Little Bit Farm wants the best for all of the dahlia tubers that go out in the world! Please see our tips and instructions to plant, maintain and harvest below!
Immediately open your box of tubers and store them until planting by leaving them in a cool, dry area of your house that will not freeze. 50-60 degrees is optimal. We store our tubers in an attached garage over the winter and bring them to the basement when we want to “wake them up.”
Upon arrival, your dahlia tubers should have a visible “eye. ” Occasionally, the eye may get damaged in transit, but we strive to send out all tubers with a visible eye, ready for planting.
Tubers should be planted after all risk of frost has passed and when the ground has a temperature of about 60 degrees or above. At our farm in Rhode Island, our planting zone is 6b/7a and we plant our dahlias out in the beginning to middle of May.
Pay close attention to the weather when planting out. Tubers rot easily and should not be planted out if a rainstorm is expected the following day.
Plant tubers on their side 4-6″ deep with the growing eye facing up and cover with soil amended with compost. Plants grow large and branch. Space plants at least 12-18″ apart.
Water your tubers only when they begin to pop out of the soil. Regular watering thereafter is essential. Watering in the morning before the heat of the day kicks in is best.
Pinching the central stem will help your dahlias branch out and increase each stem per plant.
Support your dahlias with a stake or cage, they will grow tall and fall over if they don’t have proper support.
If you plan to cut your dahlias to enjoy in your home, they will continue to replenish you with more stems. Harvest dahlias when the blossom is open. Dahlias need a lot of clean water, change your vase water daily for maximum vase life.
Enjoy your beautiful flowers in your home or share with others! Email LBF with any questions or concerns! littlebitfarmri@gmail.com