Dahlias can be a dramatic addition to any garden. However, Southern gardeners may find it difficult to grow these beautiful flowers under the dominating heat of the southern garden.
Dahlias like cool nights in order to have the most productive blooms and inorder to set tubers. Spring is when most gardeners plant dahlias, but spring nights in the southern garden are not cool which leads to dahlias failing to thrive. Many Southern gardeners that have tried growing dahlias in spring may have become discouraged and decided that growing dahlias is not a valuable use of time. This blog will explain why dahlias are well worth the effort in a southern garden – with a few modifications in timing.
Most dahlias are available at local garden nurseries and big box stores in late March. However, due to the difficulty of growing dahlias in the southern garden, selection is limited.
My first recommendation is, that if you want to grow dahlias in the spring time in a southern garden, order dahlias in late December to early January so that you can start them indoors or in the ground in late December to early January. Ordering online from a store which ships year round not only gives you the opportunity to get your dahlias in the ground earlier, but it will likely give you a larger selection. Verify with the seller that they will ship your dahlias immediately as some sellers will hold your order and ship your dahlias later in the spring, since in northern states plant in spring is best.
Dahlias typically take 90 days to bloom, so starting tubers indoors in late December or early January would have your dahlia plants ready to bloom by mid March or late March before the excessive temperatures begin. By using this method, you should get 2-3 months of blooms before the excessive heat of June.
If starting dahlia tubers indoors in late December to early January, you can plant them out of doors after the last frost of the season. If you want to start your dahlias in the ground rather than indoors, but you are worried about the few days of freezing temperatures that you may have in January or February, do not worry. Dahlias can fare well in low temperatures. When freezing temperatures do occur the leaves may die back some, but the tubers are unlikely to be damaged as the temperatures typically rise during the daytime. The tubers will be able to regrow their leaves and will still have a good start on the growing process as compared to planting tubers in late March.
Once your tubers start to slow in its production of flowers in late May to early June, cut back the stalks to 12 inches or so, and water as needed for the heat and local rain conditions. If you are able to keep your tuber alive, it will likely begin to flower again in September or October when cool nights return.
However, the best option for growing dahlia tubers in a Southern garden is to plant the tubers in mid to late July. That way after the plant has grown for 90 days and it is time to bloom, the nights will be cool and your plant should thrive. Because southern climates for fall and winter are typically mild, you may be able to get blooms through January and even February in some years.
Dahlia plants thrive in the cool and cold days of fall and winter in the southern garden, so when the rest of the landscape is withering away and showing signs of winter rest, your dahlia plants will be putting on a show. Even the leaves are a dramatic effect in the winter dormancy of the rest of your southern garden. I have started dahlias as late as the end of September and had blooms in early December through January in my southern garden.
Another benefit of growing dahlias in the fall and winter in southern states is that dahlias set their tubers when nights are cool. Even with only 3 months fall and winter growing in a southern garden, small tubers can multiply significantly leading to expanding your collection with great ease. This will give you the opportunity to share your beloved plants with friends and neighbors making the fall and winter of your southern areas beautiful and exciting.
Try growing dahlias in your southern garden, and enjoy the beauty that awaits!
