The Florists^ Review 



Apbil 21, 1921 



Field of Peony-FIowercd Dahlias Grown Under the Massing System. 



Kiiesswork and no danger of depending 

 on blind tubers. 



Dalilias generally will thrive in any 

 soil that produces good corn. The best 

 soil is a light loam, with good drainage; 

 the worst soil is an extremely stiff clay. 

 A light, sandy soil will serve the pur- 

 pose well if plenty of manure and mois- 

 ture is available. Dahlias need an 

 abundance of nourishment. It is just 

 possible, not probable, that the soil may 

 be too rich, especially if it is heavy and 

 stiff; then the plants will be more pro- 

 ductive of stalks and foliage than of 

 flowers. But the danger usually is en- 

 tirely of the opposite sort — the danger 

 of having the soil too poor. If the 

 ground is too heavy and clayey, it may 

 be improved by the addition of coal 

 ashes or sand. Eitlier of these materials, 

 as well as the needed manure, may be 

 incorporated with the soil while digging 

 or plowing it dee()ly in preparation for 

 j)lanting. 



When to Plant. 



The date of planting is a matter of 

 some dispute and uncertainty. As al- 

 ready stated, the question hinges not 

 only on the differences of climate or 

 latitude, but also on the character of 

 the local market and on many other cir- 

 cumstances. The planting may i)e done 

 as soon as danger from frost is past, or 

 may be deferred until the middle of 

 June, or in rare instances even until 

 July 1. In case the planting is done early, 

 say in April or the first part of May, it 

 is doubly desirable to have an abundant 

 water supply and convenient means of 

 irrigation, or an early summer drought 

 may cut the blooming period short, hard 

 en and blight the ]>lants and render them 

 worthless for the rest of the season. 

 That is ]ierha])s the ])rincipal risk in- 

 curred in eiirly planting. 



How to Plant. 



The distance between tlic ])lants or 

 roots may vary from two to four feet 

 (\'ich way, allowing about two feet for 

 the single varieties, two and onelialf 

 feet for the pompons, three feet for the 

 fancy sorts and from three to four feet 

 for those of the most luxuriant growth. 

 If planted in a single row, hedge-fashion, 

 even the most vigorous kinds need not 

 be more than two and one-half feet apart 

 in the row. 



If the soil must be further enriched 

 during the process of planting, capacious 

 holes must be dug, so that a substantial 

 layer of soil may be placed between the 

 fertilizer and the root. If either strong 

 manure or commercial fertilizer comes 

 in direct contact with the sprout, burn- 

 ing may result. 



Plant the roots six inches deep, not 

 setting them on end in an upright posi- 

 tion, but laying them flat on their sides, 

 with an eye or bud turned upward. 

 Many of the more painstaking growers 

 do not fill the hole completely at the 

 time of planting, but cover the root to a 

 depth of only two or three inches at 

 first, afterward drawing in the soil about 

 the young shoot as it pushes upward and 

 finally leaving a slight depression to 

 serve as an aid in watering. 



Setting the Stakes. 



Now comes the question: To stake or 

 not to stake? There is no question about 

 the matter, however, in the minds of 

 many growers. They have alwavs used 

 stakes, except for the decidedlv" dwarf 



varieties, and probably will continue to 

 do so. Moreover, staking is perhaps the 

 simplest and most practicable method 

 for nearly all beginners. It is advisable 

 to set the stakes at the time of planting, 

 driving them in just before the roots are 

 placed in the ground and thus avoiding 

 the possibility of such damage to the 

 roots as might result from future stak- 

 ing. The plants should be secured to the 

 stakes as soon as the need of support is 

 indicated, perhaps when the plants have 

 attained the height of two feet or slight- 

 ly more. 



If extra large, long-stemmed flowers 

 are wanted, disbudding is practiced. The 

 best flowers usually are produced at the 

 end of the main stem and of the prin- 

 cipal branches, and these flowers will be 

 improved if the buds and branches in 

 the axils of the three or four pairs of 

 leaves immediately below are removed 

 about as soon as they appear. 



The Branching Method. 



An increasingly large number of grow- 

 ers, however, follow an entirely different 

 method, the so-called branching method, 

 which dispenses with the use of stakes. 

 If, soon after planting, two or more 

 shoots appear and do not seem to be 

 menaced by cutworms, only the strong- 

 est shoot is retained and the center of 

 it is pinched out or cut off as soon as two 

 or three pairs of leaves have formed. 

 Thus the plant is induced to branch close 

 to the ground, or even below the level 

 of the ground if the soil was accumu- 

 lated over the root by degrees, as de- 

 scribed in a preceding paragraph. As a 

 result of this treatment, the plant has 

 one strong, sturdy stem and four or more 

 stiff branches, generally self-supporting. 

 The branching method, of course, de- 

 lays the first cut of flowers, but improves 

 their quality and increa.ses their 

 quantity. 



Feeding and Watering. 



It is a great benefit to feed the plants 

 several times during the growing sea- 

 son, either by applying liquid manure or 

 by raking in some commercial fertilizer 

 or well decayed manure. This extra 

 nutriment is especially helpful when the 

 plants are in bloom and is really essen- 



Field of Show and Cactus Dahlias Grown Under 4he Massing System. 



