rye in the fall to spade under in the spring, peat moss mixed into the soil, 
barnyard manures, and by vegetative refuse such as lawn grass clippings, 
leaves, etc. 
Heavy clay soils may be lighter by the generous use of furnace ashes 
or cinders mixed with the soil of the garden, or, even just in the hills. 
Lime also tends to loosen the soil but should not be used oftener than every 
four or five years and never in connection with barnyard manures. A cover 
crop of rye also aids in the loosening or lightening of the soil. Stirring the 
soil frequently to a depth of five or six inches helps to maintain the soil in 
proper condition. It must be remembered that the tender roots of the dahlia 
will not reach out as readily in search of food, in hard ground, as they will 
in looser soil. The dahlia is a very heavy '‘feeder” and needs a large ef¬ 
ficient root system. Also air and water penetrate more easily into loose 
soil and aid in the chemical transformation of soil elements into plant food. 
Spade the garden two or three weeks before planting time. Leave the 
surface rough until actual setting of the roots or plants. Never try to “fit” 
the soil when it is so wet that it sticks to the tools. Planting should not be 
started until the soil has started to warm up in the spring, which in the 
latitude of northern Ohio is about May 15th to May 20th. Planting may be 
continued until June 15th or later. 
We suggest planting in furrows or trenches about five inches deep and 
running the length of the row. Place the root flat on the bottom of the 
trench and cover with two or three inches of soil. Fill in the rest of the 
trench as the plant grows. Rows should be at least three, or preferably, 
four feet apart. Plants in the row should be thirty to thirty six inches apart 
when planting large sorts. (Small type dahlias sixteen to twenty four 
inches apart.) Stakes to support the plants later may be driven at planting 
time five or six inches from the eye or sprout. Further instructions for the 
care and planting of “GREEN PLANTS” are enclosed with each shipment 
of our plants. 
Cultivate once or twice each week to a depth of five or six inches in the 
early part of the season. Right next to the plant cultivation should not be 
as deep or some of the roots are likely to be cut off or injured. When the 
plants are in bloom and the spaces between the plants are pretty well filled 
with foliage no further cultivation will be necessary. 
Water only in very dry weather. One thorough soaking is far better 
than several light sprinklings. Frequent watering brings the roots too near 
the surface where they are quickly injured by heat or drought. More water 
will be required after the plants start blooming than earlier in the season. 
There are a number of elements in soil which are needed for proper 
plant growth. Of these elements there are only three which are likely to 
be present in lesser amounts than the plant needs. These are Nitrogen, 
Phosphorus and Potash. Most commercial fertilizer contains all three in 
specified amounts. Since each garden varies in the amount of each of these 
contained in its soil it is not possible to make recommendations which will 
fit all. However, as a starting point in a fertilizing program try using what 
the fertilizer dealers know as a potato fertilizer. This is rather low in nitro¬ 
gen content and relatively higher in the other two. Apply broadcast before 
spading the garden in the spring at the rate of four or five pounds for each 
100 square feet. Another application of a fertilizer containing a little more 
nitrogen may be applied just as the buds begin to show. Scatter the fer¬ 
tilizer between the rows well away from the plants and cultivate. A thor¬ 
ough watering will make the elements available to the plants more quickly. 
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