Get More Dahlia Flowers with These Tips!!! Northlawn Flower Farm

Get More Dahlia Flowers with These Tips!
Pinch and Propagate - At the start of the season, when your dahlia plant is 8-10 inches tall with at least four sets of true leaves, pinch out the top directly above a set of leaves. This technique is sometimes called topping and it encourages the plant to create an abundance of long side branches.
Thinking of composting those cuttings? Think again! With some rooting hormone and a tray of potting mix, you can root the cuttings and make more plants. Prepare a cell tray with moistened potting soil and make a deep hole in each cell with a pencil. Creating this hole ensures that the rooting hormone stays on the cutting and also keeps it from breaking. Place a small amount of rooting hormone on a disposable dish. Now you’re ready to pinch your dahlias and take cuttings at the same time.
In the early morning, cut out the central stem above four sets of leaves. Remove all but the top set of leaves from the cutting and make a fresh cut right below a node (see photos below). Dip this cutting into the rooting hormone and then stick it immediately into the moist potting soil that you’ve prepared. Snug the soil around the cutting to secure it in place. Now treat the cuttings just as you would any other baby seedlings. Put them under grow lights or in a greenhouse and keep the soil evenly moist at all times. Don’t worry if the cuttings look sad for a few days. This is normal. Misting the cuttings daily will help keep them hydrated. One morning you will wake up and they will have perked up. After 6 weeks or so they will be ready to transplant into the garden.
Staking - Any dahlias that will grow to be more than 36 inches tall should be staked. Otherwise, the plants can fall over and the stems can crack from the weight of the flowers or a summer storm. Stake your dahlias at planting time and continue to tie them in every 12-18 inches or so throughout the growing season.
Proper Watering- Newly planted dahlia tubers should not be watered until they sprout. Once they are actively growing and approximately 24 inches tall, it’s time to begin a regular watering schedule. Soil and weather conditions vary greatly from one location to another, but your goal is to give the roots, which are approximately 8 inches below the soil surface, 1-2 inches of water per week. Deep watering 2-3 times per week is much more effective than shallow daily watering.
The Importance of Fertilizer - Dahlias are hungry plants and benefit from being fertilized. How much and how often to fertilize, depends on the fertility of your soil. If possible, test your soil (through your local extension service or a soil lab) before the start of the growing season.
Dahlias need a full range of plant nutrients, but generally speaking, they should get more nitrogen in their youth, and less nitrogen as they mature. Start fertilizing once the plants are 24 inches tall. Fish emulsion is an excellent early season fertilizer that can be applied once or twice a month, depending on the dilution rate and the fertility of your soil. Midseason, switch to a low-nitrogen fertilizer and continue feeding once per month. A weekly foliar feed of comfrey or compost tea is also beneficial for plant health.
Cutting Stems to Maximize Blooms
Dahlias should be cut in the early morning or late evening when the flowers are well hydrated. Unlike most other types of flowers, dahlias buds will not open in a vase. Wait to cut the blossoms until they are almost fully open. The back of the flower head should be stiff, and the back petals should stay in place when you rub them.
When harvesting, make deep cuts so you get stems that are 18-24 inches long. To get stems this long, you need to sacrifice side buds. This is hard to do, but it’s the correct way to harvest and will pay off with a consistent supply of long stems.
Deadheading is a Must - Dahlias need to be deadheaded regularly so the plants can continue to send their energy into flower production. Take time to remove the entire stem right back to a main stalk. This encourages the plant to produce longer stems and also promotes good air circulation within and around the plant.
Once a dahlia has dropped its petals, it becomes difficult to tell the difference between a bud and a spent bloom. If you look closely, you’ll see that spent blooms come to a point while buds are round.
Use Organza Bags for Pristine Blossoms
Munching critters such as earwigs and Japanese beetles love to feast on dahlia blooms. Thrips can also cause damage. The solution is organza bags. Once your dahlia has formed a large bud, and before the petals have opened, enclose it in an organza bag. Use a 12×16 or 8×8 bag depending on the flower size. Pull the strings closed taking care not the crush the stem. Allow the dahlia to open inside the bag.

[@jillhoward5324]

The most informative and concise video on dahlia care. That must have felt heavenly standing in the fields of dahlias. I probably would have passed out being overcome with joy!

[@jimkingsland1645]

Thank you for the comprehensive set of tips to grow dahlias successfully. You have provided so much helpful information from start to finish! I’ve saved this lesson into my gardening folder for continual reference. I started a group of Dahlias this year with less than stellar results. I should do better next year using your tips! Again, thank you for this comprehensive set of tips so very well presented. Your enthusiasm radiates your love of flowers and gardening and has motivated me to go show my dahlias some TLC! 💕🌸

[@sarahroses8755]

☺☺☺☺☺☺

[@nikkijenkins2130]

Sincere thanks for taking the time to share your wisdom, Danielle. You are very generous to take the time to do it. Your floral art is beautiful and your information is much valued. I must say, spending a little time with you and Grace in your beautiful garden is so relaxing! I am truly grateful to you for giving me the confidence to grow outside of my comfort zone. Sending greetings and heartfelt thanks from Central Otago, New Zealand. Happy gardening, everyone!

[@susancanning1760]

I love your videos which are so informative. I learn something new almost every time! Thanks Danielle☺️

[@amy-tm2qi]

Hey there, Amy here, formerly of Fresh Vintage by Amy. Just came across your channel. It is so lovely! Congratulations!!!

[@leaht4505]

Thanks, Danielle🌺I am growing dahlias for my first time (in Minnesota). They are such an incredible flower and I adore them!!! These tips are really helpful❤️

[@lyndia2]

You are the best💚💚

[@LongislandnativeSanctuary]

best video ever, i ran out and did this with my dahlias. thank you for the inspiration and guidance, Danielle! May you receive 10000000000% in return of your generosity

[@SteveL2012]

Great comprehensive guidance-will be a reference for many years to come!

[@stephaniejohnson2937]

I can’t wait to try dahlias in my new garden 🌸

[@daiseegray9110]

Great info as always 🌼🐝

[@madambutterfly5343]

Thank you for all the dahlia information. I especially appreciate the fertilizing advice I really needed that 🙏🏻

[@TheGardeningMe]

Wonderful tips! Our season will be coming to an end soon but I'll be sure to use them next year!

[@LifeHomeandGardenwithAnaRica]

Thanks a lot for a very helpful tips, I'm adding Dahlia in my garden next season and this comes in a right time!

[@a1garden176]

Very nice ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@cherylsimons6282]

I grow my dahlias from the seeds ,taken off my flowers every year ,,, when I de head them ,, let them dry then plant the following year ,,, I get an amazing amount of new plants, that all flower the same season that I planted them ,, This is so much easier than taking cuttings,,

[@katherinecornette5315]

Danielle, I so look forward to your videos! Beautiful dahlias!

[@susangarland6869]

Thank you so much! Your detailed feeding schedule is such a huge help. I've watched many videos and read many online articles, but I had no idea that dahlias needed so much food and water, which explains why I have never been successful with them. After yet another year of failure, I had decided to just give up on growing dahlias, but this video makes me want to try again. They're such beautiful plants, and it made me sad to think that they just weren't for me, but now I have hope. Thank you, thank you!

[@sarahroses8755]

😚😚☺😝

[@madambutterfly5343]

Same, I’ve had the same issues not being able to grow dahlias. I thought I just couldn’t grow them. After watching this video I’m aware of my mistakes. I hope your dahlias grow big and beautiful

[@tegoblue]

Thanks for this tip. What growing zone are you in? I am in 5B.

[@zaneymay]

Yes it was very helpful. Thanks

[@lovetogarden2664]

Yes! All excellent tips Danielle!

[@MK-wm6gu]

Thanks for all the dahlia advice!

[@PEONIAOBSESSION]

Love Dahlias 🌸💕

[@madonnaschmid7707]

I needed this,thank you!

[@a.i.s.8]

Thank you❤

[@deannaginder-west4995]

Great video! Thank you!🙏🏻

[@jcking6785]

Thanks for such great info on dahlias. 💚

[@charlesbale8376]

Greatly appreciated the information you shared.

[@katebarrett1924]

Great video with so many tips as usual Dawn! Thank you!

[@Birchsalt]

Such a helpful video! Thank you!!! 🌸🌸

[@jeanninerudkin5883]

Thank you Danielle. Very helpful advice.

[@flowerswiththefossfamily5941]

All good tips! Thank you!

[@sandrasmith5045]

You always give us so much good information! Thank you 😊

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you Danielle, they were all great tips 🌺💚🙃

[@debracasne1845]

Danielle, this is by far one of the best videos on dahlias I've come across. I've been struggling with my dahlias and was ready to throw in the towel for next year. You've given me hope. Thank you so much!

[@davidevans533]

Thanks for the tips, happy gardening from the uk

[@wildberrygarden]

Very useful info. Thank you!

[@Alveenahermommystinyworld2019]

Lovely

[@newportwellness367]

I love the organza bag idea! It beats picking off earwigs, chafer beetles, etc. every night

[@mariatorres3171]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated 💕💕💕

[@Bandaid17]

Thank you so much. Your topic was timed perfectly. (I forgot to stake 😂). I did grow from seeds this year per your suggestion and am not sorry. All of them are delightful surprises.

[@turiaturiana7529]

Can't believe those dahlias are as tall as you. Just wow...

[@joycedagostino8869]

Great tips. I’ve grown seed dahlias and added to my calendar reminders for next spring to do that important pruning, and will try to root the cuttings too!

[@reshmasgarden]

Brautiful flowers 👌👌❤🌿🌺🌺

[@williamtaylor2412]

thank you

[@bluesky7226]

Very informative and delightful. Thank you! 💝

[@mygardeninbloom]

Thank you so much. Great usable information as always! 🍃💗🌻💗🍃

[@ransfordrowe6409]

That was interesting

[@Kay-qt2id]

Thank you can’t wait for them ( Southern Hemisphere)

[@MrRKWRIGHT]

Good morning Danielle. Wonderful video. Thank you for sharing. Everything looks so fresh and lovely. Happy Labor Day.

[@NusratZ2]

Thank you for this wonderful and informative video. Learned a lot about Dahlias.

[@GardeningOnTaylorMountain]

Super helpful Danielle! It’s so hard to sacrifice those side blooms but it’s a must! Thanks for all this great info. Especially about the fertilizer. I always start out with fish emulsion but then I tend to forget to change to something with a little higher numbers. Thanks again 💚

[@mswyman100]

Well, thank you for the valuable information. I couldn’t figure out how to get such long stems!! Plus, good to know about the better bloomers. Thanks so much!

[@ameliehe4128]

I was delighted to watch this video and thanks so much to share so many useful tips! really helpful!

[@health.bites.5615]

Thanks ever so much for these great tips! I can't wait for next year to enjoy growing some dahlias in my Picket Gardens.

[@wagnerab1958]

Great video, I really appreciate your great tips. Love your channel

[@tammywinter9268]

Excellent tips, my husbands favorite flower. Will definitely apply your tips. Thank you

[@cheriedodd9358]

This is the best growing dahlia video I have seen. In another few weeks will be planting mine up here in NZ, so it's come at the right time, thankyou 😊

[@bobbeduran9277]

Excellent video and I will be forwarding this to a few people that are dahlia lovers. I can see this flowers can be an obsession to grow. So many beautiful colors and shapes. First time I saw some beautiful dahlias was several years ago I visited Carmel Mission (Monterey area) in California. They had a beautiful garden and tall gorgeous dahlias. They were a show stopper and I hope they still have them.

[@irmabronder]

Very helpful. This year I start with cosmos, sweet pea and dahlias. I started last year with growing my own vegetables and fruit. This was a pleasant experience. This year I will grow flowers aswell. Bulbs are all planted. So excited for that and then start in a few months with the other flowers and vegetables. I enjoyed feeding the birds over autumn and winter. The whole year is spend with nature. Just finished a florist course. And growing your own flowers is something to do aswell. Your videos are an amazing help for me. Thank you so much.❤

[@karensingh4687]

I love your videos Danielle and this one was particularly helpful! I grew dahlias for the first time last year and really did not know much about them. I think next year I will be on top of the staking that I messed up on this year. I broke some stems by trying to stake them too late.

[@dianegreiner4054]

This is extremely helpful!!! I so enjoy these individualized tutorials/videos! It makes it easy to save and find later to watch again. Greetings from Michigan! 😊

[@Janet-bx4kf]

Thank you! This was so helpful! It’s hard for me to cut stems that long, and sacrifice side buds, but I will try!

[@barbaraoneill2279]

Great video,thank you very much. Earwigs love our Cafe au Lait dahlias so I must get some organza bags!

[@SueFitzgerald-Dahlias-and-More]

Hello Danielle. Your dahlia videos are very informative and accurate. I have added two to my Sue Fitzgerald channel which features Dahlia Shows and Dahlia growing information. Thank you so much for the info!

[@DeAnne9743]

Thank you so much. Great information...especially for those nasty cuc beetles

[@jomassey4207]

Great reminders...I will definitely be returning to this video of dahlia tips. Loved the using the tips to make more plants. I use fish and seaweed mix for feeding plants.....as well as worm wee. Thanks for this, Danielle. BTW....a small piece of hose attached to the dahlia stem is a great way to catch earwigs. They hide in the hose, away from the light and it's a natural way of removing pests. Jo.

[@NorthlawnFlowerFarm]

Thanks for that great tip Jo!

[@hd1ab1]

I really needed this video. Last year, my first with dahlias, went so much better than my second. I had thrips really bad and I just can't seem to get the staking right. More branches broke off than I could have imagined. I have deer and squirrels, so I don't know if they contributed to some of the breakage. I will definitely put these suggestions in place if my dahlias come back next year, I don't plan on digging and storing, zone 7 Maryland. Last year most of them came back. Thanks for the tips.

[@josealeman332]

So pretty...My dahlias grow so big but I wasn't expecting to get many flowers like I have. my problem was every branch bend down, the flowers are plate size. I didn't need to pinch, they slugs did it for me. several lessons learn for next year. thanks for sharing.

[@shortgod9832]

Your friendly demeanor sets you apart!

[@greenthumbelina7331]

Danielle, this was such an informative video, I used to grow dahlias but due to lack of space to store the bulbs/tubers, I quit growing them a long time ago. I would love to see a video on how you store your dahlias over the winter. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend! ~Margie🤗💐🦋

[@sarahroses8755]

😚😊😊😊😊

[@davidhatfield5714]

Laura at Garden Answer has done a couple of detailed videos on storing dahlias

[@greenthumbelina7331]

@@davidhatfield5714 Yes, she does, and Laura and Aaron's channel is amazing. Unfortunately, I don't have a root cellar, so it's great to see how other folks handle storage issues. I hope you are enjoying the long holiday weekend.

[@NorthlawnFlowerFarm]

Hi Margie! I store mine "dirty" in brown paper bags placed in cardboard boxes in my unheated basement. I have a video on this and I have written articles for Longfield Gardens about tuber storage. I hope that helps!

[@greenthumbelina7331]

@@NorthlawnFlowerFarm Thank you, Danielle, I will check it out!

[@kimchiandchicken]

So glad I found your channel! I am learning a ton. Is it necessary to bring in the bulbs during the winter? I also live in zone 6b.

[@privateperson5769]

Fabulous ! Thank you Danielle - Will be referring to this video a lot ! When i am growing from dahlias seed- do I pinch out at any stage b4 they are big as in the video when you "topped" them ? or just leave them to do their thing ?

[@dksgardenoasis]

Great tips! This was my 1st year growing dahlias. Do you let any blooms go to seed for the next year to see different variations of dahlias?

[@coloradotulips]

Confidence boosted to try dahlias next year! Question for anyone: for container gardening in part sun/part shade, have any specific dahlia types done well for you?

[@sarahroses8755]

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@matthewboddum7723]

I have had luck with the shorter varieties so max 24 inches

[@gretchenkaszuba734]

Off topic but have you pulled your Glad corms up yet. I would love to use that space for something else now. Thanks 😊 great video as always!!

[@tegoblue]

Good show. Were those dahlias in the field yours too? Did you buy land tp grow? usually you are in your house garden.

[@shalankibaiswar1551]

Thank you for sharing. Do you use seeds also for growing dahalia? If you do, where do you buy the seeds from?

[@tatiananotami1861]

thank you for the video, I have a question about cutting dahlias. Dahlia stem is hallow and when cut its open to rainwater and rot. What do you do to protect it?

[@sheliamiller7152]

What stakes do you use?

[@health.bites.5615]

Would you top the dahlias even if you grew them from seed?

[@tongyao7698]

Ang colorful naman ng flowers 💞💞💞 LUCILLE1STANNIVERSARY

[@JahidulIslam-oq5pd]

Hello! dear, I am from Bangladesh.And you?

[@user-sl8eg9hm8o]

Смотреть с переводом

[@Speakupok]

Where do you buy your dahlia tubers from?

[@Leah-bd2iv]

I have a Cafe Au Lait Royal that is super short and the stems on each flower are only 1 inch long with 3 buds branched out from each other. I guess you're supposed to cut the 1 bloom all the way down the stem and sacrifice the other 2 buds - but ohhh it hurts!

[@caremax12]

Where do you order your dahlia tubers from?

[@eduardovalduga1983]

Is it profitable producing dahlias flower for bouquet?

[@anisam2949]

The question I have is will that pinched branch be able to shoot out another new flower before the season ends……

[@shanelpaige2152]

If I have dahlias in my landscape, does this mean I have to keep the organza bags on and not get to enjoy the blooms in the landscape? I'm new to dahlias and I wanted their blooms in my landscape.

[@EvangelineB-__-]

Where did you purchase your seeds?

[@carolynmareck5112]

Good morning…where do you recommend purchasing dahlia tubers, Danielle? 😊

[@NorthlawnFlowerFarm]

Hi Carolyn! I order mine from longfield gardens.

[@rosebud447]

I pinched some of mine but the tips of the new branches didn’t look right to me and they are not going to flower. I will not do that again and I live in a short growing season. (Zone 3). So, I think the delay would be too much.

[@kevinhilton8683]

Just curious about your topping --- how long does this delay the flowering? I'm going to try some of your suggested varieties next year. I've bought a few "speciality" varieties before however I've honestly found the dahlias purchased from Costco (which come from Longfield gardens) to be the most reliable and abundant. The selections they offer are kind of boring with the same 6-8 colors per year, however they sure grow well and they aren't a ton of money either. Lastly if you could do a video showing how you dig up your tubers, divide and store the tubers that would be great. I always seem to lose a lot of mine either to rot (too wet) or they shrivel up to a peanut (too dry).

[@leaht4505]

Yes, a video on this would be so helpful!

[@NorthlawnFlowerFarm]

Hi friends! Here is a video on how I store mine - kzbin.info/www/bejne/a2bFapR7nKatepo

[@angelaschettino1327]

Great tips as usual! One suggestion- can you please speak slower. Thank you!!

[@meggiwick7601]

My dahlias are very poor this year: despite Sun, watering, fertilizing. I am clueless😶

[@juanarosone8115]

Hi Danielle, I’m planing to grow Dahlias next year Lord willing! Question for anyone, why do you have to bring the tubers in the for the winter? Is there a way to leave them in the dirt? I’m in zone 6a/Massachusetts. Thank you

[@davidhatfield5714]

Laura at Garden Answers has done detailed videos on this