Dahlia

[Hamad]

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

[Hamad]

I have not posted any pic of Dahlia flower/plant, as I have observed that our forum don't encourage the practise of taking photos from net which make sense, though I used in my early entries because I was not aware of this and if members could provide me some photos for my last entries I will replace them with new, so I would like to request to my fellow members if they could provide me with a Dahlia Photo please.

References for the above entry was
Uni of Florida, Uni of NC, few other societies and RHS

Hamad

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

[Hamad Ahmed Kisana]

seed grown pakistani dahlia.

[Hamad]

Thank you all

Hamad AK and Umar Bhai Thanks for the photos , Umar Bhai your Dahlias are looking stunning are you keeping them in ISL/Mardan or Abbottababd?

Hamad

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

These were at Mardan Hamad.but i have stopped growing Dahlia as it does give that good results which i expected.I have grown Dahlia at Abboattabad for many years.It gives best results in hilly areas with fine summer.Long blooming, full of blooms & blooms from the same tuber every year plus multiply very fast.
But in plains few blooms, Blooming time is short, one have to protect it from frost.Dahlia do not bloom from same tuber in plains as it needs chilling hours.In plains cuttings give the best results.Hamad my concept is what to do with a flower which is to be prepared in green house.We need blooms in our garden.I hope you got my point.I have grown hundred of Decorative Dahlias in past both at Islamabad & Mardan but now i don,t grow them.

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Hamad there are two main categories of Dalia.The tuberous type which never comes true to the type from seeds.The second is the annual one.Frankly speaking Tuberous type is more striking which have many bloom shapes & is avaialble in solids,Bi colors & Tricolors.
Diablo,Figaro,Garden wonder & Cindrella are some of the best annual types.Annual gives best results when directly sowed where they are to flower.There is bronzed leaf variet Red Skin but Diablo gives superior bloom quality.Its good if you sow seeds when all danger of frost has been past.

[Hamad]

Thank you Umar Bhai for sharing your valued experience, appreciate that and I may start collecting some plants in Abbottabad I have some arrangements, lets see.

Thanks again

Hamad

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

You will enjoy the giant Dahlias at Abbottabad in summers. It will be good if you bring some fresh tubers of Giant & large flowered Catctus, Semi Cactus & Decorative from the UK in early spring. Giants flower size is 10 inch across, large are 6-8 inch in dimetre. Always look at the Key on the Tag. Hight will depend how much manure you apply.Too much manure, too much foliage & hight on the expense of the flowers.Bring tubers if you have some arrangements at Abbottabad or Galiyat.If not arrangements in such places then dont bring its total loss of money when it comes to our plains.
Hamad if you like small fully double round blooms then you can even try the Pampon.
Hamad like Roses, Mums, Gereniums, Dahlia is a hobby plant. Means it has so much colors, shapes , hight varitions, Bloom sizes so much so that its cultivation in self becomes a hobby.Like mine hobby is to grow roses.

[Hamad]

indeed Umar Bhai, I liked Dahlia from the very beginning of my gardening, I will further discuss Dahlia with you in detail before I will start, I have some plan in place for this Spring if everything worked accordingly

Hamad