Planting and growing annual dahlias from seeds: when and how to plant seedlings
Dahlias can be either annual or perennial. However, growing perennial flowers is a much more difficult and costly business, because for the winter the tubers will have to be dug up, processed and stored somewhere until spring. Growing annual dahlias is much easier. It is only necessary to perform their spring sowing of seeds, then properly care for the seedlings and plant them in open ground in time.
Well, let's figure out when and how to sow dahlia seeds, what are the features of growing seedlings of these flowers at home.
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Popular varieties and varieties of dahlias
In garden centers, you can find a huge number of varieties of dahlias of completely different varieties, which will differ in height (tall, medium and dwarf) and in shape. It can be collar, pompom, cactus and other varieties.But, probably, the most famous variety is "Funny guys".
When and how to plant dahlia seeds for seedlings
The generally accepted timing for planting annual dahlia seeds is late March - early April... They grow quite quickly, so there is no need to rush with the timing of their sowing.
According to the lunar calendar in 2021
Choosing the optimal date for sowing seeds can help you Moon calendar.
So favorable days for sowing annual dahlias in 2021 according to the lunar calendar are:
- in March - 2-8, 10-14, 29-31;
- in April - 1, 2, 5-7, 9, 17-20, 24, 25;
- in May - 2-6, 15-17, 20, 21, 25-31;
- in June - 2-4, 7-9, 11-14, 16-19.
Note! For planting perennial dahlia quite other auspicious days, and here unfavorable - common to all cultures... These are the days of the Full Moon and New moons, as well as the period when the Moon is in Aquarius, because it is a barren and dry sign - italicized.
Unfavorable days according to the lunar calendar for 2021 for sowing dahlias are the following dates:
- in March -9-10, 13, 28;
- in April -5-6, 12, 27;
- in May -2-4, 11, 26, 30-31;
- in June -10, 24, 26-27.
Landing containers and soil
The most common food container with a lid is perfect as a suitable container, but you can use any other planting container that is convenient for you.
Dahlia planting soil requires light, nutritious and fertile. You can take regular soil and use any loosening substrate. It can be vermiculite, perlite, sand, coconut substrate.
Sowing seeds
Step-by-step instructions for planting seeds of annual dahlias:
- Fill container with earth and seal.
- Gently and abundantly moisten from a spray bottle so that the plants have enough moisture to germinate and develop well.
- The seeds of annual flowers are large enough to spread easily over the surface. Then they need to be slightly pressed into the ground.
- Top up with earth to a depth of 1.5-2 cm.
- Cover with a lid or cover with plastic (shoe cover).
- Place in a warm and bright place. The optimum temperature for seed germination is within 23-25 degrees.
By the way! You can plant dahlia seeds in such a way that you don't need to pick them. For more details, see the video below.
Video: sowing annual dahlias for seedlings with sprouted seeds for growing without picking
Another interesting way of planting dahlias for seedlings is sowing with boiling water, which gives a fairly good germination rate.
You can also grow seedlings of these flowers in a "snail".
Care for dahlia seedlings after sowing
Approximately 3-4 days after sowing the seeds, friendly shoots should appear.
When the shoots appear, the shelter will need to be removed, but not immediately, but gradually.
As for the required conditions for the further successful development of seedlings of annual dahlias, this is watering as needed, in other words, drying the soil, maintaining the temperature regime within 23-25 degrees and 12-14 hour daylight hours, which can be achieved with backlighting using special lamps or on the sunniest windowsill.
Picking
When 2 real leaves appear at the dahlia seedlings, you can safely start picking plants in separate containers.
You can use special plastic cassettes or disposable cups as a container for picking.
The composition of the substrate can be used the same as when planting seeds.
Important! Before you start picking, do not forget to spill the container with the seedlings with water, so that it is easier to remove them without damaging the plant roots.
The picking is carried out in a standard way: we gently pick up the plant with any tool convenient for you and transfer it to a new container, where a small depression has been made. Then water a little. If the earth subsides, then, as necessary, you can add soil to the transplanted seedlings.
Further care for dahlias is not particularly different: regular watering as the soil dries up and maintaining an effective daylight hours (either a sunny windowsill or backlighting).
Planting dahlia seedlings to a permanent place in open ground
Dahlia seedlings are planted when the return frosts pass, that is, around the second half of May. If you are not sure that frost can return, then prepare a covering material.
By the way! At the same time, you can plant dahlia seeds immediately in open ground, but you must understand that you will see flowering much later and not so abundant.
The dahlia planting site should be sunny and well sheltered from the wind.
The land is required loose. It is advisable that compost or humus be added to it, therefore, during the preparation of the site, carefully dig up the soil and add loosening elements to it. And this, including, may be humus.
The optimal distance between plantings of dahlias is 20-30 centimeters, depending on the variety and its height.
The process of planting dahlias in open ground is quite simple: we take out the plant along with an earthen lump and carefully place it in a small hole, and then sprinkle it with soil. Further, do not forget to pour water. It remains only to perform mulching sawdust or some other mulching material.
Caring for dahlias after disembarking to a permanent place
Further care for dahlias in the open field is reduced to frequent loosening and weeding before flowering (weeds must be defeated!), Top dressing and regular watering.
On dry and hot days, flowers require a lot of moisture, so do not forget to water them, and it is better to do this less often, but abundantly enough. In principle, it will be enough once every 5-7 days.
Top dressing up to the bud ovary must be carried out using a complex mineral fertilizer that contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Nitrogen, as you remember, is required for the growth of green mass, and potassium and phosphorus - for laying good buds and flower stalks, in other words, for abundant flowering.
During active flowering, dahlias should be supported and fed again with complex mineral fertilizer, but with a high content of potassium and phosphorus, which are especially needed at the time of flowering.
Advice! If you want to prolong the flowering of dahlias, then you should remove the faded baskets. There are quite a few of them, and they take on an enormous amount of food. Thanks to this procedure, new buds will be tied.
Video: caring for annual dahlias - prolonging their flowering
When the flowers completely fade, then it will be necessary to remove the entire aboveground part in compost, and the tubers can be dug up and stored for the winter, and then planted next spring. Here's what's interesting: if you plant the tubers of annual dahlias, then most likely you will grow tall and rather huge plants, but with small flowers. Therefore, it's up to you: if you want to try, then save; if not, then don't.
Video: digging the tubers of annual dahlias
Thus, if you follow the basic rules for planting seedlings and growing annual dahlias in the open field, then without making any special efforts to care, you will get a very spectacular flower garden in front of the windows of your country house.
Video: growing annual dahlias from seeds - planting and care