I like dahlias, they bloom profusely and for a long time, their care is simple.
But I never liked to remove extra axillary shoots, it’s a pity to torment the plant. Although many people say that it is not stressful for him, I do not believe it. So I chose dwarf varieties, I read that it is not only unnecessary, but even harmful. It’s true, my own form beautiful compact bushes, and bloom for so long! The first flowers usually appear in early August, then bloom continuously until the beginning of winter.
Dahlias grow in a sunny flower bed, protected from the wind. I have a plot of fertile soil, so when planting, I always add (these flowers do not like standing water at the roots) a little wood ash. Care is reduced to fertilizing, regular watering and removing withered inflorescences. I try to mulch all the soil between the flowers with all sorts of materials – sawdust, sand, crushed shells, even for a very short time, cut into thin twigs. Therefore, loosening is required much less often, only when the mulch is washed during watering and mixed with the soil.
I read that dahlias love wood ash, it increases the brightness of the petals and serves as a means of protection against fungal diseases. Well, how not to pamper your pets with such useful and necessary means? And in return, they delight me with their beautiful flowers until the winter. As soon as the above-ground part dies from the frost, I cut it off, dig up the tubers, treat them with a fungicide and send them to the basement for winter storage. Let them rest until spring!
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