Today’s Share From My Ohio Garden
The ‘big ones’ always scared me when I would see them in the garden centers but today I grow them in my own garden fearlessly.
I shared these bulbs I purchased back in April on Twitter
If you ever thought you could never grow a dahlia think again. This is year 2 of being totally addicted to growing dahlias. I feel in love with them after following @Cocoxochitl on Twitter.
A few tips about growing the dahlia from zone 5b :
- Pick a sunny location … these blooms love it hot at least six hours a day. I don’t usually see a bloom until July and after the heat has kicked in for the summer.
- Protect the plant from wind. I use bamboo stakes on the bigger varieties ( Dinner Plate and ones that claim to have at least 4″ blooms) so they stand straight and don’t flop over onto the mulch.
- Let a light frost hit them in the landscape in the Autumn before digging them up for the winter.
With these simple tips in mind let the growing begin. Judging by the weather patterns in the past few years I don’t think it would be too late to grab some of these dahlia tubers from the clearance rack at your local garden center and get them growing in your garden NOW!
Follow me this summer at @BG_Garden where I’ll be share my 20+ dahlias growing in my home garden.
