 |
 |
 |
 |
Dahlias - varieties, planting and care
Dahlias are beautifully flowering perennial shrubs, the official name for dahlias is Dahlia perennial. Dahlia is distinguished by a variety of varieties, shades and the shape of inflorescences, the height of the shrub is from 30 to 150 cm, the diameter of the inflorescences reaches 40 cm. Spreading shrubs bloom from early summer to late autumn, all species have the same care needs, propagate by seeds and tubers. The popularity of dahlias is growing every year more and more, we will get to know better their varieties and recommendations for growing this unusual plant.
Content
- Varieties of dahlia perennial. video
- Dahlias - Planting
- Dahlias - care and rearing. video
- Diseases and Pests Dahlia. video
Varieties dahlia perennial
Annual and perennial dahlias arrived in Europe in the 19th century from the mountainous regions of Mexico, breeders became interested in flowers due to decorative advantages and relative ease of cultivation. As a result of crossing, many species and varieties of perennial shrubs appeared; we will consider these groups in more detail:
- Decorative dahlias are full inflorescences with flat and wide petals. High varieties from 100 to 160 cm - Break Out, Garden Wonder, Mystery Day. Varieties undersized - Dahlia Bisty, Dahlia Hawaii, Dahlia Princesse Grscia.
- Pompon and spherical dahlias - height from 100 to 120 cm, inflorescences up to 12 cm in diameter are spherical, petals are tightly pressed to each other. Pompom Dahlias - Downham Royal, Noreen, Willo's Violet. Spherical - Dahlia Eveline, Kenora Fireball, Sandra.
- Cactus - pointed flower petals, reminiscent of a cactus needle, hence the name. Shrub from 100 to 140 cm. Varieties - Color Spectacle, Jeanne D'arc, Yellow Star.
- Anemone dahlias are an inflorescence with many narrow petals in the convex center of the flower, wide on the edges of the petals. Height from 70 to 100 cm, varieties - Dahlia Guinea, Rock and roll, Comet.
- Collar - the inflorescence is multi-layered, the first row, these are flat petals, the second - twisted narrow petals grow from a slightly convex middle. Shrub height from 70 to 120 cm, varieties - Dahlia Night Butterfly, Dahlia La Gioconda, Bode.
These groups of plants are most in demand among gardeners, but this is not all, there are 13 of them. Choosing dahlias, you can find pion-shaped, semi-cactus, stunted and other species.
Dahlias - Planting
The dahlia landing site should be sunny and protected from the wind, plants grow well in partial shade, but the flowers in this case will be less impressive. The best soil for permeable dahlia, fertilized with humus, pH from 7.0 to 7.2. Dahlias cannot tolerate heavy and swampy soils.
Planting dahlias in spring is possible by seed and division of tubers. Seeds are sown at room conditions in March, in April in a greenhouse. The recommended temperature for seed germination is 20C, after planting, the container with seeds is covered with glass, when sprouts 1 cm high appear, the shelter is removed. After the appearance of 4 leaves, plants dive into separate containers. In May, the seedlings will be ready for planting in the ground.
Tuber propagation is the most common planting method. Before planting tubers in April (if the danger of frost has passed), it is advisable to stimulate the growth of greenery. To do this, a week before planting on the site, plant the tubers in a sand pot, covered with glass or film, place the pot in a brightly lit and warm place, spray regularly.
After the appearance of greenery, we plant dahlias on the site. The hole should be slightly wider than the tubers, the depth of planting dahlias on average 10 cm. Before planting high dahlias in the pits, pegs are installed to support the stems. High dahlia varieties are planted at a distance of 100 - 120 cm, medium height 70 - 40, undersized 40 - 20 cm.
Dahlias - Care and Growing
During the growing season, plants are provided with regular watering and fertilizing with fertilizers. Withering leaves in summer indicates a lack of watering, excessive leaf growth and poor flowering indicate a lack of nitrogen. If you are not sure about getting beautiful inflorescences, when reaching the shoots of a height of 15 cm, the top is pinched.
Remove blooming inflorescences to give an advantage to new buds and then dahlias, the cultivation of which is in accordance with all agricultural standards, will please you with large flowers.
Do not forget to separate the tubers every three years in April, this measure will provide rejuvenation of the bush and abundant flowering.
In winter, dahlias must be dug up, otherwise the tubers will freeze. In November, when the leaves turn brown, the bush is trimmed, leaving a stem up to 15 cm high. Dug up tubers are stored in a dry, ventilated room in a container with sawdust or sand at a temperature of 8C.
Diseases and Pests Dahlia
In good growing conditions, dahlias are resistant to diseases and pests with the exception of the first growth period - young shoots attract slugs and snails, pests and diseases also switch to dahlias from other garden plants. In the absence of watering, leaves and stems are attacked by aphids and spider mites, excessive watering leads to powdery mildew on leaves and mold on tubers. Uncontrolled feeding with nitrogen contributes to the development of gray rot.
If you notice brown spots on the leaves, drying out of the tops and buds, this is a verticillum wilting. Yellow pigmentation on deformed leaves indicates infection with the mosaic virus.
In these cases, the infected shrubs are destroyed, the healthy ones are treated with insecticides and fungicides of the same type that are suitable for roses. To protect against pests, predatory insects, such as ladybirds from aphids, can be attracted.
