A very important question comes under the care of dahlias that is ‘Is it necessary to support dahlias? If yes, then How and Why?’ Many questions also come under this question. like;
- Which varieties of dahlias need support?
- When should the peg be inserted?
- What can the peg be used for? And so on.
If you love your dahlias and want to see them bloom until the beginning of winter, you’ll want to know the answers to all these questions. Let us understand them well. Image Source: denisbin
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Is It Necessary To Support Dahlias? If Yes, Then How And Why?
Basically, any type of plant other than bedding and container varieties of dahlias needs strong support if you don’t want to see lots of brittle stems broken off.
When you provide support to dahlias, there are many benefits to be seen. When the growing season begins, these supports encourage the plant to grow straight up rather than down or diagonally. In bad weather, the support is useful in protecting from stormy strong winds and rainstorms. Finally, when the plant matures, the weight of its large flowers and leaves poses a danger of breaking the stem, and here also the stack supports it.
When Should The Peg Be Inserted?
Experienced gardeners often prefer to place the stake before planting the tubers. There are many reasons behind this. As such, they know very well how much space the plant will take up to spread, which variety they are planting, and their temperament, plus they don’t want to risk damaging the tubers when placing stakes.
Apart from this, stakes can also be made immediately after planting the tubers. Just make sure not to damage the tubers in any way. But even if you missed this opportunity due to any reason, it is not too late. Because until the dahlia plant has grown to a few feet high, the support can be planted.
Support Each Dahlia Plant Separately
If you’ve only planted a few dozen large dahlias, it’s best to support each plant individually. Although this will be a time-consuming process, it will greatly benefit your dahlias. They will continue to grow without affecting each other and you will be able to take care of each one according to their needs. Among other advantages, these will remain fairly clean and tidy. You will see very few (or no) broken stems. Many dahlia experts consider this process to give excellent results.
What And How To Use To Support Each Plant Individually
Anything you use to support the big dahlias should be sturdy. Often sold at garden centers and other stores, “bamboo” stakes are not a good choice for dahlia plant support and are prone to breakage.
Half inch garden stake which is heavy-duty would be good. 1.25 inch PVC pipe and fiberglass stakes can also be tried. Apart from this, you can also use colored or normal rebar. Its thickness should be half an inch or more. Usually, after some time rebar gets rusted which gives the appearance of a natural look and not artificial. All of these options provide long-term protection for dahlias, and many of them can be used for years.
When you have selected the stake you like, place it carefully near the dahlia, so as not to damage the tubers (as mentioned earlier). Dip the stake into the ground up to 1 foot. If the soil is sandy, then dip a little more than 1 foot, so that it does not come out easily.
As the plants start growing, keep tying the plant with jute twine or similar things at 8-10 inches with the help of these stacks. If the binding is not done properly, then either the plant will have trouble growing or the bond will break in the strong wind.
Take a piece of twine. First, wrap the plant around the center of the twine and keep it loose. Then criss-cross and tie the knot twice around the stake. Since the stalk thickens later, be careful that the binding does not strangle the plant.
Group Support Of Dahlias Plants
Giving individual support to each dahlia becomes very difficult when you have more than a few dozen dahlias. Perhaps you have planted too many dahlias in rows of fields or in a cutting garden. In such a situation, it is easier and less expensive to give support to a group.
What And How To Use To Group Support Of Dahlias Plants
For this, you can choose 2 square inches of strong wood or heavy-duty steel T-post. Or one can choose from the given options for individual plant support. As mentioned earlier, dip the stake into the ground up to 1 foot, and if the soil is sandy, a little more than 1 foot.
Place stakes in your dahlia bed at 3-4 foot intervals and slightly stronger than others at the corners of the bed. Using poly twine or any other good twine, make a border/netting that surrounds the dahlia plants from the outside. Also, wrap the twine in a diagonal pattern from the inside of the stake, so that there is extra tightness and the plants grow in a straight line.
First, apply layers of twine about 12-18″ above the ground and then another 24-36″ above it. In the same proportion, keep making the circle as high as needed.
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