Growing dahlias from seeds: rules and features
Dahlias are beautiful, original, and, most importantly, easy-to-care flowering plants. They bloom for a long time, almost until the first frost occurs, and do not require any special care.
However, flowers differ in one feature, which is that for the winter it is necessary to dig up flower tubers and store them until the onset of warm spring days.
In most cases, it is this fact that causes panic among many gardeners. But today there is an excellent alternative to this method, which consists in sowing seeds, from which beautiful flowers will grow in the future. This method is available in the case of growing a crop for only one year. For two or more years it is already necessary to use the tubers. This method is used to propagate a large number of varieties, but all of them are characterized by their small growth.
Content:
Variety for sowing
Today you can buy any variety of dahlias, each of which amazes with its bright and rich colors. But how to choose exactly the variety that will be suitable for planting using seeds?
When choosing a variety, first of all, you need to pay attention to how tall the plant is. This information can be found on the packaging in which they are sold. flower seeds. It is good to grow varieties from seeds that are short in stature.
But many experts agree that it is best to choose a mixture of several varieties. As a result, you can get a beautiful flower bed of flowers that will be the same height, but each will have a different bright color. You can combine plants by color yourself. The main advantage of plants that are short is that they begin to bloom much earlier than other flowers and even other varieties of dahlias.
The most popular varietal mixtures for planting dahlias include the following types: Harlequin Mix
Planting dahlias with seeds
First of all, as with any other seedlings, it is necessary to prepare the soil for planting flower seeds. In order for the flowers to bloom and feel good in the spring, it is necessary to carry out soil preparation in the autumn.
To do this, the following elements are taken in equal parts: sand, humus and turf and mix thoroughly. After which the mixture must be sifted so that no large lumps remain in it. Next comes the process of heating the soil at a temperature of 120 degrees Celsius and disinfection with potassium permanganate.
The process of sowing dahlias from seeds can be carried out from the last days of March until the end of the first ten days of April. Growing dahlias from seeds can be done in special seedling boxes, microgreenhouses and peat tablets.
The first flower shoots can already be detected a week to a week and a half after the seeds were planted in the soil. At this time, it is necessary to remove the film from the surface, and move the container with the seedlings to a bright and warm place.In order to prevent the seedlings from stretching out in the future, it is necessary to carry out the process of supplementary lighting. As soon as 2-3 flower leaves appear, the seedlings can be planted in separate small containers.
During the transplanting process, all seedlings should be buried along the cotyledons. In order to ensure good growth, a container with a volume of 200 ml will be enough for one flower, so you can use a regular disposable plastic cup for replanting. But in advance it will be necessary to make a hole in such a container that will serve as a drain for water.
Caring for dahlias quite easy and simple, there are no tricks here, the plant is distinguished by its unpretentiousness. It is necessary to water the flowers as the soil dries out; sometimes you can use mineral fertilizers as soil fertilizer. The main thing is to ensure that soil moisture is at a normal level - excess moisture can cause the development of fungal diseases of the plant, and its lack will lead to drying of the leaves.
You can replant flowers directly into open ground in mid-May. But before this, the flowers must undergo a hardening process, for which they must be placed in a greenhouse located outside. It should be noted that flowers can only be planted in soil that has warmed up sufficiently after winter, therefore.
If the spring did not have warm days, you will have to plant flowers by the end of May. From possible frosts, which often occur in May, at night it is necessary to cover dahlias with non-woven material.When replanting, it is important to take into account such a moment that the earthen ball is preserved intact; in this case, the plant’s adaptation to new conditions will occur in a fairly short time.
Dahlias are flowers that love a lot of sunlight, so it is best to plant flowers on the south and sunny side. For normal growth and flowering, the soil must be fertile, well-permeable to air and moisture, and be loose and airy.
You should not get carried away with fertilizers that contain nitrogen; this generally applies to all flowering plants. In the case of dahlias, it is best to use fertilizers that contain large amounts of phosphorus and potassium. After the fertilizer has been applied, the flower must be watered immediately; this procedure will prevent the occurrence of root burns.
After the flowers are planted in open ground, it is necessary to water them, also as the soil dries out, and especially monitor the state of moisture during the dry period. 10-14 days after the dahlias are planted in open ground, it is necessary to fertilize the soil with a mineral composition.
To stimulate growth and flowering, it is necessary to regularly remove buds that have already bloomed. Over the summer, the roots should grow sufficiently and by autumn it will be possible to dig up the tubers for the winter in order to plant them next spring.
Features of the landing process
- If containers made of plastic or clay were used to store seedlings, then two hours before planting the plants in open ground, the plants should be watered abundantly. Cups made of peat or paper can be buried in the ground directly with the seedlings.
- The flowerbed should be in a sunny place, and protected from strong, cold and gusty winds, so the place for planting dahlias must be prepared in the fall. You can fertilize the soil with manure in the fall, and by spring a good place for planting flowers will be prepared.
- According to a pre-planned pattern, it is necessary to create small holes. The main thing is that there is enough space between each of the dahlia bushes, on average from 15 to 30 centimeters. The higher the grade, the more space we leave.
- Each hole must be additionally processed with ash and compost. Mix this fertilizer thoroughly with the soil and plant the seedlings. If the flower has already produced its first leaves, then it is necessary to bury it to the level of the first leaves of the cotyledon type.
- We water the seedlings with a small amount of water; the soil around the newly planted flower should be loosened.
Rules for growing dahlias from seeds in the video:
Interesting information about the vegetable garden
Comments
I've never even heard of this method. Quite interesting, worth a try. Moreover, our dahlias have lost something, they have become completely different.