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Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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Posted by
danagr 4 WI (
My Page) on
Fri, Oct 21, 11 at 18:54
| I'm currently selling veggies at a market, with the help of my daughter and she wants me to also grow some dahlias to sell in bouquets. But I'm a newbie to growing Dahlias. Any suggestion/tips would be greatly appreciated to help me accomplish this task. Also what are some good varieties to use for bouquets or what should I look for to start with? Also I'm located in South Central WI. Thanks for your help in advanced!!
Dana |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| All beginners should plant Chilsons Pride, a cut flower with pink and white blends. It is probably the most planted dahlia in the USA. Otherwise, study the Swan Island catalog and if a variety is listed as being a good cut flower, you can be sure it is. Bride to Be is one of their best selling cut flowers and people order it for weddings and sometimes the orders are for over 100 flowers of it! |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| What is the best way for staking your dahlias? |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| Cut flower growers plant dahlias in rows. Use steel T posts that are 6 feet tall. Grow dahlias in double rows, spacing tubers at 12-18 inches apart with 6 inches between the double row. Place two T posts at the end of the row, two feet apart. Place two more T posts every 15 feet or so. Use 170 pound baling twine and tie at 18 inches and 40 inches. If dahlias fall down in the row, use short pieces of twine to cross tie to hold them up. If you are a small grower, you can put one T post in the ground and plant 4 dahlias around the post and tie them to the post. If you are a mega grower like Swan Island(45 acres of dahlias), you will control the height of the plants by
mowing them down to 12 inches or so in July and hilling up the rows like they do with potatoes. The dirt holds the shorter plants up and they do not tie them up. They also use less fertilizer than most growers as they do not want tall plants. They pick as many as 10,000 blooms per day. |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| do you have any photos showing how you tie them up? |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollyhilldahlias/6286652368/in/photostream |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| nice photo, I understand now. Is this is strong enough to hold up the taller dahlias or would you recommend putting t-post closer together? Also in your photo, is that a double or single row? I really love your bouquets, they're beautiful. |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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The picture was taken before the second string was added.
This set up will hold up 7 foot tall plants with no problem.
I have quite a few cross ties in the picture and have added more in recent years. It is a double row of dahlias spaced
about 14 inches apart with the rows about 6 inches apart.
I plant the double rows on 7 foot centers and this allows about 5 feet of space for the tractor to till the rows. You should grow lots of dahlias as they make the best cut flowers. |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| Do you plant the tubers inside, to get a head start on earlier blooms. And what do you recommend to do to the tubers when planting them outside? |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| In Wisconsin, it would be wise to start lots of the tubers in gallon pots in a warm area(not necessarily a green house). You will gain a couple of weeks. Planting tubers is just that: put them under 6 inches of soil. No fertilizer needed at that time and no watering needed unless soil is very dry. |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| Thank you very much for all your information! Now I just need figure out which ones I want to purchase for next spring's planting season. |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| Hi Danagr. I am down in Lake Geneva, WI. I am more than happy to send you a box of dahlias for postage. Send me a message and I will get you my list so you can choose from them. I can also give you some tips for growing them in our area. Once you plant one dahlia, you will become addicted :) Keriann~ |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| Keriann, just sent you an email. Let me know if you don't get it. Dana |
RE: Any Advise on Growing Dahlia for Newbie
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| Shoot. I never got it. Can you resend or put your e-mail on your profile and I can contact you? Thanks Keri~ |
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