become covered with spots.Some varieties of dahlias can also be affected by wet bacterial and brown rot, spotting and other diseases. You can get rid of these unpleasant manifestations with the help of fungicides and various biological additives.
The use of dahlias in landscape design
Dahlias "Merry Guys" are highly demanded as ornamental plants, with the help of which they decorate such elements of landscape design as flower beds and ridges... Often used as part of group plantings consisting of plants of various varieties. Dahlias, which are grown as single plants, look no less impressive.
Low-growing varieties of dahlias are most often used to decorate borders, ribbons and small ridges, since it is these plants that do not create shadows for each other. These flowers look attractive when planted in tubs or flower pots.
Conclusion
Almost every domestic gardener is familiar with dahlias. These bulbs are very popular in our country due to their pronounced decorative properties. AND you can grow them in almost any area... Due to their unpretentiousness, they practically do not require special care, so almost any free space can be used for arranging a flower bed with dahlias.
Most often they are grown by the seedling method, which allows them to wait for flowering after transplantation in the first year. However, it must be borne in mind that in the conditions of our climate, dahlias cannot be grown in the usual way, therefore, in the fall, they must be dug up and stored indoors until spring.
