Pinching & Staking Dahlias | Container Gardening

Hello! My name is Bethany and I grow things in my rooftop container garden in Chicago, zone 6a. I’ve been container gardening for four years and am by no means an expert, just someone who enjoys sharing their garden journey.
In this video, I'm staking all of my dahlias using parts from my broken greenhouse. I am also pinching half of my dahlias as a test to compare them to the dahlias I don't pinch.
For daily updates, follow me on Instagram @chicagogardener

[@iamfotojen]

They're looking so healthy and happy! Excited for your wall of blooms! 😊

[@ChicagoGardener]

I can’t wait for all the color!

[@2013bmwf800gs]

I'm growing Dahlias for the first time this year and the blooms are just starting. So exciting!

[@ChicagoGardener]

That’s so exciting!! What varieties are you growing?

[@2013bmwf800gs]

@@ChicagoGardener Lilac Time, Lavender Perfection, Thomas Edison, and Le Baron. Luckily I take pictures of labels before I plant otherwise I'd have no idea!

[@v.mishrasart43]

Nice video👍👍👍👍

[@yesidtac7863]

Muy buena idea

[@flowerpixel]

I saw your Dahlia video last year and it inspired me to grow one of my first tubers in a grow bag! And my grow bag Dahlia (for whatever reason) is now doing muuuuuuuch better than my in-ground ones. I literally *hate* staking anything. I hate tomato cages etc. I have a mental block on it, I just don't do it but I'm learning the hard way. I'm really confused. Is pinching the opposite of disbudding? Someone recommended I pinch off extra Dahlia buds to get one big bloom which seems like the antithesis of cutting the center stem?

[@ChicagoGardener]

That makes me happy to hear! So from what I’ve been told, pinching will make more branches to produce more blooms. I get pretty large flowers and haven’t ever pinched off the actual dahlia buds. I let them all bloom!

[@flowerpixel]

@@ChicagoGardener thanks! I hated pinching mine off. I think I'm going to revert back to leaving them alone.

[@marymary5494]

👌💕

[@kfrankism]

They look so healthy. Do you feed them as they are growing? It that wall in full sun? I have only two for my first year. I pinched my first one. Why is so scary? LOL

[@ChicagoGardener]

Every time I pinch a flower I’m afraid I’m going to kill it even though I never do 🤣 My dahlias are in full sun and I feed about once every two weeks!

[@kfrankism]

@@ChicagoGardener What kind of fertilizer?

[@scott8838]

Is it possible the rain or bugs get into the stem that was cut. Looks hollow. 🌹

[@ChicagoGardener]

I actually thought about that when I pinched it! I assume water and bugs could get in the inside of the stem. I don’t think the water would be an issue but I am going to keep an eye out for bugs.

[@bambiwest1391]

Can anyone tell me how they stake their dahlias when they are tall- 5-6 feet tall? I’ve tried the stake method, but mine can get so tall and big it’s to much for the 2-3 stakes to hold the dahlias upright, They start flopping over. I am going to try nipping them somewhat this year to see if that makes a difference 🤷‍♀️

[@ChicagoGardener]

I’m going to use a large tomato cage for some of mine this year!

[@bambiwest1391]

Thank you for your idea. I did try that and some of mine are so big and they have stalks the size of a small tree that the cage couldn’t hold it- especially if there was wind 😫

[@dianacurtis1851]

how often do you water the dahlias?

[@ChicagoGardener]

So far this year, Mother Nature has been doing all the watering bc we’ve had so much rain (almost too much!) but last year during the peak of summer I was watering every morning. The grow bags dry out the fastest of all my containers so I may have watered less if they were in a less porous pot. I always stick my finger in and see if the first inch or two of soil is dry just to make sure I’m not overwatering.

[@dianacurtis1851]

@@ChicagoGardener Thanks I have been watering every other day and there is mold on the soil. Not sure why. Also yours are so much bigger and I planted mine at the end of April. I guess we will see what happens. First time dahlia grower in the cloth pots you use.