Late October Dahlias
We're nearing the end of October, but with such mild autumn temperatures here in New York, my dahlias continue to bloom.
I designated a large space for growing dahlias right behind my vegetable greenhouse, in an area that gets great sun and protection from strong winds. The colorful flowers begin to bloom with great profusion just as other plants pass their prime, and they last right up until the first frost. From small to giant dinner-plate size, there's always a dahlia that catches someone's eye.
Here are some photos of the season's late blooms, enjoy.
-
- Here at the farm, the leaves are falling in such droves it’s been hard to keep up with all the blowing and raking, but tucked behind my vegetable greenhouse is a little bit of summer – my bed of dahlias is still holding strong with a number of beautiful blooms.
-
- Right now, there are about 40 different species of Dahlias and many different sizes, colors, and forms. Some of the forms include anemone, ball, cactus, and collarette.
-
- Dahlia colors include white, yellow, orange, bronze, flame, red, pink, lilac, lavender, mauve, purple, wines, and violets. Some dahlias even bloom in multiple colors at once, but there is no blue.
-
- In fact, In the 19th century, a London newspaper offered a pound, or a little more than a dollar, to the first breeder to create a blue dahlia—the reward was never claimed, but there have been many attempts that are near-blue. This one is a creamy yellow with a light tinge of pink along the petal edges.
-
- And, unlike plants that use scent to attract, dahlias rely on their amazing spectrum of color. The bright blooms of dahlias make them attractive to pollinating insects.
-
- The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
-
- The dahlia was first recorded by Westerners back in 1615. Back then they were called by their original name which was acoctli. The first garden dahlias reached the United States in the early 1830s. Today, dahlias are grown all over the world.
-
- Dahlias are planted from tubers, which are underground bulbs that store energy for the plant’s growth. Tubers are similar to potatoes, and each tuber produces a shoot that grows into a plant.
-
- The dahlia is named after the Swedish 18th century botanist Anders Dahl, who originally declared the flower a vegetable, as the tubers are edible, but eating dahlias as a delicacy never grew popular.
-
- Dahlias are officially part of the Asteraceae family. This flower family includes asters, daisies. sunflowers, and chrysanthemums.
-
- Flowers come one head per stem. The blooms can be as small as two-inches in diameter or up to one foot across. Most varieties grow four to five feet tall.
-
- The dahlia is the national flower of Mexico, but it is also the official flower of both San Francisco and Seattle.
-
- When planting dahlias, choose the location carefully – dahlias grow more blooms where they can have six to eight hours of direct sunlight.
-
- Dahlias prefer well-draining soil amended with lots of organic material. All my gardens do so well because I place a lot of attention on the nutrient-rich soil, regular feeding and water.
-
- One the the benefits of growing healthy, beautiful flowers is the arrangements. Dahlias make wonderful cut flower arrangements. I decorate my home with many dahlias blooms during summer.
-
- Ball forms have recurved petals that open evenly to form a globe.
-
- Incurved cactus forms and semi cactus forms have varying degrees of spikiness.
-
- And some dahlias are simple and more flat than others. These types are loved by pollinators. The majority of dahlia species also do not produce scented flowers or cultivars.
-
- To prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting.
-
- And always strip off all leaves that would be below the water line in the vase. This is true for all flower arrangements, not just dahlias. When leaves stay underwater, they decay and release bacteria that shorten the vase life of the flowers. And change the water daily so they look fresh and last longer.
-
- By early November in this area, all the dahlia flowers are gone. And once the foliage has turned brown, it’s time to dig them up for storage or cover well to insulate them in the cold. This is important so that the plant can gather energy for the following year. It will store starches in the tuber which will fuel initial sprouting in summer. The best time is a couple weeks after the first frost when they’re well into dormancy yet haven’t been harmed by the dropping temperatures. How are your dahlias?
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
