8 
MANATAWNA GARDENS 
HOW TO PLANT 
When planting large flowering dahlias the rows 
should be from 4 to 5 feet apart and 4 feet in the row, 
plow a furrow 6 inches deep, plant your stakes 4 feet 
apart, lay the root flat with the head 2 or 3 inches from 
the stake. A good method is to plant one on each side 
of the stake. Varieties will not mix by growing them 
together, but should one plant fail there will be no 
blank spaces. 
Do not place fertilizer under the roots or plant them 
over hot manure; if you do you will stunt or burn the 
plants. The stunting of dahlias, misformed flowers 
and a lot of other trouble can be traced to the burning 
of the feeder roots caused by excessive chemical feed¬ 
ing. Cover the plants two inches deep, filling in as 
the plant develops. 
FERTILIZER 
Of the ten elements consistent to plant growth, we 
find Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium, the three 
most important and the three most lacking. Nitrogen 
is the top growth or the bush, producing large bushes 
and flowers; if used to excess it will produce a fast 
soft growth, will wilt easily and leave soft roots to 
store in the fail. Nitrogen is found in Humus, decom¬ 
posed vegetable matter. Manure. 
Phosphoric Acid increases the root development, in 
the feeder or lateral roots it strengthens the plant 
growth and stabilizes the plant and flower. Phosphoric 
Acid is found in Bone Meal, Tankage, and Acid Phos¬ 
phate. 
Potash is the balancing to the complete feed. It is 
an essential in starch formation and aids in the ripen¬ 
ing of the roots. 
Potash can best be supplied in Wood Ashes, Murate, 
or Sulphate of Potash. Test your soil. Dahlias do best 
in alkaline soil testing PH. 6.8 to 7.0. 
TOP DRESSING 
About August 15th apply feed composed of three 
parts Bone Flour, three parts Tankage, and one part 
Potash, Broadcast over the ground 6 inches away from 
plants and not over 18 inches away and hoe into the 
soil. If you follow these directions you will have good 
dahlias. 
PINCHING OUT AND DISBUDDING 
This is more important than watering and will give 
better results. There has been so much misunderstand¬ 
ing about disbudding that we will only enter into this 
mildly to give you some idea. 
As the plant grows and produces leaves, in their 
axis sprouts a shoot or branch; these produce flowers 
at a later date; the main stem grows up and buds. 
Pinch out the side buds and shoots two or three sets 
of leaves down, according to the length of stem you 
want. This leaves the center or terminal bud to flower, 
which produces the largest blooms. 
Follow the same procedure with the side shoots or 
branches, which continues the blooming period. 
