pounds of bone meal and one pound of muriate or sulphate of potash to every 
ten plants. 
When the soil has warmed up nicely, and not until then, is the time to plant. 
Do not plant a Dahlia root in cold, wet ground, and expect anything but failure. 
Some varieties may pull through, but nothing is gained by planting too early. A 
hole about five inches deep in heavy soil, to as deep as eight inches in light, 
sandy soil, is dug for each root, and allow at least three feet each way between 
holes. This for the large varieties. The Pompons may be spaced closer, also the 
miniatures for mass effects. A stake should be driven close to the hole and the 
root laid therein with the eye or sprout facing up, and toward the stake. The 
root should be covered about two inches, and the hole gradually filled in as the 
plant grows. It may be tied to the stake with soft twine or rag to avoid cutting 
the stalk. 
For a bushy plant with numerous blooms the plant may be pinched out after 
the third set of leaves forms. This will force the buds at the base of the plant to 
develop and the plant will spread out. For large blooms, pinch out the buds on 
each branch down to the base buds, leaving only one bud to a stalk. This allows 
long stems for cutting or exhibition. As Pompons and Miniatures are somewhat 
valued in inverse ratio to their size, none of these should be disbudded, but the 
young plant may be pinched out to make more blooms. 
There are a few insect pests which may infect your Dahlias, depending on 
your locality. Aphis or other sucking insects, or leaf hoppers or other chewing 
insects. There are a number of good sprays and dusts on the market, including 
DDT which may be used according to directions on the package. Your local feed 
store or hardware dealer will help you select whichever is indicated by your local 
conditions. 
The ground around the Dahlia plants should be kept in a loose condition by 
frequent cultivation, deep at first and then shallower as the plant grows and the 
feed roots spread out, and near the surface. If your summer is very hot, a mulch 
between the Dahlias of grass clippings, or other material, will help keep the 
ground cool and avoid overheating the roots. During extreme heat it is advisable 
to pick off the buds and not allow blossoms to form, thus saving any possible 
dangerous wilting of the plant. 
When watering, after the buds have started to open, and not until then, it is 
better to give the ground a thorough soaking once a week or every ten days, than 
to sprinkle the surface every day. The moisture should reach down about a foot 
to be of the most value. 
Dahlia blooms should be cut either early in the morning before the sun 
starts to dry them out, or late in the evening. The best method of cutting for long 
keeping blooms, is to carry a bucket of cold water into the garden and plunge the 
stem of the Dahlia into it as soon as it is cut from the bush. A knife should be 
used instead of scissors, as the object is not to press the stem shut, but rather 
leave it so that it will absorb water readily for the bloom. The cut flowers should 
then be placed in the cold water container, in a cool darkplace, and away from 
any drafts, for several hours, or if cut in the evening, over night. After that they 
are ready for placing in your vase or other containers for display, and will keep 
much longer than if any other method of preparation is used. Too much foliage 
left on the stem will greatly lessen the keeping quality of the bloom. 
After the first killing frost the Dahlia clumps should be dug and stored for 
the winter. In sections where there is no frost, or where it comes very late in the 
year, the plants may be cut down any time and after allowing a few days for 
the sap to go down into the roots, the clumps may be dug and cared for the 
same as if they had been killed by frost. It is well to dig the dirt away from the 
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