Dahlia Fact Sheet - Growing Dahlias

Horticulture and Crop Science
2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43210-1086

Growing Dahlias

HYG-1245-92
Jack Kerrigan

Dahlias are considered one of the most spectacular garden flowers. They are also thought to require a great deal of care. Both of these statements are true to some extent. There is a great variety of form in dahlias, from the showy dinner-plate size to the bright, little single ones. Dahlias require some special care, especially lifting for winter storage. However, with minimum care, beautiful dahlia blooms will grace your garden from July until frost. Dahlias should be planted in a sunny location. The soil should be rich and well-drained with a pH of about 6.5. Wait until all danger of spring frost is past before planting.

Bedding dahlias can be planted 9 to 12 inches apart. The smaller- flowering types, which are usually about three feet tall, should be spaced two feet apart. The taller, larger-flowered dahlias should be spaced three feet apart. Dig the planting hole slightly larger than the root ball of the plant and incorporate some compost or sphagnum peat moss into the soil. Plant dahlias so the crowns are just above soil level. Tall, large-flowered cultivars will require support. Place stakes (five to six feet tall) around plants at planting time and tie stems to them as the plants grow.

Dahlias tend to have shallow roots so be careful when cultivating. About the end of June, mulch plants with well-aged compost, aged manure, peat, or straw. Water plants regularly if rain is insufficient but avoid wetting the foliage. Dahlias require a rich soil; a commercial fertilizer low in nitrogen, such as a 5-20-20, worked into the soil a month before planting is good preparation. As plants grow, a monthly feeding will encourage large blooms. If using a granular fertilizer, water it in thoroughly after application. Do not fertilize dahlias after mid-August.

2012 Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Training

A few slots are open for the 2012 Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener volunteer training.

Beginning Feb. 7, training will be offered for Licking County residents. The Master Gardener Volunteer Program provides an extensive course in horticulture in exchange for a donation of volunteer hours to share gardening knowledge with others through OSU Extension-sponsored activities.

Training will be 10 consecutive Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Information is available at licking.osu. edu under the Master Gardener Volunteers tab. You can print an application and mail it or drop it off.

The address is: Lori Swihart, Licking County Master Gardener Coordinator, Ohio State University Extension, 771 E. Main St., Suite 103, Newark, OH 43055.

Guide for Preparing Cut Flowers and House Plants for Exhibit

The Iowa State University Extension has a guide on "Preparing Cut Flowers and House Plants for Exhibits".

Link to PDF file; http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/4H464.pdf

Iowa State University Master Gardener Training

Master Gardener training for the ISU Extension Region 7 (Hamilton, Humboldt, Webster and Wright counties) will begin January 17.

To register for the training, contact Yvonne McCormick at 832-9597 or e-mail her at Yvonne@iastate.edu for further information on the program.

Landscape problems focus of program - Canton, IL - Canton Daily Ledger

By JULIA PRYOR

Program Coordinator and Master Gardener,

University of Illinois Extension-Fulton County
Canton Daily Ledger
Wed Jun 17, 2009, 11:25 AM CDT

LEWISTOWN, Ill. -
Don’t blame the plant when the problem you are dealing with in your landscape isn’t the plant's fault! Martha Smith, University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, will focus on problems in the landscape that are caused by weather, planting environment and you -- the gardener! You will never look at your plant problems the same way again.

This informative program will be presented Tuesday, June 30 at 1 p.m. and will be presented via teleconference at the University of Illinois Extension Fulton County office, 15411 N. IL 100 Hwy, Lewistown.

No fee is charged for Master Gardeners. Advance registration is needed to assure handouts, and attendees are encouraged to arrive at 12:45 p.m. Registration is available online at fulton.extension.uiuc.edu or by calling 309-547-3711.

If you have disability needs, please indicate when registering. Contact Julia Pryor at jpryor@illinois.edu or 309-547-3711 with any questions.

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Landscape problems focus of program - Canton, IL - Canton Daily Ledger

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CAFNR researchers study the effects of drought by making their own

Droughts have a devastating effect on farms. In Missouri and most of the world, droughts are the leading cause of crop failure. They increase consumer costs, kill livestock, reduce crop yields, and trigger wildfires and dust storms. They also can cause malnutrition and famine, social unrest and political instability.

(Media-Newswire.com) - Droughts have a devastating effect on farms. In Missouri and most of the world, droughts are the leading cause of crop failure. They increase consumer costs, kill livestock, reduce crop yields, and trigger wildfires and dust storms.

They also can cause malnutrition and famine, social unrest and political instability.Researchers in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources ( CAFNR ) recently received a $1,558,125 grant to construct drought simulators that enable the scientists to study how reduced water availability affects plants and crop productivity.

The Missouri Life Sciences Research Board grant funds the construction of four mobile rain shelters, which researchers can use to vary the amount of water that test plants receive, simulating everything from short dry spells to persistent and severe drought conditions. Research on the moveThe shelters look like 50-by-100-foot greenhouses on railroad tracks.

They move away from test plants when the weather is sunny and cover the plots when rain approaches. Two shelters will be built at CAFNR’s Bradford Research and Extension Center east of Columbia; the first is scheduled to be completed in late 2009. A third shelter will be built at the Delta Research Center, Portageville, in the southeastern part of Missouri.

The fourth shelter will be located at the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center, New Franklin.The locations represent the varied environments, crop species and soil types that are agriculturally important to the state. This strategic placement allows researchers to accommodate any crop, forage and turf species grown in Missouri and surrounding states.

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