
If your soil is heavy clay, you could add some horticultural grit to the base of the planting hole, for drainage.
DOODLE FIT HALF CIRCLE FULL
Harden off the plants (acclimatise them to the outdoors) before planting your dahlias outside – put them outside during the day but bring them back inside at night for a week or so.ĭig a planting hole that's around 30cm across, and add a bucket full of well-rotted organic matter to increase soil fertility. You can use any extra shoots to make basal cuttings – see below. It feels harsh, but it will encourage bushy plants that will produce lots of flowers. Before you do this, you may need to remove some shoots from the tuber, leaving around five remaining. In mid to late May, once no more frosts are forecast, dahlias can be planted out into the garden. Missed the boat? Don’t worry, you can also buy rooted tubers in early spring, and more established plants from April to June.

Check that you have the right conditions to grow dahlias – they like a sheltered, sunny spot.

So check the plant's ultimate size before you buy.
DOODLE FIT HALF CIRCLE HOW TO
How to grow dahliasĭahlias require a fertile, moist but well-drained soil, and a sunny, sheltered spot. Gardeners in colder areas tend to dig up their dahlia tubers once the first frosts arrive in autumn, then bring them indoors over winter.

Dahlias can also be grown from rooted cuttings and from seed. These are potted up and brought into growth indoors in late March or early April, then planted out in the garden in May once no more frost is forecast. You can buy dahlia plants at the garden centre in summer, but many gardeners grow them from tubers. They like plenty of sunshine to thrive and are tender – they need protection in winter. Dahlias hail from central America – they were brought to Europe by the Spanish, along with potatoes and tomatoes, initially for eating.
