Dahlia Culture 
Soil should have good drainage—a spot where water stands will 
rot the roots. 
As soon as the ground can be worked in the spring, spade it at 
least 12 inches deep, 18 inches if possible. Work in any humus 
available, such as leaves, rotted lawn clippings, etc. Keep working 
up the ground, so that by planting time it will be fine and loose. 
On very heavy soil it is necessary to work in some sand or fine 
coal ashes. 
Every 3 or 4 years the soil will need lime to sweeten it and 
keep it in good condition. Broadcast agricultural or slaked lime 
in powdered form, about % lb. to a dahlia hill. Rake into soil 
lightly. Well rotted cow manure is good for dahlias, but the use 
of chicken manure is not advised. 
Dahlias can be given a good start by keeping the roots in 
dampened peat moss in a moderate, warm place until the sprouts 
are an inch or more in length before planting. Do not put roots 
into ground that feels cold; a sprouted root planted in May will 
usually bloom earlier and do better than a dormant root planted 
in March. 
Most failures and rotted roots are the result of too early planting. 
Space your dahlias about 3 ft. apart each way. Lay the root 
flat with the sprout up at the bottom of a 6- or 8-inch hole, covering 
only a little above the top of the sprout. Drive your stake or marker 
a few inches from the head of the root, and fill up the hole as 
the sprout comes through. It is not necessary to hill up the plant. 
In some localities where cut worms are apt to do damage to 
young plants, it is well to make a collar or tar paper around 
the plant, extending into the soil about 2 inches. 
If Dahlias have been grown in the plot before, it will now be 
advisable to mix up 5 lbs. raw pulverized bone meal and 1 Ib. 
muriate of potash for every 10 plants, and rake this into the 
ground between them, keeping it a foot away from the hill. 
The important thing from planting till the buds appear is deep, 
thorough cultivation each week. If rain falls at this time, always 
cultivate atterwards, so that there will not be a crust formed. 
Pinch off all except one sprout to a hill and for best results 
generally, pinch out the top of each dahlia after it has formed 
two sets of leaves. As buds appear, you may disbud for large 
blooms by pinching off all the buds as they appear, excepting 
the terminal bud on each branch. Some varieties that make a 
very bushy growth, are benefitted by taking out some of the 
branches clear down to the main stalk. 
Spray every week or ten days with a mixture of soap and 
nicotine sulphate or any of the commercial aphis and insect sprays 
is recommended from the time the plants are one foot high until 
danger of insects is past. 
At this time, when the buds are forming, discontinue deep cul- 
tivating, as the fine feeding roots now are spreading far out from 
the plant and closer to the surface. A heavy mulch such as lawn 
clippings or straw covering the ground will help keep in the 
moisture and prevent the ground from packing. Lacking this, rake 
the surface lightly after each rain or watering. It should not be 
necessary to water before the plants are in bloom, but from then 
on they need lots of water. Soak the ground thoroughly once a 
week or ten days, and the day after watering if you dig down into 
the soil 12 inches deep and do not find the ground moist at that 
depth you have not watered sufficiently, and have done more 
harm than good. 
When starting to bloom, another dressing of bone meal spread 
PP are Precast LD Pa PPE ce PCP Ca LP OS PCP CL GE EP Ib 
“The Highest Quality Dahlia Roots Obtainable” 
