Dahlia
Posted: November 13th, 2013, 7:40 pm
| Botanical Name | Dahlia |
| Family | Asteraceae |
| Genus | Dahlia |
| Specie | around 36 species or more |
| Local Name in Urdu | N/A |
| Common Name | Dahlia |
| Life Cycle | Perennial |
| Cultivar Name | around 20,000 cultivars or more |
| Category(Bulb/Corm/Tuber/Rhizome/root) | Tuber |
| Hardiness | Tender III - injured below 35°F (2°C) |
| Hardiness Zone | 07 to 11 |
| Soil PH | 6.0 to 6.5 also tolerate high PH |
| Planting Time | Fall to Spring, depend on variety or type |
| Planting Depth | 3 inches (7.5 cm) |
| Spacing | 12-36 inches (30-90 cm) |
| Height | 12-96 inches (30-240 cm) could vary according to type |
| Exposure | full am sun light (minimum of 6 hour sunlight) |
| Flowering Time | Spring to fall depend on the variety/type |
| Flower Color | Most colors |
| Fragrant | No |
| Uses | Grow well in flowering beds, borders and pots, also used as cut flowers |
| Propagation | Dahlia tuberous roots should be divided before they are planted in the spring. The best time to divide is after the eyes have sprouted and the new growth is no more than an inch in length. The new shoots are tender and easily broken, so handle gently. Cut the clump into individual tuberous roots with a sharp knife. Each tuberous root must have at least one eye (growing point) or sprout to produce a new plant. Eyes are found where the tuberous root and the stalk of last season's plant join. If it is difficult to distinguish the dormant eyes, place clumps in a warm moist place for several weeks or plant in shallow trays to promote sprouting. Cut surfaces should be allowed to dry for several days or dusted with captan or sulfur before planting, and it could also propagated by sowing seeds and cuttings. |
| Difficulty(Easy/Intermediate/Hard ) | Easy |
| Suitable for (KHI/LHR/RWL/ISL/PWR/High Lands) | Most Areas |
| Tips to grow | When plants are 3–6 inches tall, begin spraying every 7–10 days with an insecticide, spray upper and lower leaf surfaces and tops thoroughly. Also spray soon after a rainstorm, since rain washes off protective chemicals. Keep your dahlias weed-free. Weeds compete for water, nutrients, and light, and often harbor harmful insects and diseases. Mulches are effective in controlling weeds. Organic mulches like straw and hay keep the soil cool and conserve moisture. They are particularly desirable in the heat of summer. Black polyethylene mulches help to conserve moisture and warm the soil, which can be desirable during the cool part of the growing season in the spring. Dahlias are fast-growing and require large amounts of water. It is important to keep the soil moist, but not extremely wet. Do not over water dahlias. Their fleshy roots can be damaged if excessive moisture excludes air from the soil. If a dry period occurs during flowering, water plants thoroughly twice a week. Dahlia plants become massive and need support. The large flowering types, particularly, become very tall and, because of the succulent nature of their stems, require support to prevent plant breakage and loss of large blooms. Tie plants to the stake that was driven next to them at planting time. If you use string or soft twine for tying dahlias, tie the string tightly to the stake, but loosely to the stem to avoid constricting the developing plant. Start tying dahlias when they are about 1 foot tall, and continue to tie them at intervals of approximately 1 foot throughout the growing season. Individual stalks should be tied when buds begin to form. |
| Other Details | Dahlias are natives of central Mexico in the region of Mexico City. The early forms were mostly single flower types that grew on well-drained soils of volcanic origin. Because of their origin, dahlias require well-drained soils, fairly sunny locations, and, of course, proper fertilization and protection from pests. Dahlias provide one of the widest arrays of flower colors, sizes, and forms. They range from1/2-inch pompons to the "dinner plate" dahlias that may approach 12 or more inches in diameter. Flower forms include daisy-like single types and fully double types with intermediate forms such as collarettes and anemone types. Dahlias come in nearly all flower colors except true blues |
, Umar Bhai your Dahlias are looking stunning are you keeping them in ISL/Mardan or Abbottababd?