Planting and Caring for Dahlias 



EXCEPT in heavy day, dahlias will 

 grow almost anywhere, but a 

 sunny locality, with rich, mellow 

 soil, that will grow potatoes, will give 

 the best results. Fertilization should be 

 done in the fall. Use well-rotted cow 

 manure, and work it in thoroughly, turn- 

 ing the earth over many times before 

 freezing weather, and again in the 

 spring, before planting. 



In Canada, planting time should never 

 be earlier than May 20th, nor later than 

 June 20th. Do not plant in soil that is 

 wet or sour. If soil is heavy and soggy, 

 add a goodly proportion of sand and air- 

 slacked lime. This will lighten and 

 sweeten it. Never plant when soil .s 

 wet, or your tubers may rot. 



Do not plant when the soil is cold. 

 Wait until the sun has warmed it. M 

 an early period put your hand down into 

 the soil, and feel how cold it is then 

 later test it in the same way for a higher 

 temperature. A cold soil retards, while 

 a warm soil hastens vegetation. Dahlias 

 grow rapidly. You will not lose time by 

 W^aiting. 



If your dahlia bed was not fertilized 

 in the fall, use only well rotted manure 

 sparingly, as early in the spring as pos- 

 sible. One good method is to dig out 

 thp soil to the depth of ten inches, fill in 

 with two inches of well-rotted man- 

 ure, .and stamp it down, then cover with 

 an inch of soil well packed, upon which 

 place your tuber; then cover but be 

 careful not to over-fertilize at this period. 



A WARM EXPOSURE NEEDED 



Dahlias revel in the warm sunshine. 

 If possible plant them so that they will 

 be exposed to sunshine all day long. 

 But if you have a small town or city lot 

 with close board fences, good results can 

 be obtained by planting on the northern 

 or eastern sides, twenty-four inches from 

 the fence. I have grown dahlias on all 

 sides of my lot, and find the eastern and 

 northern localities the best. 



Remember, that the soil in the beds 

 that are near the fence, should be much 

 lighter than in the open, becau.se the 

 fence shadows it at one time* of the day, 

 while the heat reflecting from the fence 

 at another time of the day will, if the 

 soil is heavy, bake it to a crust. This 

 baking, or incrustration, interferes con- 

 siderably with what may be termed soil 

 atmosphere, and necessitates a double 

 amount of cultivation. My rule is that 

 wherever there is much shadow, use the 

 lighter soil. In the open sunlight, a 

 mellow, medium heavy soil is preferable. 

 A light soil requires more fertilizing 



Max Moineau, Toronto 



than a heavy, while, after planting, a 

 heavy soil requires more cultivation than 

 a light. 



SELECTING DAHLIAS 



There are nine distinct classes of dah- 

 lias, namely, show, fancy, decorative, 

 cactus, single, ponpon, collorette, peony- 

 flowering and scented — the latter being 

 the newest thing on record. In each 

 class, there are many varieties with in- 

 dividual characteristics. The best time 

 to select a dahlia is when it is in bloom ; 

 therefore, visit dahlia farms, make a re- 

 ord of the varieties you best like, and 

 send in your orders early in the spring, 

 dealing always with reliable people. See 

 that each tuber has a bud sprouted be- 

 fore planting, or you will be disappoint- 

 ed, when, after long anticipation, no 

 plant appears. Bear in mind that there 

 are blind tubers, and these produce 

 nothing. Sometimes you may receive 

 two or three tubers in a cluster, with 

 but one eye appearing. This is a strong 

 root, and should not be separated. Plant 

 it as you receive it, and anticipate a 

 better bush and bloom because of the 

 cluster. 



HOW TO PLANT 



The ideal method of planting a dahlia 

 tuber is welT worth considering. Dig a 

 hole eight inches deep. Place the tubers 

 in the bottom horizontally, with the eye 

 uppermost, then cover with about two 

 inches of earth. As the sprout develops, 

 fill in the soil until the level is reached. 



I do not approve of pinching out the 

 centre of the sprout, as some advise, but 

 I do advocate staking. I would recom- 

 mend setting the stake before planting. 

 There will then be no danger of driving 

 it through the tuber. Always place the 

 eye, or bud end of the tuber, directly 

 opposite the stake, and about four inches 

 from it. Attach the label firmly to the 

 stake the moment you remove it from 

 the tuber. A dahlia without a name is 

 of no interest, and while handling and 

 planting, tabulating should be very care- 

 fully done. 



When the plant is eighteen or twenty 

 inches high, tie it to the stake with a 

 strip of strong cloth, about an inch, or 

 an inch and a half wide, being careful 

 not to pull the stem from its natural 

 direction, and keep elevating the band- 

 age as the plant develops. I paint my 

 stakes green, and use green-colored 

 cloth- for tying. This relieves the un- 

 sightliness of staking. Stakes should be 

 at least three feet above ground, and, 

 in some cases, "two feet longer. Never 

 plant closer than two and a half feet 

 between each hill, and four feet between 

 each row. 



124 



Do not water. Nature will do that in 

 the best way possible. Artificial water- 

 ing produces a rank growth of stalk at 

 the expense of the bloom, with a tuber 

 that will shrivel up and, perhaps, rot 

 during the dormant period. Therefore, 

 let me reiterate, do not water. If the 

 season becomes excessively hot and dry, 

 an occasional soaking may be advisable, 

 but using the hose every evening is the 

 greatest mistake you can possibly make, 

 since it proves detrimental to the bloom. 



Cultivation is the proper thing, and let 

 me state just here, that any one who 

 has an aversion to the use of the hoe, 

 should never attempt to grow dahlias. 

 Keeping a crust from forming on the 

 soil about the stalk is absolutely im- 

 perative. The soil should be broken and 

 mellowed, all weeds and suckers care- 

 fujly removed, and not more than one 

 shoot allowed to develop from a hill. 



Your lawn clippings will make an ex- 

 cellent grass mulch, which will prevent 

 the soil from baking and drying out. 

 Hoeing twice a week, will improve the 

 soil atmosphere. Always replace the 

 mulch after hoeing. Fine, strawless, 

 stable manure, or street sweepings, will 

 also make a good mulch, but do not use 

 manure until after the buds begin to 

 form, nor cultivate so deeply as be- 

 fore. Buds, as a rule, begin to show 

 when the plant is from eighteen to twen- 

 ty inghes high, and will be in bloom 

 when the plant is about thirty inches 

 high. 



Later in the season, should the flow- 

 ers diminish in size, use liquid manure 

 once or twice a week, or a top dressing 

 of fine bone meal, four parts, to nitrata.l 

 of soda, one part, spread broadcast ovetj 

 the hill, and cover with a light sprink^' 

 ling of soil, always replacing the mulchi f 

 A better bloom will be the result. Ift 

 there is any sign of mildew, remove th# I 

 mulch for a while, to let the earth dr^j 

 out a little. 



Disbudding throughout the bush an<| 

 cutting back the lower branches wil 

 also enhance the bloom I always trill 

 out the lower flower shoots, as the 

 never do well, and the strength ex| 

 pended upon them will be saved for th<^l 

 better part, of the plant. The removjS^ j 

 of all dead and faded flowers is neces* 

 sary for the better appearance of th<Sv| 

 plant, and its further sustenance. 



For decorative purposes, never cut (I I 

 bloom in the heat of mid-day. The flow? 

 ers are usually in a half-wilted condition 

 then, and cannot be easily revived.^ 

 Early in the evening Is the best time foisl 

 cutting, as it Is cooler, and the floweril 

 have a chance to harden during thej 

 night. 



