Dahlia Maintenance

Staking

Fertilizer

Fungus

Pests

Deadhead

Cut Flowers

Disbudding

Pinching

Watering
Once established, Dahlias benefit from a deep watering once or twice a week, instead
of just slight frequent watering. If they need more you’ll know when the plants
begins to look limp. Plants should be watered from the bottom. Watering the foliage
and flowers could encourage earwigs. Since I do take pictures of my Dahlia’s.
Dahlia confession time: I confess that I do sometimes water my flowers, just to get a picture. I also do
it on a sunny day because I love to see the sunlight and water on the petals.
Check out my Dewey Dahlias
For containers: Once the stalk extends above the rim of the pot, water thoroughly. NEVER LEAVE SOGGY!!!. Under normal conditions water up to three times a week. In dryer conditions, you may have to water daily.

Staking

Giant Dahlias require staking. The combination of the plant and flowers tend to make the plant top heavy. This can lead the plant to be a victim of any strong wind.
Some prefer to their Dahlias as this promotes a shorter more compact bush.
I kinda like to keep the giant in giant Dahlia, so I let them grow tall. This means they will have to be staked.
There are other options to support the beauties. Options include the upside down tomato cage or just regular stakes. These stakes can metallic, wood or bamboo.
The main rule of staking is to ensure stakes are thick enough to support the plant.
It is suggested that you stake your Dahlias at planting time. This is recommended because there is less chance of damaging the tubers. If however, you start your Dahlias indoors, space wise this may not the most favorable option.
I stake my Dahlia when I actually put them in the ground. Yes, there is a possibility of damaging the tubers but aside from their sensitivity to too much moisture; these little babies are very resilient.
When placing your stake, simply use those two God given visual aids in your head. Insert stake as close to the stalk as possible without threat of damaging the stalk. Secure the stalk to the stake, ensure the stalk is not attached to tightly. It should have a little bit of wiggle room as it will grow.
I have two words for you “pipe cleaners”, not just for cleaning pipes! This is what I like to use to secure my Dahlias to my stake. They are soft, so there is less chance of damaging the stalk and they are long enough that you can secure a branch that’s further away from the stake. My color of choice is of course green. It blends in perfectly with the foliage.

Fertilizer

A fertilizer low in Nitrogen is recommend for Dahlias. Too much Nitrogen will give you lovely foliage but not many flowers. e.g.: 5-10-10 or as close as you can find.
Apply 30 days after planting and monthly The three numbers signify the nutrients nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (N-P-K). The numbers represents the percentage of each nutrient in the fertilizer.Do not over feed.

• N – Nitrogen encourages the production of chlorophyll; each application of nitrogen
  encourages a taller, greener plant.
• P – Phosphorus aids in root development and encourages flowering and increases bloom
  size
• K – Potassium guards the plant against diseases, protects against drought and cold tolerance.

For Containers: Fertilize once every two weeks from June through September with a low nitrogen fertilizer. Avoiding over-feeding. As your plant grows.

Fungus

Excess moisture and bad air flow can cause Dahlias to develop mildew and/or other types of fungi. You can spray your dahlia with store bought fungicide or make you own. Improved air circulation will also benefit your Dahlias. Simply trimming the lower leaves on your plant will improve air flow. Better air flow, less moisture, less chance of mildew on the plant.

Pests – ohhh!!! How they bug me (get it!!!)

These beauties are not just loved by us, they are also loved by Earwigs, Cutworms, Slugs, Corn root worm to name a few. Many options are available from your gardening center for controlling these pests.
Some Options
Spray with insecticide
There are many options for slug bates out there. A cup a Joe, Miss Diva? Coffee can be used as an effective replant for slugs. Simple soak around affected area. Once the Dahlias have reached full height, this is no longer necessary

Deadhead

Deadheading, simply means removing all spent flowers. Removing the dead flowers makes your plant look healthier. The biggest benefit of deadheading, it ensures continuous flowers production until the first frost. You may just have to invest in a few extra vases to hold these beauties.
*** When deadheading, there is often some confusion between new buds and those that should be removed. Distinguishing between the two is actually quite simple.