A Little Gardening Secret
For The Love of Dahlias
Many people know me through my Therapy Dog, Canby. Others know me for my
love of a gorgeous flower called Dahlia. I have nearly ninety plants in my back
yard. Seems that this flower has gotten the attention of many people who are
interested in growing them. I just wanted to share a little information for those
who may want to learn how to plant this flower and help it to thrive in the
Piedmont Triad.
I belong to a new organization called Central Carolina Dahlia Society. I highly
recommend anyone who wants to grow Dahlias to join this group. It costs $15
to join and you will have a wealth of information each month by way of the
monthly newsletter. You can email me at lernst2@triad.rr.com and I will send
you an application to join.
The first thing you do to have these beauties is to plant a “tuber”. A tuber
resembles an elongated potato and it has an “eye” at the neck. In recent years
the price of these tubers has really gone up due to the popularity of the Dahlia.
You can get a lot of “Bang For Your Buck” with these flowers as they will begin
to bloom sometime in July or August and continue right on till a hard frost takes
them out. They are in their prime when other flowers are tired and worn out.
Another wonderful thing about Dahlias is that there are well over 2500 different
varieties from a one inch Pom Pom to a 12 inch Dinner Plate. Every time I make
a bouquet from my garden it takes my breath, and I have been growing them for
over 20 years.
Central Carolina Dahlia Society will be having a Tuber Sale April 20th at the
Home and Garden Building of the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds. You will save a
lot of money at this sale if you want to start growing Dahlias. Once you have
purchased your Dahlias you will need to bring them home and pot them up.
One tuber to an 8 inch plastic pot. Lay the tuber in the pot horizontally and
cover with dirt. Don’t water, only slightly mist if the dirt seems dry. Be patient
and wait until the soil temperature is 70 degrees. You will see the tuber sprout
and begin to grow. When the soil is warm enough find a place in your garden
that has good drainage and at least a half a day of sun. Then watch the magic
take place. I am going to bet you will become as addicted to these fabulous
flowers as I have.