GROWING TIPS
Growing Your Gallery Dahlias from Plugs
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Plug Cutting Prior to Potting Up
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Note: Visit ContainerDahlias.com before May to order your Gallery Dahlia plants by mail.
When your Gallery container dahlias arrive, unpack at once and water. The cuttings are in plug form as show in the photo. Place the cutting in a 4"-6" pot filled with a good grade of potting soil. Wet the potting soil before planting. Make a suitable hole to accept the plug and firm soil around the planted cutting. Place in a bright warm part of the house or greenhouse and allow the roots to fill out in the pot. This will take about 2 weeks. During this period be sure to "top" your plants so they will branch out giving many more blooms.
A very dilute (1/2) feeding of general fertilizer can be applied after the first week. Be sure the soil is kept moist but not too wet. After a few more weeks your plants are ready for the container or border. Be sure all chances of frost have passed and the nights are warm.
In planting out use a spacing of about 12-16" between plants for a mass effect. In a container use 1 plant for an 8" pot; for a 12" pot use 2 plants. As the focal point of a 20"-24" large container, plant the Gallery dahlia in the center with other plant material around the dahlia.
Your plants can start blooming 9 weeks after you pot them up. Be sure to remove spent blooms to ensure continuing blooms right up to frost. If planted in a container be sure to water daily and fertilize every 2-3 weeks. Good housekeeping will ensure great flowers for the whole summer and fall.
June Planting
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Sample Container Orange Sunset
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The long awaited planting month is here---June. Here in the Northeast we have been waiting for the warmth of late spring to start our container planting. This is also the time to start planting our annual borders. The ground has begun to warm up and we are ready to put our well thought out plans to the test.
The first real warm weekend gets me out to the garden shops and I start looking for plants that will be happy with the dahlias I have chosen. This year I have decided to try three varieties that are new to me. Knowing the color of the dahlia I can build around this focus color. When shopping for additional plants be sure you have a blank sheet of paper or a notebook to assist in picking out your beauties. This is important for two reasons--- the sight of all the breathtaking plants in the shop will just be overwhelming. We need to focus and be aware of the color theme we have chosen. Secondly, to be sure we have the basic elements of container design covered.
Remember the design basics for planting a container garden. We need to have the FOCUS plant (the dahlia), MASS plants and TRAILING plants.
During the first few weeks of June your garden center will have outstanding selections, so lets get out there! We have pictures of our three sample containers as they start out the season. To see the dahlias I have chosen along with additional plant material, click here.
July Growing
It is a delight to see the growth of our three sample container gardens. With an abundance of flowers in bloom and our foliage contrast plants filling out, it's time for the star to appear. About the 3rd week in June the stars of the garden appeared. The dahlia stars are in the process of commanding our attention in our gardens. As you can see from our July pictures they are making their presence known.
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Sample Container Orange Sunset
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As our garden grows we must give some attention to maintenance. With the warm to hot summer we must water daily. By the middle of July I will begin a fertilizer biweekly program. I use a general purpose liquid fertilizer applied through my watering hose. Just follow the directions on the label.
It is important to remove the side buds from your dahlias. This will give a larger dahlia and a better presentation. www.midislanddahlia.com in their learning section "Controlling Growth" has a great picture essay on disbudding side buds. Also be sure to remove spent blooms; this will insure new flowers and keep your garden looking just great. Pay attention to the growth of all plants and don't let one take over the whole garden. Some of our trailing plants can get out of hand. I try to keep the "trailers" under control by trimming them when and if they reach the ground.
IMPORTANT NOTE: It's not too late to start your container garden. Most good garden centers still have a fine selection of plants and dahlias in bloom. There also are some good deals on prices. Some plants look a little beat but with some TLC they will do them well. Enjoy and I will see you in August. If you have any question or comments please contact me... steve@containerdahlias.com
