Get growing.

If you are an experienced dahlia grower, great! Happy gardening! If you are new to dahlias use this simple guide and trust your inner green thumb. You got this.

WEATHER - Dahlias are warm weather flowers. They don’t want to be planted until temperatures are steadily warm. Wait until after your last frost and temps are consistently up around 60 degrees.

SUN - Find a spot in your garden that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight.

SOIL - If you aren’t sure if you have good soil, add a few bags of garden soil to the area where you are planting the tubers.

PLANTING - Plant the tubers 4 or 5 inches deep horizontally. If there is a distinct ‘eye’ or ‘sprout’ coming from your dahlia, plant your tuber with the ‘eye’ facing up.

WATER - No need to water the tubers until the plant starts poking out of the dirt. Keep soil moist throughout the growing season.

SPACING - Plant your dahlias about a foot apart from other plants.

STAKING - Depending on the variety, dahlias can get quite tall! Average height is 4 to 5 feet. Even shorter dahlias will need staking. Tomato cages or wooden stakes and twine are great ways to keep the plants upright when they are flush with blooms.

PINCHING BACK - The HARDEST thing you will ever do (emotionally). Dahlias greatly benefit from being cut back just as they are getting going. When they are about a foot tall, cut off the stem right above the top set of leaves. This will encourage more flowers and discourage lanky plants.