I’m a gardening guru – if you want your flowers bigger and blooming until November, follow my six vital tips
WHETHER they’re the size of a teacup or a dinner plate, Dahlia’s have become one of the UK’s most popular plants.
And it’s no wonder – not only are they still flowering now – with a bit of luck you’ll be picking them right through to November.
Hever Castle in Kent has even got a Dahlia Weekend Special taking place next month – which shows how much they’re still very much in bloom in Autumn.
Val Bourne, garden writer and vice president of the Hardy Plants Society, told Sun Gardening: ‘there’s just no other flower.’
She’ll be appearing at the Dahlia weekend on October 8/9th.
She said: “As a child growing up in Southall, the Dahlia was one of the first flowers I ever noticed. They’re like lollipops and just so colourful. The fifties were such a drab time, brown socks, brown shoes, brown overcoats, so I just fell in love with them.
“Back then they only appeared on the showbench. People didn’t have them in their outside spaces.
“Now they’ve become really popular garden plants. There’s no other flower that begins in July, and keeps belting out the blooms. And the more you pick, the more they keep flowering – right up until the frost hammers them.
“Because of climate change, I’m finding myself picking them in November! They might be a little weak stemmed by then, but everything else has packed up.
TOP TIPS FOR GROWING DAHLIAS
Head Gardener Neil Miller's tips to keep Dahlia's growing for longer
- Use chicken feed and growmore to get them going – rose food is a good substitute.
- Grow from tubers not seed – you get more flowers.
- .Water and deadhead daily. The new buds are solid to the touch – don’t cut these off.
- Plant up the plugs in early April. In late April put overwintered tubers into compost, store in a greenhouse/windowsill/polytunnel, water once a day. Don’t harden off, and when they get to 30cms – 50cms high – second week in June, get them in the ground.
- Plant randomly rather than colour coordinated – if you plant randomly the display is better.
- To encourage bees – grow the collarette-type of dahlia.”
She added: “They’re fabulous as cut flowers. Because they are South American, they respond to shorter days as that’s what they’re used to.
“They are high altitude so they don’t really like long and hot days, but they come into their own once you get longer nights.”
And when it comes to whether to lift the tubers overwinter, Val added: “I would advise people to lift them, as when you leave them in they get bigger and bigger, and when it’s a big tuber mass, they flower less.
“The great thing about Dahlias is that the bees love them, and they set seed very easily – you can sow that seed in March, and get a flower by August.
“They’re tremendously good value, it’s no wonder they’ve become so popular.”
ALSO THIS WEEK IN VERONICA'S COLUMN
Top tips, Gardening news, offers and a competition to win a £400 Autumn bundle.
OFFER! Boost your blooms when you visit YouGarden.com – as they’re offering Sun Gardening readers £10 off orders. It’s not only flowers – maybe you fancy some of their grow-your-own fruit and veg, bulbs, plants, shrubs and trees. And because it has its own huge nursery in Lincolnshire, you know the plants are decent. Visit www.yougarden.com/YGSAVE10 and enter the code YGSAVE10 at the checkout. Alternatively, call 0844 502 0050 and quote YGSAVE10 at the checkout. Calls cost 5p per min plus your network’s access charge. For full T&Cs visit www.yougarden.com/YGSAVE10
TIP! It was World Bamboo Day on Thursday. Gardening Express boss Chris Bonnett told Sun Gardening “We’re urging gardeners to plant clumping kinds that clear the air – don’t start a turf war with the neighbours with invasive varieties.
WIN! One very lucky winner will win an Autumn bundle worth over £400 – thanks to Flymo. You’ll take home a £159.99 Flymo EasiWeeder, Flymo EasiCut 450 hedge trimmer worth £137.09 and a £149 Flymo EasiClear leaf blower. To enter fill in THIS FORM For more information and top tips visit www.thesun.co.uk/AUTFLYMO , or write to Sun AUTUMN FLYMO Comp, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Ends 23.59GMT 05.10.24 T&Cs apply.
SAVE! The leaves have started to fall. Gather them up with these Robert Dyas grabbers for £14.99, or get them for half the price at £6.78 from Toolstation
THIS WEEK’S JOB Unbelievably it’s time to plant Christmas Hyacinths in pots or glasses. And for some, it’s time to start keeping an eye on the weather forecast for frosts.
TOP TIP If you’re planting pansies for some winter colour – make sure you plant them closer together than you might in summer – they’ll protect each other from the cold.