London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

How to Care for Dahlias and Make a Statement in Your Garden

How to Care for Dahlias and Make a Statement in Your Garden

Follow these expert tips and you'll have beautiful bouquets for years to come.

Dahlias are some of the most magnificent flowers you can grow, and they make incredible cut flowers, too. With hundreds of types, dahlias work in any style garden from country cottage to formal English garden. “Dahlias come in virtually every color of the rainbow, have an incredible range of shapes and sizes, and produce both blooms and tubers abundantly,” says Erin Benzakein, author of Discovering Dahlias and flower farmer and co-owner of Floret Flower Farm. “Because of the spectacular diversity of this flower, there’s something for every garden space and personal style.”

Here’s what you need to know to grow these gorgeous flowers.

What kind of dahlias should I grow?


With so much variety ranging from large dinner plate size to little pom poms, it can be difficult to choose just one type! But if you’re a newbie, stick with the ball-shaped varieties which are easy to grow. ‘Cornel,’ ‘Crichton Honey,’ ‘Jomanda,’ and ‘Snoho Doris’ are all great choices for beginners.

How do I plant dahlias?


Find a spot in full sun, which is 6 or more hours direct sunlight each day. They tolerate zero cold, so plant when danger of frost is past. Plant in rows, raised beds, or in areas of your garden where you have a few feet of space for the plants to spread out. They can be grown from seed or from tubers, which look sort of like sweet potatoes. Seeds are inexpensive and take more patience, but they’re a great way add dahlias to your garden at low cost.

Dahlias need good soil, so before you plant, get a soil test from your local university coop extension service (find yours here) to figure out what your soil may be lacking. The results will tell you what types of amendments you should add, such as bone meal or lime, and in what quantities. At the very least, spread about 2 to 3 inches of compost over your beds, then sprinkle a general-purpose fertilizer on top, and use a shovel or pitchfork to work into the soil.

Next, dig a hole or trench about 4 to 6 inches deep and place each tuber with its eye facing up. Each tuber looks different but generally, it has a plump body, a thinner neck, and an eye on top where the sprout will form. The eye looks like a little bump, and it’s sometimes easy for beginners to miss. Do your best, but don’t worry if you can’t figure it out! If you accidentally plant with the eyes down, your dahlia likely will sprout, though it may take a bit longer.

Many types of dahlias will get heavy and try to flop over, so place stakes in the ground early on so you won’t disturb the roots later. Use twine to tie to dahlias to the stakes every foot or so, says Benzakein.

Don’t water dahlias immediately after planting.


After planting the tubers, wait to water until the first green shoots pop up, about a month after planting. If you water before sprouts appear, the tuber may rot, says Benzakein. Don’t worry if it rains, but don’t do any watering on your own. It’s a good idea to mulch young plants, too, to cut down on weeding and conserve moisture. Once they take off, water well once a week or more if it’s super-hot or your soil dries out quickly. A soaker hose is a good option.

Can you plant dahlias in pots?


Yes! Dahlias can be planted in large pots or containers that are at least a foot deep and 2 feet wide. This is a good choice if you don’t have garden space or you have terrible soil. Don’t forget pots need more TLC because they’ll dry out faster, especially in summer’s heat. Container plants also need fertilized monthly with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Be sure to pick varieties that don’t get taller than about 3 feet so they won’t topple over, says Benzakein.

Pinch back your dahlias to encourage strong, sturdy stems.


Dahlias will grow fine on their own. But pinching back encourages plants to grow more branches, yielding tons more flowers! It’s not as scary as it sounds: When plants are about 8 to 12 inches tall, use sharp pruners to trim off the top few inches off the plant, just above a set of leaves.

Can I cut my dahlias for bouquets?


Absolutely! That’s part of the joy of growing these beauties. Dahlias don’t open more after cutting, so choose those that are mostly open but not starting to fade or look papery. Cut them during the coolest part of the day when the plants are most hydrated. Place them immediately in a bucket of water or vase after cutting. Remove the bottom leaves so none are submerged.

Do I have to dig up my dahlias?


In USDA zones 8A or higher, you can leave tubers in the ground over the winter. Cut down the dead foliage, then insulate with mulch or straw. Just be sure to pull mulch away from the plant in the spring.

In cold climates, you’ll need to dig dahlia tubers up after a hard frost. Wait about two weeks after a freeze so that the skin on the tubers can toughen, says Benzakein. Remove stakes, cut the dead plant material to the ground, and use a pitchfork to loosen the area around the tubers. Dig about a foot away all around the plant.

Lift the tubers gently out of the ground with your pitchfork, shake off excess dirt, and place gently on the ground. Be careful! They’re fragile. For the best flowers and more tubers to expand your flower garden or give to friends, divide your tubers now with a sharp knife. Then store in a cool, dark place until next spring.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×