Staking My Dahlias
Beautiful, colorful dahlias continue to bloom at my Bedford, New York farm.
Dahlias begin to bloom with great profusion just as many summer plants pass their prime, and they last right up until the first frost. My all-dahlia garden was planted in a large bed behind my vegetable greenhouse and we saw our first dahlias of the season already blooming in early June. As they grow it's important to provide tall dahlia stems with good support to help the plants weather any storms and strong winds. Yesterday, my gardener Brian O'Kelly, along with the help of Phurba Sherpa from my outdoor grounds crew, staked every plant using bamboo canes and jute twine.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- My dahlia garden is located behind my large glass vegetable greenhouse, so these plants are already somewhat protected from strong winds. These plants bloomed early this year – we saw the first flower on June 6th. Now it is time to provide the tall stems with more support, so they don’t break in the coming weeks.
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- Brian cuts the stakes, so they are all about seven feet tall. We reuse bamboo whenever we can, saving and storing the canes from year to year.
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- And then he pounds each of them down about a foot into the ground. Brian secures one stake every three plants.
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- Currently, there are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. A member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants, some of its relatives include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia.
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- The array of flower colors, sizes, and shapes is astounding. Dahlias come in white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, and various combinations of these colors – every color but true blue.
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- This dark maroon dahlia always stands out in the garden. The genus Dahlia is native to the high plains of Mexico. Some species can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador & Costa Rica as well as parts of South America where it was introduced.
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- Phurba ties one end of the twine to a bamboo stake about two feet off the ground and then stretches it to the next stake a few feet away on one side. He does the same for the other side allowing the stems to sit in between the jute ties.
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- Then he does the same about eight inches up, so the support is at different heights. This is done three times.
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- Here is a view from above. The twine opens in a “V” and goes around the plants.
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- Here, Phurba carefully lifts any listing stems and places them inside the twine loop, so they are all together standing upright.
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- This process takes some time, but it is worth doing to prevent the stems from breaking.
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- Jute twine is available in different thicknesses and its tensile strength can reach about 140-pounds, but because it is a natural material, it can degrade over time. Pulling the twine tightly will help it keep its form through the season.
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- Dahlias are classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement. Flowers come one head per stem. The blooms can be as small as two-inches in diameter or up to one foot across. They are divided into 10 groups: single, anemone, collarette, waterlily, decorative, fall, pompon, cactus, semi-cactus, and miscellaneous.
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- Dahlia plant leaves grow segments that are ovate to oblong to lanceolate in shape. The leaf margins may be lobed or dentate. Leaves may be green, reddish-purple, or purple-black depending on the variety.
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- Here is a large yellow dahlia still in the process of opening.
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- Here is one side completely supported.
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- And here is a view down one of the rows. Staking keeps the sometimes heavy and large blooms from hitting the ground and rotting.
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- From this end, one can see how clear the rows are making it easy to reach and cut the flowers for arrangements. The plants on the right are younger and still growing. We just planted them this spring.
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- Dahlias were first recorded by Westerners in 1615, and were then called by their original Mexican name, acoctli. The first garden dahlias reached the United States in the early 1830s. Today, dahlias are grown all over the world.
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- Pompon dahlias yield masses of intricate, fully double blooms measuring up to two-and-a-half inches across. This dahlia is a pretty pink to salmon color.
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- The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
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- These dahlias are also fed. Dahlias require a low-nitrogen fertilizer, usually referred to as a bloom food and is available at garden stores.
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- This area was once used for growing grapes. I had placed granite posts years ago with heavy gauge copper wire laced through them for added plant support. I designed them, so the wire can be tightened or loosened depending on the need. We are still able to use the wire to support the taller dahlia stems.
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- These plants are developing so nicely. I am looking forward to seeing more and more of the gorgeous blooms later this season.
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