Monthly Gardening Tips

JULY 2025 GARDENING TIPS
DAHLIAS

Velvety Deep Red Dahlia "Shrub"

Pale Peach Dahlia "Shrub" with Zinnias and Stokes Aster

This is such a beautiful flower! It comes in so many colors and blooms from May until frost.

They are tubers - ( tender bulbs.)

There is so much to read online about them.

After this season, I am thinking "fuh get about it!" (the reading- but I won't ) as they say in
Boston.

Because this Spring, 3 Dahlias returned - 2 of which are the size of shrubs!!

A beautiful deep red one and a pale peach one. (see above)

The other one is a pretty yellow, good size, but not as big. You can imagine my delight.

Yellow Dahlia

Left in the ground and a very COLD winter.

In addition to these beauties, I bought 2 container-grown Dahlias at our plant sale.

They are doing great in larger containers on my deck now, budding and blooming.

Potted Dahlia On My Deck

Previously, I took such careful care of Dahlia tubers to overwinter them. I thought they would freeze. Use this method if you think yours may freeze.

Below is exactly what I did. (There are other methods online, too. )

- Once frost kills the plant, cut it back to 4-6 inches.

- Store inside in a cool, dry, dark place that doesn't freeze.
(my garage)

- Don't water them and let them stay dry.
( I put each tuber in its own pot with some base soil. I covered them with 3-4 inches of soil.

On St. Patrick's Day

Bring containers into the light and warm temperature.
(my plant room on a card table)

Give each pot about 2 cups of water (yes, that much)
- and no more.

You should see growth in about 2 weeks.

I followed the directions exactly, and yes, they came up!

I watered them a little through April, and in the latter half of May, I planted them and had beautiful
blooms.

It seems so many plants don't follow what you read.
Especially when it comes to light exposure, temperature requirements, and how well they grow.
Well-drained healthy soil, water, and healthy mulch seem to take care of them nicely here.
I honestly don't fertilize often. I do in late Autumn and early Spring with a low number fertilizer.
This year, a thin layer of mushroom soil helped places that needed a boost.
I know many gardeners don't agree with that. I guess whatever works.

Plants like the "right place". Experiment. After almost giving up on a plant, I try "one more place
" -sometimes it is just the right place- finally!!

With my 2 container-grown Dahlia plants, I'll overwinter one in a pot (as described above) and plant the other one in the ground in a fertile space.

Deadhead Dahlias to keep them looking great and encourage blooming.
Remove the flower at the base of the stem just above the next leaves.
Often, I see a new bud forming right near there.