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Dahlia contraste12/23/2023 ![]() ![]() For more information, call extension agent Drew Jeffers at 86. He is the person who got me started in this whole adventure with master gardeners. My friend Joe Maple is going to to teach the class. I mention this at the end of my column because the master gardener course made my life better. The Spartanburg County Master Gardener program is announcing its fall course going from Aug. In addition, the New Cut Road overpass on Interstate 85 at Spartanburg Community College has been planted with "strawberry sundae" hydrangeas and looks gorgeous. And "Little Lime" is a shorter version of that spectacular hydrangea "Limelight." We seem to be making better choices as of late with regard to plantings, and I am so proud of these groups! Nice job to whoever chose the plants. Have you noticed the medians around town? I have seen the "Little Lime" hydrangea planted in groups of six or eight along with some arborvitae. Cut your flowers early in the morning and enjoy them. Dahlias are among the most rewarding flowering garden plants. For shorter bushier plants, pinch out the center stem above the third set of leaves. These leafy green plants can also be grown in containers that are at least 12 to 15 inches across and deep. It becomes a waiting game to see whether they will return next summer. Since we live in South Carolina, sometimes I will risk it and leave them over winter in the ground. This is especially true if you have a dahlia that you love. ![]() A favorite in the large category (10 inches and over) is the very pink "Emory Paul."ĭig up your dahlias after the first cold frost and store them for winter on newspapers in plastic milk crates in the basement or garage. After that, the sizes go up from 6 to 10 inches. The cactus dahlias all have pointy petals that resemble a spike. Then there are the pompoms, with flowers about 2 inches across. What type dahlia bloom suits you? One of my favorites is the small single bloom with an inset smaller layer of petals called a collarette with 4-inch flowers. By the end of July, you will have various sizes of flowers in almost every color except blue and black. Then use garden twine that wraps around the dowels to create a cage. If you use dowels and garden twine, use three dowels put into the ground in a triangle shape. Tomato cages can be used as well as dowels and string. If you do it too late, the plant can end up laying on the ground. It is best to stake the area right around the bulb right away. Some of my favorite websites for ordering dahlias are Floret Farms (), Dans Dahlias (), Longfield Gardens (and White Flower Farm (Dahlias will need staking if they are large and grow above 18 inches. I ordered my dahlia tubers in early spring. Dahlias like a low nitrogen fertilizer just like vegetables, so use a 10-20-20 fertilizer after the first leaves appear and then again four weeks later. In addition, you should never fertilize a dahlia until is has leaves above the ground. Do not water the tubers when you plant them until the leaves appear above ground. I encourage you to label the tubers when you plant them. The tubers will have their names stamped on them. ![]() Select a sunny site to plant the tubers on their sides in a hole that is 4 to 6 inches deep.
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