Culture and Care of 
DAHLIAS 
Plant dahlias in spring after the ground is 
warm and danger of frost is past. From May 
10th to June 10th in the central states. Lay 
tubers flat and cover four to six inches deep. 
Plant two feet apart in the rows and rows 
three to four feet apart. 
Don’t plant close to trees or large shrub- 
bery on account of the tree roots using all 
the moisture. It is not advisable to plant on 
the south or west side of a building on ac- 
count of the sun reflecting too hot on the 
plants. Always plant where the ground is 
well drained. Dahlias will grow in any good 
soil from pure sand to stiff clay, if water 
and fertilizer are added when needed. They 
usually bloom nicely without any water or 
additional fertilizer in the average garden 
where it will grow good potatoes and vege- 
tables, if cultivated properly. 
Cultivate dahlias each week and water 
occasionally. When dahlias begin to bud and 
bloom, stop cultivating but keep the weeds 
out; give the plants a good liberal dressing 
of bone meal, cow manure, sheep manure, or 
any fertilizer that is not too strong or has> 
a tendency to burn the plant, keeping manure 
six inches away from the plant, and water 
thoroughly once each week, or mulch over 
manure with straw or lawn clippings. Drive 
a strong stake about ten inches from plant 
and tie the plant to prevent it blowing over. 
Early in the season insects eat on the buds 
and flowers. When flowers open only on one 
side this is because the bud was stung when 
smaller. Examine your buds and you can 
detect this by a small black speck on the side 
of the bud where it has healed over. 
Where large blooms are wanted, take all 
but three of the largest buds off, leaving all 
the strength to the three buds and they will 
be of enormous size. 
When frost kills the plants in the fall, lift 
tubers carefully and cut off the stalks; then 
pack carefully in boxes with dirt or wrap 
with paper and put in paper cartons. Store 
in basement where they will not freeze or 
dry out. Leave in storage until planting time 
the next spring. 
