Scientific Name : Dahlia
Family : Compositeae
Common names : Dahlia, Dalia
Flowering Season : July- October
Colour : Varied
Dahlia is a flowering plant originating from Mexico. The blooms are generally curvaceous or spiky with single or multiple petals. The Colours range from white to red, orange to yellow, pink to dark purple shades .The blooms are very attractive and are a great favorite with the florists.
Dahlia is a herbaceous perennial. It is a splendid looking flower and Dahlia is one of the most popular garden plants.
The height of the plant varies from 30 cm- 2 m depending upon the different varieties. It is used extensively in indoor decorations and garden display. It is very easy to grow Dahlias except in extreme cold conditions or hot dry weather. They grow well at 55-80 degree F soil temperature.
Requirements and care
Dahlias need a light loose sandy soil with plenty of manure and peat moss or bone meal , also adding vegetative refuse such as leaves etc is an ideal medium for planting Dahlias. Dahlias need a lot of sunlight and need a lot of water.The soil around the plant needs to be kept moist. It needs regular manures feeds once the plant starts flowering . The plant should be Watered once daily and may be twice in hot weather.
The new plants can be grown from the seeds or tubers that are found clustered around the roots. Once the tuber is separated from the main plant and planted in a new prepared flower bed,the plant may take 6 -to 8 weeks before any growth becomes visible above the ground level. But once the plant starts growing, it requires staking or support to grow erectly.
The most common fungal disease is powdery mildew, where white powdery mass appears on upper surface of leaves and this can be overcome by spraying with any plant spray.
I have noticed that it is very easy to grow Dahlias in pots.They grow very well and yield plenty of flowers, and once the flowering is over , which is about 7-8 months after the tuber is planted, the tubers can be replanted in other pots and thus becomes a continuous process.
Once the plant begins to grow and it is about 12 inches tall i generally pinch out the top leaves, this encourages the plant to grow bushy and yield a lot of flowers.this can be done with other flowering plants too.
If there are many tubers got from a plant, they can be stored by putting them in an earthen pot with some sand covering it, and can be used when required.They generally last quite long, a few months at least!
I have noticed that the local manure consisting of neem cakes and dried cow dung is most effective in growing Dahlia and the plant really flourishes with this treatment.The neem cake prevents the insect attacks and dried cow dung mixed with dry leaves , soil and sand forms an ideal medium for the plant to grow.
Dahlias are very attractive flowers that look bright and cheerful in any home.They are gorgeous additions to any summer garden , adding a bright splash of color.
As cut flowers in a vase they last very long and i add a piece of charcoal to the water and i find that the flowers last longer and look fresh for at least a week.
Summary: very attractive blooms that enhance your garden
