Perennial dahlias are undoubtedly a spectacular decoration for any garden. But their cultivation is not convenient for everyone, since the tubers must be properly preserved in winter. There are annual varieties these flowers, called - dahlias "Funny guys". They are less solemn than perennial plants, but they can easily decorate any flower bed.

Variety "Funny guys" refers to the dwarf form of a dahlia. Their height ranges from 25 to 70 cm. The name "Merry Guys" comes from the bright and varied color of flowers. Such dahlias are perennial, root-club, herbaceous plants... But the climatic conditions of the middle latitudes do not allow them to endure the cold season. Therefore, "Merry Boys" and other varieties of dahlias are grown as annual crops. The stems of the plant are quite strong, the leaves are bright green in color. In some cases, they can be brown-burgundy, which is typical for dahlias with dark red flowers. There are plants with simple, double or semi-double petals. They are white, pink, yellow, red, lilac, burgundy. The inflorescence of annual dahlias "Merry Guys" is a basket, inside of which are placed yellow tubular flowers, framed by reed petals. The plant reaches 8-10 cm in diameter. This variety of dahlia has one feature: the lower the bush, there it blooms earlier. The use of dahlia "Funny guys" in landscape design Unpretentious, fast-growing "Merry Boys" dahlias can be grown even by inexperienced gardeners. They make beautiful borders, flower beds, rabatki. It is good to sow plants on any slopes in a solid mass. This is a great way to decorate your home garden. In addition to individual plantings, combinations of dahlias with other crops are often used. For example, petunias, marigolds, variegated asters. Plants look great against the background of less vibrant crops. Dahlia "Funny guys" on a flower bed can be the most noticeable decoration. A successful neighborhood of annuals with sage, delphinium and other blue-blue flowers. Photo of the dahlia "Funny guys" in different options design. Features of growing a dwarf culture "Merry Guys" grow rapidly and bloom actively for a long time. They are unpretentious to care for, but have their own planting characteristics. Growing dahlias "Funny guys" always begins with the choice of planting material and sowing method. Let's dwell on the technology in more detail. Multicolor in one package Dahlia seeds "Funny guys" are very different. Usually there are packages with a ready-made mixture of them. This seed mix assumes the presence of plant varieties that differ in color. It is important to pay attention to the information on the label. Indeed, the beginning of flowering will depend on the height of the dahlia. Grow up to 30-40 cm simple plants... Terry dahlias are usually slightly taller, but they have fewer flowers. Soil requirements For successful cultivation"Merry guys" should take care of the quality of the soil. It should be fertile, neutral and not oversaturated with moisture. Stores offer ready-made formulations under this variety of dahlia. But you can also make the mixture yourself. For this, in the fall, they prepare fertile soil, heated sand, peat or humus in equal amounts. Before sowing seeds, the soil mixture must be calcined and treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. This will disinfect it and protect the plant from various diseases. Choosing a good place to place plants A spacious area is selected for dahlias, since their bushes grow quickly and rather densely. It is important to provide the plants with sufficient space. A distance of 1 m should be maintained between individual bushes. Variety "Funny guys" loves warmth and sun, can even withstand prolonged drought. Plants are suitable for a place buried from drafts, which is well lit in the morning. Do not plant these dahlias under trees, fences, or other structures that cast a shadow. Lack of lighting will certainly affect the abundance of flowering plants. Also, their stems will stretch towards the light, become thin and fragile. "Merry Fellows" grow well on gentle south-facing slopes. Planting seeds in open ground Planting dahlia "Funny guys" can be done by sowing seeds in open ground... It is important to remember that such plants, like other varieties, do not tolerate temperature changes and are very afraid of frost. They need to be planted in late May - early June. It is during this period that the threat of frost usually goes away. To prevent various diseases of dahlia, the seeds should be dipped in an aqueous solution of formalin 10% concentration for a few minutes. Dry thoroughly after etching. This planting of dahlias is very simple, does not require efforts to grow seedlings, but flowering occurs only at the end of August. Growing seedlings and planting them In order for the flowering of "Merry Boys" to begin earlier, it is better to grow them through seedlings. The technology is quite simple, but you need to follow some rules: The best time to plant seeds is late March or early April. As a container you can use plastic containers equipped with a transparent lid, wooden seedling boxes. For covering, a simple film is sometimes used. The container is filled with prepared potting soil... It is important that it is loose, heated indoors and slightly compacted on top. The seeds of dwarf dahlias are large enough in size, so there should be no problems with planting. They are placed to a depth of about 2 cm, keeping a distance of 3 cm. From above, the seeds are sprinkled with a layer of clean sand or its mixture with peat and are slightly compacted. Next, they need to be gently watered a little warm water(18-24 ° C). If the room temperature is kept at 25-27 ° C, the first shoots appear after 7-10 days. When the plants reach 10 cm in height and a pair of leaves are formed on them, there will be a need for a pick. You can seat the "Merry Fellows" in a spacious box at a distance of 10 to 15 cm or in a separate container for each flower. You can use special peat pots, plastic glasses, paper bags, ordinary small pots. After picking, the seedlings need to be watered only moderately. Annual dahlias are better at tolerating drought than over-watering. Already in May, ready-made seedlings should be gradually hardened before transplanting into open ground, accustoming them to stay in the air. To do this, the pots are taken out in a greenhouse or outside in sunny warm weather. "Funny guys" perfectly tolerate planting in open ground. If there is a danger of frost, in the first week it is better to cover them with geotextiles at night. Planting seedlings can begin at the end of May for the southern regions and at the beginning of June for the northern ones. The distance between plants is usually 20 cm, as the bushes grow rapidly. It is recommended to add 1 teaspoon of nitrophosphate, a handful of humus and a little ash to each hole. Root system seedlings are quite fragile, so they are easily damaged during transplantation. Plants must be placed very carefully. To protect the root system from drying out, it is advisable to mulch the surface of the earth under the bush with sawdust. It is important to remember that seedlings grown in a separate container grow stronger faster and turn out to be more hardy. At the first stage, the differences are difficult to notice: plants planted in a large box develop in the same way. But towards the end of April - beginning of May, dahlias in separate pots begin to grow actively and acquire buds in the first weeks of June. The lag for plants planted in a spacious container is about 3 weeks. Flowering and feeding of annual dahlias For the whole life cycle the plant is usually fed 3 times. 2 weeks after planting in open ground, dahlias should be fertilized with ammonium nitrate or mullein. Further feeding is needed already during the period of the appearance of the first buds. Better to opt for potassium salt and superphosphate. The last time the plants are brought in organic fertilizers during their abundant flowering. It is important to remember that overfed with nitrogen "Funny guys" will not be able to bloom in full force. The first buds of this variety begin to bloom in July, about three months after sowing. Dahlias "Merry Guys" bloom almost continuously until the onset of autumn frosts, their buds open one after another. The abundance of flowering depends on how well the bush itself is formed. The higher the plant, the later the buds will begin to bloom. If the dahlia is still low, then during the period of its growth, you need to pinch the main (over 4 pair of leaves) and lateral shoots. Stepchildren will appear in the leaf axils, and the bush will grow in width. In annuals, fading inflorescences are also necessarily removed. To prolong the life of dahlias, when temperatures drop, it is recommended to cover them overnight with non-woven material or film. Features of watering plants Care dahlias "Funny guys" are very simple and unpretentious. They require a lot of sun, regular weeding, and periodic feeding. But these plants can get wet, so it is important to pay attention to the abundance of watering in different periods their life cycle. For the root system, waterlogging can be fatal. It copes significantly better with prolonged droughts. Young seedlings are watered no more than once every 7 days. It is possible to increase the abundance of soil moisture in the first weeks after planting in open ground. It is advisable to control the drying out of the soil on very hot days. Additionally, the plants are sprayed with a pulverizer. Once multiple buds begin to appear on dahlias, watering should be reduced to moderate. Starting in August, soil moistening is completely stopped or reduced to a minimum. During this period, plants need water least of all. Reproduction of dwarf dahlias "Funny guys" You can propagate "Funny guys" by seeds or tubers. The first option has one significant drawback: the generation of plants in the next season usually does not give an exact repetition of the variety you like. Dahlias of different height and color can grow from seeds. Root tubers make it possible to fully convey the characteristics of the variety, but they are not always well preserved. Collection and storage of seeds When the period of dahlia flowering is complete, the strongest bushes are left to collect seeds. After the inflorescences have completely dried, they are carefully separated from the petals and additionally dried naturally. The collected seeds are placed in paper bags. If the planting material contains room temperature, it can be stored for several years. From one bag of purchased seeds at the end of the season, you can get a large amount of planting material for further breeding. But plants from it will not always have the exact signs of the bushes they like. Features of wintering tubers For reproduction of "Merry guys" tubers, it is important to preserve them correctly. After the onset of the first frost, the dahlias you like are dug up along with a lump of earth. Withered stems and small roots are cut off, and the tubers themselves are disinfected with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. The remaining stumps can be tagged with the color of the plant. For several days, the tubers are left to dry with the ground. It is not recommended to remove it, as the soil forms a crust and will not let the roots dry out. Next, the tubers are collected in wooden boxes, pre-lined with thick paper, or carton boxes... You can completely cover them with sand or peat. They keep the tubers at a temperature of about 8 ° C, the basement or fruit compartment of the refrigerator is well suited. The planting material is periodically checked for rot and mold. Usually fully ripe tubers keep well when kept well. temperature regime... You also need to ensure that they do not dry out. Moisten the tubers, preferably monthly with a pulverizer. Growing a crop from root tubers In the spring, the tubers are taken out of the storage area, inspected, the damaged areas are removed with a knife, treated with phytosporin or sprinkled with coal powder. If the planting bush is too large, it is divided into several shares. It is important to take into account that on each part there are 1-2 root tubers and the same number of live buds. The material is planted directly into the ground in May, focusing on the flower tags. Purchased seed mixtures do not make it possible to guess with the color of the plants. And the division of tubers by color allows you to form the desired patterns. In addition, bud opening in this case is observed 2-3 weeks earlier. The planting bushes are covered with earth to the level of the sprouts. This will stimulate the formation of new roots, on which new root tubers will appear during the development of the dahlia. This method of reproduction of "Merry Boys" confirms their long-term nature, precisely preserves the colors of the original plants. But with repeated repetition of such a cycle, the tubers will begin to degenerate. In the future, it will again be necessary to use seed reproduction. More about growing annual dahlias in this video. There is no need to grow perennials to make your garden vibrant. Unpretentious "Funny guys" - the best way for those who want to make their flower beds beautiful and elegant, but do not want to waste extra energy and time.

Annual dahlias, varieties for planting in open ground

All dahlias are perennials, so the concept of "annual dahlia" is very controversial. Why, then, are they considered annuals?

A distinctive feature of this group of flowers is the ease of growing by seedlings, which completely eliminates the need for painstaking care after flowering. In addition, annual dahlias form small, but profusely flowering bushes with simple, double, collared inflorescences of different colors.

Until recently, only one variety of annual dahlias was known - "funny guys". Without frequent fertilization, it quickly grows up to 70 cm, forming a strong trunk with large green leaves. The color of the inflorescences can be different - white, raspberry, purple, crimson. The diameter of the flowers is about 9-10 cm.

Other varieties of annual dahlias are also popular among gardeners:

• "Bambino" is a dwarf annual up to 25 cm high. The inflorescences are terry, with an average diameter of up to 8 cm. It blooms profusely from July to the end of October. The variety is suitable for pot cultivation, border planting, group planting.

• "Dandy" is a terry border dahlia. A variety of colors of inflorescences with a delicate "collar" around the middle. The variety is undersized, therefore it is often found in flower beds, is used to frame small flower beds, and can be grown in pots.

• "Pompom" dahlia - bushes reach up to 90 cm in height. The flowers of the annual are lush, with petals tightly pressed to each other in the form of a tube of different colors. Blooms before frost. The variety looks great in group plantings.

• "Cactus" dahlia - tall dahlias (up to 1 m in height) with interesting inflorescences, which consist of bright petals, needles. The variety looks beautiful in cut and is often used to create flower arrangements.

Annual dahlias, growing and caring for seedlings

Probably only very much knows about the unique feature of annual dahlias. experienced gardener... It turns out that annuals grown from seeds form tubers that can be stored until next season. But this is not so easy to do, because during the "wintering" pests can start in them or a disease can develop.

If you don't want to spend time digging up and then caring for dahlia tubers, you can update your flower beds with new seedlings every year, which you can buy or grow yourself from seeds.

Annual dahlias, growing seedlings from seeds

Seedling cultivation must be carried out in advance. Optimal temperature conditions for this are created at the end of March and the first days of April. The process starts with sowing seeds and goes like this:

• Seedling containers are put in proper shape: dust residues are removed, the entire inner surface is washed hot water, drainage holes are made if they are not.
• For seedlings to appear sooner, the seeds of annual dahlias are dipped in a warm solution of a root growth stimulator for 12 hours.
• The seed substrate is taken loose, with a neutral pH, before use, disinfection is carried out (evaporation in the oven or impregnation with a solution of potassium permanganate).
• The prepared soil is poured into a container, slightly moistened and then the seed is poured evenly over the ground. The seeds are large, so this process is very easy, you need to sprinkle them a little with earth on top.
• The container with the sown seeds is covered with a film and removed in a bright place. Seedlings appear on the fifth day. The germination temperature should be around 27 ° C.
• When most of the seeds have sprouted, the film cover is dismantled.

After the appearance of two strong leaves, the seedlings dive into spacious individual containers. If this is not done, the plants will start up instead of forming a bush.

For a dive, you need a versatile soil with a loose structure. The seedlings are immersed in the ground up to the border of the cotyledon leaves. After 14 days, the time comes for the first feeding. Any mineral remedy for flowering plants will do. After feeding, the seedlings are actively growing, so a pinch is needed to form a strong bush.

Annual dahlias, creating conditions for planting in the ground

Before planting flower seedlings in open ground, you need to choose and prepare for it appropriate place... All dahlias, including annuals, need sufficient light to bloom profusely. Therefore, choose spacious and sunny destinations.

Dahlias are not very demanding on soil fertility, the main thing is that it is neutral, light and with good aeration. Before planting, the bed is prepared in advance. In the fall, it is carefully dug up with the addition of sand and humus.

You also need to acclimatize the seedlings before transplanting. To do this, pots with seedlings are briefly exposed to the street, each time increasing their residence time.

One-year-old dahlias are planted in the ground after the threat of frost has passed. If, after planting, the risk of freezing the seedlings remains, it is better to cover them with geotextiles.

Annual dahlias, planting seedlings in a flower bed

In late spring, when the temperature outside stabilizes, the seedlings are planted in holes. First, the dug-up bed is leveled, then grooves are made. The distance between seedlings will depend on varietal characteristics - from 40 to 60 cm.

Transplanting annuals to a flower bed is carried out by the transshipment method. A few hours before planting, all seedlings are watered so that they can more easily transfer the transplant.

If the flowers are planted in peat pots, you can drop them in with the dahlias. If the seedlings need to be removed from plastic containers, you need to be very careful not to injure the thin roots of the dahlia.

At the bottom of the prepared holes, you can add 1 tsp. nitrophosphate and ash. The planting depth of the plant should be along the root collar, but deeper immersion is also permissible if the soil is loose enough.

At the end, the plants are heavily watered and mulched with sawdust. The first few days, the planted dahlias are shaded so that the sun does not interfere with their rooting. Then they take the shelter.

Sowing seeds of annual dahlias in open ground

Growing dahlias by seedling method is used to obtain earlier flowering. If you can postpone the flowering, the seeds of annuals are sown directly into the open ground.

The right time for sowing seeds is the end of May, when the weather is warm and there is no longer any threat of frost. You can sow seeds directly to a permanent place. If seedlings will sprout too thick, it can be easily seated.

Annual dahlias, planting and care in the garden

The correct development of annual dahlias and the duration of their flowering depends not only on varietal characteristics, but also on the quality of care. Dahlias do not set any special requirements, and only need systematic watering and fertilization.

Organization of watering and subcrusting of annual dahlias

Dahlias have to be watered often, but in small quantities. The basic rule of watering is to moisten the soil 24-28 cm deep. Excess water can cause root rot to develop and dahlias will die. It is important to consider this point if groundwater flows high on the site. In this case, you have to either make a bend, or lay sufficient drainage before planting in the hole.

Dahlias can grow without additional fertilization, but their flowering will be shallow and dim. To achieve lush flowering, you need a little complex fertilizers. How to feed annual dahlias? The choice depends on the phase of plant development:

• The first feeding is done 14 days after planting. A weak infusion of mullein is used: 1 bucket of manure for 3.5 buckets of water. Then a solution of mullein is prepared with water (3: 7) and in the amount of two liters is poured under each bush. It is impossible to bring in an undiluted mullein - this will burn the young roots of the seedlings.
• The second feeding is done during the bud formation period. At this stage, the plant is watered mineral fertilizer for flowering crops with a high content of potassium and phosphorus.
• The third feeding is carried out if the tubers are planned to be dug up for the winter. For the ripening of the roots, diluted potassium sulfate is introduced.

Dahlia pests and diseases

Annual dahlia flowers rarely get sick, and they are also reluctant to defeat pests. Nevertheless, you need to often inspect the bushes in order to notice the presence of diseases or insects in time.

Practice shows that these annuals can have the following diseases:

• Fusarium is a fungal disease that causes the rapid multiplication of conidia fungi. They infect dahlia tubers with the subsequent death of the aerial part. The first signs of the disease are drooping tops and brown color of the lower leaves. On initial stage disease the bush is treated with "Benthal", "Fundazol" or "Previkur". The solution is diluted at the rate of 2 g of the drug per 1 liter of water.
• Gray rot - manifested by brown spots with gray bloom on foliage and buds. The affected areas grow rapidly and the leaves begin to die off. Without treatment, the entire aerial part gradually becomes ill. The main cause of gray rot is excessive soil moisture. Treatment involves treating dahlias with a fungicide ( copper sulfate, "Fundazol", "Topsin-M").
• White rot - caused by the fungus Botrytis and appears as brown spots that are wet to the touch. The plant withers quickly and throws off the inflorescences. The source of the causative agent of the disease can be soil or the remains of other plants. Treatment is carried out with a fungicide.
• Viral mosaic is difficult to treat, so it is better to destroy the affected bush immediately. The disease can be recognized by yellow streaks along the veins on the leaves, a slowdown in shoot growth and a general deformation of the bush.

Slugs can damage their pests. A decoction will help ward off insects. medicinal herbs... It is necessary to make a strong decoction of wormwood and celandine and irrigate dahlias with it every 7-10 days. If the invasion of slugs has not stopped, "Thunderstorm" will help, which needs to be scattered around the bush.

If you notice a rapid yellowing of the leaves and the appearance of a sticky coating on them, this is aphid. For destruction, you can use the insecticide "Confidor". With the same tool, you can remove caterpillars, which are capable of completely destroying all the greens.

Pinching annual dahlias, harvesting seeds and other tricks

If you really like the planted annual, save its tuber and plant it next season. In fact, there is nothing difficult here:

• With the arrival of frost, you need to dig up the tubers, carefully remove the dried stems and leave the dahlias in a cool place for a couple of days to dry out. There is no need to shake off the ground: as it dries, it will create a hard shell that will protect the tuber from drying out.
• Dried dahlias should be placed in a wooden box lined with paper.
• In the spring, the tubers are examined, if there are rotten areas, they are cut off and treated with coal. Planting is carried out in May.

Another way to preserve your favorite plants is to collect ripe seeds. Pick a large, healthy flower, let it bloom completely, wait for the pod to ripen and harvest the seeds. This should only be done in dry weather. Then dry the seeds a little and put them in a paper bag.

Sometimes gardeners with annoyance observe the meager flowering of annual dahlias, despite the care of them. What could be the reason for such a problem?

The fact is that annuals spend a lot of energy on building up shoots and leaves. This is not very good for budding. With perennials, this problem is often solved by pinching, but do annual dahlias pinch?

If the bush is approaching the budding phase, but you do not observe their formation, pinching should be carried out. Therefore, as soon as the first full-fledged bud appears at the top, you need to tear it off. This will stimulate multiple buds on the lateral shoots.

Adhering to such elementary agricultural techniques, you can fully enjoy the flowering of annual dahlias all season.

Varietal variety of annual dahlias in the photo

Video "How to plant annual dahlias"

In general, annual dahlias do not exist, just perennials are grown as an annual crop. The dahlia bush, which grows to a height of 80 cm, looks magnificent and stately. Its inflorescences reach 11 - 12 cm in diameter, and their total number per plant is 13 - 15 flowers. To grow beautiful bushes of annual dahlias, seeds of several hybrid plants are planted.

Planting annual dahlia seedlings in the garden

Annual dahlias bloom much longer than perennial dahlias. A riot of colors begins with the arrival of the first summer month and fades away only on the eve of the first frost. Unpretentious and completely undemanding to the composition of the soil and the frequency of watering, flowers will begin to grow rapidly in any part of the garden. However, there are some features that when planting annual dahlias on personal plot must be taken into account.

The cultivation of annual dahlias begins with the fact that in the fall they prepare the fertile land, and in the spring, at the end of April, they sow seeds for seedlings. Immediately before lowering the seeds into the ground, the soil is calcined and treated with a solution of potassium permanganate of low concentration for disinfection. At the bottom of the landing box, first a layer of calcined sand is poured and only then earth.

Dahlia seeds are laid out on the surface of the earth in a planting box, sprinkled with a layer of sand and lightly tamped, and then watered. Containers with seeds should be in a warm place free of drafts. The optimum temperature for germination is 27 0 C. The first shoots will appear after 6 - 7 days. When a couple of the first true leaves grow on them, the seedlings are planted in separate pots. In the last days of spring, when the weather is already steadily warm, the seedlings of young dahlias are transferred to a permanent place in the open ground, observing a distance of 40 cm between individual specimens.

Seedlings are difficult to adapt after transplanting, therefore, in order to minimize stress in new plants, young annual dahlias are carefully transferred from the planting container into a pre-dug hole, and then spilled with a weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate. If there is still the possibility of night frosts, the planting will certainly be protected using geotextiles. The location of the site also affects the planting time: in the northern regions, the seedlings are transferred to open ground in early June, and in the southern regions, dahlias are ready to "move" to a permanent place from mid-May. In early June, seedlings grown in greenhouse conditions should bloom. Young dahlias are watered very sparingly, since excessive moisture can ruin the not yet strong root system.

Sowing seeds of annual dahlias in open ground

There is another option for transforming your site with annual dahlias. In May, immediately after the frost leaves, flower seeds are planted in open ground. In August, abundant flowering begins when the summer plants have already faded. Annual dahlias prefer slightly acidic or neutral soil. In order for the flowers to grow quickly, in the fall, the earth is fertilized with an organic composition or fed with a complex fertilizer. In the spring, it is impossible to fertilize plantings with manure, since the roots of young plants will simply burn out. The plant will feel best in a well-lit area. In the shade, the dahlia inflorescences immediately shrink, and the bushes themselves bloom very reluctantly.

As young dahlias grow up, they need to be thinned out, eradicating weak slowly growing seedlings. Keep in mind one interesting feature: the taller the annual dahlia grows, the later it will bloom.

How a flower bed will look like depends solely on you, or rather on what varieties of flowers your choice will fall on. Dahlias are short and tall, of various shapes and colors, with different flowering periods. In addition, dahlias can be combined with others beautifully. flowering plants... So, pink and burgundy Turkish carnations, tricolor violets and phloxes can be excellent companions for a bright annual.

Annual varieties of dahlia

The assortment of one-year-old dahlias is so great that you can get confused. The easiest way is to ask the seller for a mixture of several varieties in one bag, which is usually labeled with the word "mix". Dahlias of different heights are suitable for decorating the garden: tall varieties for decorating flower beds, undersized varieties for creating borders. Combined plantings look very beautiful, which include pompom, needle and star dahlias.

If you just got acquainted with these extraordinary flowers, ask the seller to show you the most popular varieties in the catalog. You will most likely be shown the following varieties of annual dahlias:

Funny boys

For its lush flowering, the variety is loved by all gardeners, with pleasure decorating flower beds with these flowers on their site. The inflorescences are represented by single-row tubular baskets and grow up to 10 cm in diameter. Cheerful guys bloom briskly, delighting the owner with bright and juicy colors throughout the summer. Annual dahlias Funny guys are divided into simple and terry, undersized (up to 20 - 25 cm) and tall (up to 70 cm). The plant does not form tubers.

Dandy

You can fall in love with the bushes decorated with semi-double flowers at first sight. Inflorescences of various shades are framed by peculiar collars. This undersized variety is usually decorated with ridges, mixborders or planted along curbs.

Piccolo

These are annual low-growing dahlias up to 40 - 45 cm high, which easily become the star of the foreground within the flower bed. They can also be grown in a pot: beautiful "pompoms" in graceful flowerpots become a worthy decoration of terraces, verandas and balconies.

Unwins Dwarf

The plant has well-developed branchy stems that grow up to 60 cm in height. At the same time, the dahlia is completely covered with semi-double flowers from 6 to 9 cm in diameter - an impressive picture! The varied colors of the petals of the plant will also not leave anyone indifferent: the inflorescences can be red, pink, snow-white, yellow, purple. In a flower garden or rabatka, flowers of an annual dahlia of this variety will perfectly complement the lavater, cosmeya, aster or sunflower.

Lark and Mary

These varieties of annual dahlias boast a long flowering period and compactness. Bushes with double, cactus, pompom, semi-double and spherical inflorescences grow up to 60 cm in height and stand out favorably against the background of the rest of the garden vegetation from the beginning of June until the first frost. Another one distinctive feature of these varieties - a delicate pleasant aroma, which flock to bees and bumblebees. You can specially plant these annual dahlias next to vegetables. Insects swarming around plant inflorescences pollinate vegetables, therefore good harvest guaranteed to you.

Dahlias Funny guys

Caring for annual dahlias

If it were not for the catchy beauty of annual dahlias, one could forget that there is such a flower in the garden at all - the plant is so undemanding to regular care... Annuals need moderate watering only after the earthen coma has completely dried out, and in August, you can forget about watering altogether.

From time to time, the tops of the bushes need to be pinched - then they will not stretch up and grow magnificently to the sides. Along with this, flowering will also increase - each lateral process will be covered with beautiful inflorescences. Watch out for the free space around the bushes: if necessary, do not be too lazy to arrange weeding to rid the plant of weeds. Remember to loosen and mulch the soil.

There is one more important question: how to feed annual dahlias? For the first time, a plant is fertilized when flower stalks appear on it. Dahlia leaves need to be sprayed with liquid green fertilizer. When the bushes begin to bloom actively, they are necessarily fed with an extract obtained from wood ash, and after 12 - 14 days, top dressing is completed by introducing comfrey infusion into the soil. In order for the dahlia inflorescences to remain large throughout the flowering period, there should be no more than 3 stems in the bush. This means that from the second decade of July it is necessary to pluck out all the "children".

Should you dig up and store the tubers of annual dahlias in winter? The video will answer this question:

How to deal with plant diseases and pests

Practice shows that dahlias practically do not get sick, and pest infestations are rare. Nevertheless, always carefully inspect the bushes of your pets - this will help to detect insect pests in time or notice the first symptoms of a disease and take action in time.

Here are some diseases that sometimes occur in annual dahlias:

1. Gray rot. The disease is easily identified by the brown spots covering the leaves. After some time, dead areas grow and the leaf dies, and rot continues to spread throughout the aerial part of the plant. If the microorganism enters the buds, they will die as well. Most often, the appearance of gray rot is provoked by excessively moist soil and too dense planting of bushes.
2. Fusarium. The disease attacks the roots of the plant and "bites" the dahlia at the base.
3. White rot. Putrefactive processes affect individual shoots, painting the surface of their leaves and stems with brownish spots. In this case, the inflorescences die.

There are no radical methods of treating these diseases, so it is best to take preventive measures in advance: choose places for planting a dahlia, taking into account all its features, make sure that the soil where the flowers grow is moderately moist. If the disease still could not be avoided, you must immediately get rid of the affected specimen in order to protect the neighboring bushes.

Of insects, the most troublesome dahlia can bring:

1. Aphid. The vital activity of the colonies of these whitish pests twists the leaves of the plant and paints them yellow. Aphids can be easily seen with the naked eye, for this it is enough to inspect the inside of the dahlia leaf plates: there will be a sticky liquid or the so-called honeydew. What to do in such a situation? If you are sure that the insects appeared quite recently and the infection did not have time to become widespread, cut off the diseased bush and burn it. If the aphid has managed to attack several bushes, carry out a chemical treatment of the plants. "Aktellik" and "Fitoverm" will do.
2. Slugs. In dahlias, these molluscs are attracted by the succulent leaves. Pests disfigure leaf blades plants with longitudinal stripes and holes. To save the bush, slugs are harvested by hand. You can also sprinkle a layer of superphosphate, sawdust or red pepper on the soil where the dahlia grows. These substances irritate the delicate tentacles of molluscs and thus protect flower bushes from gluttonous pests.
3. Bedbugs. Insects cause irreparable harm to the plants they inhabit. They drink the juice and eat the juicy dahlia leaves. Damaged tissues stop receiving nutrients and in short term leaves die - turn yellow and curl up. Most effective means in the fight against garden bugs, the chemicals "Karbofos", "Decis" and "Fosfomid" are recognized.

Growing dahlias on your site is a pleasure. You need to spend quite a bit of time and effort so that the flower will thank the owner with lush and bright flowering. We invite you to admire the photos of annual dahlias.

Annual dahlias bring bright colors to autumn days. And caring for them is so simple that only a lazy gardener does not grow dahlias on the site.

In addition, once the annual dahlias are planted, their tubers can be saved for annual planting. How to do it?

Secrets of planting annual dahlias

Not every gardener knows that flowers grown from seeds form tubers that can be stored until spring. But this must be done correctly, since during storage the tubers can dry out or get sick. You can save the tubers before planting in wet sawdust or sand. Plant boxes are installed in a basement or other cold place before the onset of heat.

But what if you don't want to store tubers or there are no suitable conditions for this? Dahlias can be cultivated as annual plant... In a harsh climate, when cold weather comes unexpectedly, and there is no time to dig up tubers, they do just that.

Planting of annual dahlias is carried out with seedlings, which are grown in advance. It is better to start sowing seeds in March or early April.

1. Preparing seedling containers. The containers are cleaned of dust and washed in hot water... So that delicate seedlings do not suffer from excess moisture, drainage holes are necessarily made at the bottom of the container.

2. Seed preparation. Dahlia seeds are soaked in warm growth stimulant solution for 12 hours. This helps speed up the germination process.

3. Disinfection of soil. For growing seedlings, choose a neutral loose substrate. If garden soil is used, then before planting it must be disinfected in the oven and poured with a solution of potassium permanganate.

4. Sowing seeds. Fill the seedling containers with the prepared substrate, slightly moisten the soil and evenly distribute the seeds over it. They are quite large, which will make the process easier. Sprinkle the seeds with soil.

5. Germination. The container with seeds is covered with glass and removed to the light. Seeds sprout pretty quickly, and on the third day you can see the first shoots.

As soon as a lot of sprouts have appeared, the glass is carefully removed. Further, caring for the seedlings of annual dahlias is simple. Young shoots need regular watering. When the senses release a pair of true leaves, they dive into separate containers. If this is not done, then the bush will only grow up.

The picking of seedlings is carried out in separate spacious containers. Loose nutrient soil is used for transplantation. Dahlia seedlings are buried to the cotyledon leaves.

After two weeks, you can carry out the first feeding of the seedlings. It is better to choose a complex mineral fertilizer for flower seedlings. After feeding, the sprouts develop quite quickly and need to be pinched. If everything is done correctly, the seedlings will turn out to be strong and easily transfer the transplant to a permanent place.

How to care for annual dahlias outdoors

Before planting seedlings in a flower bed, it is important to decide on a growing location. Dahlias prefer open, sunny areas, which allows them to bloom fully. The soil on the site should be neutral and fairly loose. The garden bed must be dug up with the addition of mature humus and sand.

Landing dates

Dahlias are very fond of warmth. They are planted in open ground at the end of May, when the last wave of frost has left. The area for dahlias is leveled and holes are made. The distance between the holes depends on the type of dahlia, as some bushes grow quite tall and lush. The optimal distance is considered to be from 30 to 60 cm between the bushes.

After planting, the seedlings are slightly shaded so that it quickly adapts to a new place, and the scorching sun does not injure the delicate petals. After a few days, the shelter is removed.

Watering and feeding

Annual dahlias are unpretentious flowers that can do without additional feeding, but their flowering will not be so bright. In order for flowering to be plentiful, dahlias are grown on fertile soil using complex dressings.

1. The first time the plant is fed two weeks after transplanting. An infusion of mullein is used, which is prepared at the rate of 2 buckets of manure for 7 buckets of water. Infuse the mixture for one week. Before watering, the solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 3: 7. Up to 2 liters of infusion are consumed for each bush.

2. The second time dahlias are fed during the budding period. At this moment, phosphorus and potassium are most important for the plant. Top dressing is done with a complex mineral fertilizer for flowers.

3. The third time the flowers are fed at the end of August to ripen the tubers. To do this, they are watered with a solution of potassium sulfate. But if there is no need to store the tuber, then the third top dressing can be omitted.

Dahlias are often watered, but very little. The main secret of successful cultivation of this flower is soil moisture 25-30 cm deep. If the groundwater is too high, then it is necessary to ensure its drainage or well drain the hole during planting.

Pest control

Dahlias can be affected by caterpillars, slugs, fungal diseases and rot.

As a preventive measure, the site for dahlias is well dug up and lime in the fall. This will help to cope not only with caterpillars, but also protect the plant from fusarium. The signs of this dangerous disease are the wilting of the apical shoots and buds, while the lower shoots become brown. As soon as the first signs of the disease appeared, the bushes are treated with complex preparations against fungal diseases.

In addition, dahlias often suffer from putrefactive diseases if the site for their cultivation is not chosen correctly. The first signs of disease are the wilting of the plant, the appearance of spots on the leaves and shoots. For such symptoms, fungicides are used.

Gardeners' mistakes when growing dahlias

Despite the fact that all growing conditions are met, many gardeners are unhappy with the flowering of dahlias. Flowers do not bloom well, some buds remain underdeveloped... What is the reason?

The thing is that annual dahlias form lush bush... New shoots develop from each axil of the leaf, which eventually bloom. This explains the long and abundant flowering of dahlias. But in the conditions of Russia, only the central shoot and the upper lateral shoots have time to fully develop. On them, the buds are formed first of all, and they have time to bloom. But their flowering is not very bright. Why it happens?

The plant spends all its energy on the formation of the lower lateral shoots, which slows down the flowering of the main ones. To prevent this from happening, at the very beginning of development, the plant is regularly pinned. Every week, the lower side shoots are broken, giving the plant the shape of such a bush shape: a central shoot and 3-4 lateral ones. If this is not done, then the bush grows disheveled, flowering is delayed, some of the buds remain underdeveloped.

The care of tall annual dahlias is somewhat different. In addition to plucking out the side shoots, all lower leaves are removed at a height of up to 45 cm.

Annual dahlias, grown according to all the rules, will surely delight you with bright and memorable flowering.

If the dahlias did not please you at the appointed time lush bloom, this is not a reason to despair. Better try to find out why this happened so as not to make mistakes in the future. It may be not only a violation of agricultural technology or a lack of light.

If dahlias have not bloomed in your garden by mid-late August, this is a reason to seriously think about it. In order for these beautiful flowers to please you with abundant flowering, you must strictly follow all agrotechnical techniques and ensure delicate plants suitable growth conditions. What mistakes should be avoided in order to enjoy the bloom of dahlias right up to the first frost?

1. Lack of light

Dahlias really need enough light (at least 8-10 hours a day). If the flower garden is in the shade, annual dahlias will most likely not bloom, grow small and pale, or, at best, one flower will bloom. An interesting feature Plants is that in the wild it grows in conditions of short daylight hours and cool nights, so its peak flowering occurs in August-September. However, this can vary depending on the variety. In any case, next season, choose a brightly lit place to organize a flower bed.

2. Lack of moisture

If you forget about watering dahlias, then be prepared for the fact that the plant will not be able to form a bud and bloom. In dry and hot weather, dahlias need to be watered daily (at least 5 liters of water), especially in the first week after planting. Sprinkle the soil near the bush with peat, humus or mulch so that the soil retains moisture and does not become crusty. The soil should be saturated with moisture at least 30-40 cm deep.

3. Dry weather

This reason is less relevant for varieties of dahlias from the tropics and from the equator, but nevertheless, in middle lane often causes dahlias to dry out prematurely. An increase in temperature to 30-35 ° C slows down the growth of dahlias, and on such days you need to water the plants either late in the evening or early in the morning when there is no sun. It is also recommended to cover the soil with a 15 cm layer of freshly cut grass to keep it from overheating. To prevent the roots from rotting in the heat, sprinkling can be carried out.

4. Excess nitrogen in the soil

The oversaturation of plants with nitrogen leads to abundant growth of leaves, but budding slows down. Even if they bloom, they do it very reluctantly, as if "doing a favor." To feed dahlias, use organic infusion: bird droppings(diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20) or cow dung (1:10). Carry out the first feeding 10-14 days after planting, and each subsequent feeding no more than once every 15-20 days. 2-3 times you can add 15 g of ammonium nitrate under each bush. All feeding follows to stop in the second half of July.

5. Dahlias were not pinched

One of the reasons for the late or weak flowering of dahlias is not pinching in time. Stop the growth of dahlias after the formation of 4-5 pairs of true leaves. Otherwise, all the remaining forces of the dahlia are directed to the formation of one bud - the strongest and often the only one. If you pinch, then the bush will give an abundance of flowers and will look lush and bright.

Only undersized and compact border dahlias do not need to be pinched.

6. Shoots are too elongated during growth

The rapid growth of shoots during germination can subsequently affect their flowering. Before germination, the delenki are usually disinfected in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate. A month before planting, they are laid out in boxes and half filled with nutrient soil. To avoid stretching, the plants are placed in a well-lit place and the temperature is maintained within 16-22 ° C. Closer to the moment of planting in the open ground, the flowers are taken out into a greenhouse or under a film and, with the help of ventilation, they are "accustomed" to fresh air, and then planted in a permanent place.

7. Incorrect division of dahlia tubers

The easiest way to reproduce and rejuvenate dahlias is by dividing the tubers. Inexperienced growers often plant the whole plant without dividing its tubers into small parts. They mistakenly believe that if the base is large, then the bush will turn out to be lush and blooming. In reality, there will indeed be a lot of leaves and branches, but very few flowers. It is advised to divide the tubers in the fall, until they become callous. Pay attention to the fact that there is a small bud above each tuber, otherwise you may not wait for the sprouts.

We have described the most common reasons why dahlias do not bloom. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to fix many of them, but you can save the plants from trouble next season.