Dahlia Growing Info

Welcome to the world of flowers, especially dahlias! 

If you are reading this, good chance you just bought some dahlia tubers and may be new(er) to growing dahlias.

Dahlias are not super complicated to grow, but there are a few things that will give you better results and lots of blooms! I want you to be successful growing dahlias and experience the magic when they bloom!

First, when you receive tubers in the mail, from Dahlia Haven or any other grower, immediately open your package and inspect the tubers. (Don't worry if a sprout gets broken off, another one will regrow) If they are in good condition, you need to decide when it is safe to plant them in your growing zone. You will need to wait till after the last frost till plant and soil temp is around 60*.  If its warm enough, you can plant immediately. Most likely though its still a few weeks until you can plant. In that case, you will want to crack the plastic bag they are in and keep in a dark cool place. 

If you are planting in rows, you can either plant in a single or double row. I plant double rows 2 1/2'-3' wide with 3' paths. Plant in FULL SUN.  Dig holes 4-6" deep and space 12-18" apart. Place the tuber flat in the hole with the eye pointing skyward. (If you are planting just a few plants, I recommend adding a stake to each tuber at planting time. For larger amounts of dahlias the corral method works best.) Cover the tuber with soil.

It will take a few weeks for your tubers to grow through the surface. But be prepared to deal with slugs and earwigs the moment they break through. Sluggo Plus is important to have on hand to ward them off and protect your precious new plants! You should only need it early on in the season.

Wait to water your tubers, until they emerge from the soil, as they are prone to rot. (Only water if your soil is bone dry, like in a drought.)

Once your plants are 6-12" tall you can increase watering to every other day for 30-60 min using a drip hose, drip tape or sprinkler.

When your dahlias are 12" tall or have 3-4 sets of leaves, you will need to pinch the center shoot out, to encourage branching. This will result in more blooms!

Nitrogen is recommend through out the first several month of growing. But doing a soil sample will give you the most accurate picture of what your soil needs. (On the soil test kit form, list Potatoes as the crop. Tubers are the most similar in need.)

As mentioned above, if you are growing more than a few dahlias, I recommend the corral method of staking. You can use stakes and twine or stakes and hortanova netting. Its best to place first level of containment at 18-24" and the second at 36-48".

You will want to decide if you are going to grow organically or not. I choose organic and use PyGanic, Neem Oil, or Captain Jack Dead Bug to control insect pressure. You can also release beneficial bugs to manage pests. Bugs can spread harmful diseases, so keeping an eye out and stopping them before you have an infestation is important.  A few common dahlia pests are Japanese beetles, cucumber beetles, thrips, aphids, leaf hoppers and tarnished plant bugs. 

Keeping on top of weeding is very important for both plant health & decreases pest pressure.

To keep the blooms coming regularly, you will either want to cut for bouquets or deadhead. Each time you cut, it will signal the plant to send up more shoots.

If you have any growing questions, I'm happy to help. You can email me melisagordon@dahliahaven.com or message me on Instagram.

May you enjoy bountiful blooms in 2026!

--Melisa Gordon--Dahlia Haven--