Instructions

Plant the tuber on its side about 3 inches under ground. Do not heavily water for the first few days like you would to other plants to prevent rotting the tuber. Be sure to choose a spot with full direct sun and good draining soil.

Once the plant is about 8 inches tall, snip off the top new growth and stem to make the plant bushier.

Water very regularly to create the maximum amount of blooms until frost. Dahlias require a lot of water so don't let them dry out once they are established.

Be sure to stake the plants well before the wind comes and snaps the stalk in half. Either use bamboo stakes with multiple loops of twine or use a larger scale trellis netting.

*Digging* Once a hard frost has killed your plants, cut the main stem at the base. Use a pitch fork and slowly dig around the perimeter of the plant about 8 inches away from the center. This makes sure that you do not stab any of the tubers while digging. Once removed from the ground, shake off the dirt and make sure that the tuber is well labelled.

Fertilizers

Dahlias require a lot of nutrients to grow strong and healthy. Nitrogen is required to grow healthy green foliage and a tall plant. Phosphorus is needed to have large vibrant flowers along with many other important characteristics. Many other macro and micro nutrients are also needed for strong prolific plants.

For the best results, get a soil test down in a local lab to be certain on what your soil is lacking to reduce buying unneeded fertilizers possibly damaging the soil.

Other Fertilizers

Epsom Salts: Common house hold Epsom salts are also known as magnesium sulphate. Adding Epsom salts to your watering cans or sprinkling on soil will increase the Magnesium and Sulphur levels in the soil. Be aware not to add too much and should not be needed more than once per season.

Liquid Seaweed: Seaweed concentrate is loaded with many beneficial micronutrients for your soil. Adding a very little bit of this to your watering cans can help increase growth rate and better flowers. Make sure to follow directions on bottle when applying.

Alfalfa Pellets: This pellet form of alfalfa hay is a safe and easy way to add nutrients to your soil. The pellets breakdown after a watering to become part of the soil. This is a good way to add slow releasing nitrogen than will last for a while. Add a hand full of pellets at the bottom of the hole when planting each tuber.

Bone Meal: Bone Meal is another slow releasing fertilizer that is high in Phosphorus. Adding a handful of this fertilizer at the bottom of each hole is a great way to incorporate it. Make sure to mix this in with the soil to avoid burning the tuber.