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Dahlias
Garden noob
Posts: 260
in Plants
I bought an orange dahlia and I'm trying to work out where in my garden to put it. The pot says it's a dahlia maxi.
The RHS website says dahlias can grow up to 1.5 metres, but I'm not sure if it's true for this particular variety and, if so, how long it would take to grow that tall. Can anyone help?
Thanks!
0
Posts
Dahlias die every year and then come back up again the following year as long as the tubers survive the winter. So if it can grow that tall it will do so in one year. That said you can top them to stop them getting so tall which should make them bushier.
Googling dahlia maxi shows a dwarf dahlia. It'll get to about 18"-2ft ish then as Torg says above, you can risk leaving in the ground or dig it up when the 1st frost hits and store the tubers somewhere frost free until the spring
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
When people talk about overwintering dahlias, the method I've found that worked was to dig up the root after the top went black. Cut off the black, dead top and clean any damp soil from the tubers. Put the tubers neck high (same as they were in the ground) into clean, dry compost and leave in a dry place over winter.
Last year I tried storing them in wood shavings in the shed and failed. They were mouldy when I got them out in spring.
The first year, when successful, I had them on the windowsill in the conservatory in the dry compost, The conservatory has a radiator but is still pretty chilly but it wasn't damp or maybe icy like the shed.
In Spring, you start to water and see them come back to life, it's glorious.
After a couple of weeks they can go out with a stint in the cold frame to harden off when all the frosts have cleared and are great for being drought resistant and long flowering (I've found).
Good luck Garden noob, hope this helps.