April is now the ideal time to plant Dahlias. The Dahlia is an easy to grow garden plant that, with a little good care, will reward you with an abundance of flowers.

As for soil type, the Dahlia does not have high demands; it feels right at home in any normal garden soil. What the Dahlia does like is light, lots of light. The Dahlia originally comes from Mexico, so it will not get too much sunlight.

She can tolerate a few hours of shade per day, but too much shade will cause the Dahlia plant to grow longer and limp.

What you do need to keep in mind with the Dahlia is that it uses a lot of water. A large plant like the Dahlia that is in full bloom in the sun evaporates a lot of water so make sure that the soil in which it is standing remains moist.

Likewise, if you want to plant the Dahlia in a pot, choose a pot of at least 10 litres so that the soil can provide a good water buffer.

Large-flowered Dahlias often need some support, especially when they are in full bloom they can be knocked over by rain and wind.

Also always remove the faded flowers. Once you have removed the flower, the Dahlia can no longer put energy into seed formation and two new stems will immediately grow from the two upper leaf axils that will produce another flower.

When you receive the Dahlia bulb it does not look very nice. After the long storage during the winter months the tuber is somewhat dried out and looks poor.

One type will look more shriveled than the other, but don't panic, if the Dahlia stands in the moist soil for a while you will see new shoots sprouting around the old cut stem. Some Dahlia types already show these shoots when you receive the tubers.

Therefore, always plant the Dahlia in well-moist soil so that the tuber can quickly make roots and absorb water again. The top of the Dahlia, where you see the cut-off old stem, should be just below the soil surface with the roots as much as possible downwards.

It rarely happens, but if a heavy night frost is predicted after you have planted the Dahlias, cover them with some foliage or peat so that the frost cannot reach the Dahlia. A Dahlia is very sensitive to freezing.

If you have never planted Dahlias I would recommend you to give them a try, they are truly one of the most rewarding plants for the garden. I do not know of any bulb or tuberous plant that can produce as many flowers as the Dahlia.

Good luck.

Kind regards,

Carlos van der Veek