The Dahlia Guide
Dahlias are my obsession. Their long blooming period, the variety of forms and colors, and their incredible abundance are just a few of the things that really got me hooked.
This is a ‘Getting Going’ guide. It’s not exhaustive, but instead is a curated summary of guidance and advice from my years of sweat and tears. This is how I currently run my dahlia hobby farm and the advice I wish I had in one place when I started.
I am in zone 6A, just north of Grand Rapids, MI. Much of this guide can be generalized and useful beyond this exact zone, but take your own planting zone into account.
The Essentials
There are a few key ingredients to grow a dahlia. Soil, sunlight, water, fertilizer, and a dahlia tuber.
Of course, how much, in what way, when, and why for each of those variables matters, but it all boils down to is just those few things.
The dahlia growing season can be broken down into the following phases. This guide follows those phases - click on them for more information!
Digging Deeper
You’ve read through The Dahlia Guide and are looking for more. Here it is:
You’ve got your dahlias, you’re obsessed. What else can you do to continue to grow your knowledge and keep expanding your joy in dahlias?
Join a dahlia society!
I’m a proud member of my local dahlia society. The knowledge I’ve gained from joining this club has been invaluable. You can find a group near you here: https://www.dahlia.org/societies/societies-us-canada/
Hybridize your own dahlias!
You can either get into saving your own seeds or you can buy seeds online from reputable seed suppliers. Every dahlia grown from seed is a unique flower that makes for a fun and sometimes super funny flower.
Multiply your favorite dahlias with taking cuttings!
If you’re not ready to take the risk of using your limited garden space for wild card hybridized dahlias - that’s okay! You can multiple your favorites by potting up your dahlias early and dividing your dahlia by leaf cuttings.
Keep reading!
The number of dahlia growers out there is significant and there is a wealth of knowledge available online. Some of my favorite resources are the numerous Dahlia Growing Facebook groups, Floret farms has several resources on growing & hybridizing and they’re a leader in Cut flower farming.