Dahlia 'Kelvin Floodlight'

Autumn - late · Outdoors

Apply a deep protective mulch

Provide a deep protective mulch in autumn, spreading it around the plant and covering it to give it both nutrients and some protection against the weather.

A mulch is a covering that can: protect the soil surface from rain, heat and cold; deter weeds; provide nutrients. Organic indicates that material has vegetative origin e.g. manure, compost. Synthetics i.e. plastics, or stones are often called mulches.

Autumn · Planting

Lift before winter

Lift bulbs. tubers or rhizomes in autumn, to keep for the following year. Keep dry and in a frost-free location for the winter. Re-plant in spring.

Spring-Autumn · Outdoors

Water during dry periods

For plants in the ground, when there has been little or no rain for a period of 7-10 days and the soil is dry, give it a deep watering and repeat weekly until there is a downpour of rain. Check plants in pots more frequently, especially in hot weather.

Spring-Autumn · Planting

Protect from slugs & snails

Protect young plants and new growth from slugs; mature plants can withstand slugs though damage affects their appearance. Apply nematodes in Spring. Or sprinkle organic slug pellets thinly around plants. Barrier methods, eg copper tape, may help.

Summer - early · Outdoors

Apply slow release fertiliser

Apply a slow release fertiliser which is spread around the root area of the plants soon after they have come into growth. (Or apply a liquid feed at regular intervals throughout the growing season.)

This is a simple way to provide a nutrient boost as a single annual procedure.

Summer-Autumn · Planting

Support large flower heads

Produces very large blooms that may need support if they become too heavy for the stems, especially in windy or wet weather. Tie stems to stakes, obelisks or trellis, using ties that will not damage the stems (eg gardening string).

Particularly applies to large-flowered or dinner plate dahlias, but can apply to any plant

Planting

Deadhead blooms during flowering season

Remove flowers as they turn brown and fade. Snip the stem just below the bloom. This will keep the plant tidy and encourage more flowers.

The removal of spent flowers encourages the plant to produce fresh ones, rather than spend its energy on the development of seeds.

Compost · Planting

Multi-purpose compost

Use a good quality peat-free multi-purpose compost when growing in pots and containers.