How to feed dahlias for growth and flowering

In summer, beautiful flowers can be found near every house. Moreover, there are so many varieties and varieties of these beauties that they are rarely repeated. These flowers are called dahlias. Diverse in color, petal shape, flower size, they delight the eye from mid-summer until the first frost. They, like little suns, are an adornment of any flower bed or suburban area. For good growth and abundant flowering, it is important to properly care for them and know what to feed.

What trace elements do dahlias need?

Proper care consists in timely watering, weeding, loosening of the soil and top dressing. After all, a plant cannot take so many nutrients from ordinary garden soil to bloom for so long. Watering the plant in the absence of rain should be abundant, 2 times a week. It is necessary to ensure that there is no stagnation of water, otherwise root decay may begin, which will lead to the death of even an adult bush. In dry weather, to preserve moisture, the bush should be hilled after watering, water again and once again. To keep moisture better, the ground around the bush is covered with straw or dry grass.

Dahlias are beautiful but whimsical flowers

If there is a lack of trace elements, then the plant begins to weaken, the color of the leaves becomes faded, the peduncles are reset. To prevent this from happening, dahlias are fed in the open field by applying various types of fertilizers under them. Among them, the following microelements occupy an important place:

• nitrogen. If the plant does not have enough nitrogen, then it develops poorly, its leaves turn yellow and fall early, and flowers may not appear at all. A sufficient amount of nitrogen fertilizers helps the stem to grow green, strengthen the bark system and create the basis for future flowering;
• phosphorus. With its lack, growth stops, the leaves acquire a purple hue and fall off. Phosphorus tends to accumulate and begins to act during flowering. Due to the presence of phosphorus, dahlias bloom with bright and lush flowers, and the roots become resistant and strong;
• potassium, its deficiency is determined by a change in the color of the foliage, on which a bluish tint appears. Leaves develop poorly. A brown edging appears on them, as if after a burn. If you do not take action, the stems lose strength and stop growing vertically and begin to creep along the ground. Introduced in a sufficient amount of potassium strengthens the root system, creating the prerequisites for the development of powerful vertical stems.

Dahlia being fed

Nutrient for growth and flowering

For abundant flowering, it is important to first build up a strong green part of the plant.

For this, top dressing is used from different types of fertilizers. Root feeding is performed as follows:

• at the base of the bush, a furrow 10-15 cm deep is dug in a circle and watered abundantly with water;
• after waiting for the water to be absorbed into the soil, make a nutritious top dressing;
• only after the mixture with top dressing is absorbed into the soil, the depression is covered with earth.

Dahlias in the ground

Ready-made mineral dressings

How to fertilize dahlias is of interest to many. Today, the market for green care products is widely represented by many types of fertilizers. It is not difficult to use them. It is important to choose the right type, carefully read the instructions and properly dilute the mixture. When diluting the product, you must clearly follow the instructions of the instructions, overdoing the dosage or amount of liquid poured under one bush can cause harm in the form of burns. The introduction of such a nutrient mixture is considered more rational, since all the necessary nutrients are collected in one complex. Among them are:

• potash-phosphorus fertilizer;
• potassium nitrate;
• ammonium phosphate;
• nitrophos;
• ammonium sulfate;
• superphosphate;
• potassium chloride;
• ammonium chloride.

Dahlias during growth

The disadvantage of mineral dressings is that they have a short duration of action and require regular application.

Organic types of dressings

For the full development of seedlings, it is important to use not only mineral fertilizers, but also organic substances. Useful substances, which are the waste product of plants and animals, are classified as organic fertilizers. They are able not only to nourish the plant, giving it useful substances for growth and development, but also to improve the fertility of the soil, structuring it. This could be:

• manure;
• bird droppings;
• compost;
• peat;
• humus;
• infusions of herbs;
• ash.

They contain many minerals and trace elements and contribute to the formation of a sprawling dahlia bush, growth and abundant flowering, strengthening the root system. The advantages of introducing organic matter include a longer period of action on plants compared to mineral fertilizers. Their disadvantage may be a high concentration of the composition, which requires mandatory dilution with water.

Bacterial supplements

They include microscopic microbes and bacteria, which replenish the composition of the soil microflora and, when combined with the soil, enrich it and promote better absorption of nutrients. They can be applied to the soil or used to treat planting material by soaking. Bacterial supplements themselves do not contain nutrients, but only help the plant to use the applied fertilizer.

The most used and best-selling bacterial supplements are:

• Baikal;
• Azotobacterin;
• Nikfan.

Frequency and feeding schemes

Dahlias, unlike other flowering plants in a flower bed, have a tall, sturdy bush and large, lush flowers that require a lot of nutrition. Therefore, they need to be constantly and regularly fed. It will be correct to alternate the introduction of mineral and organic substances. The first feeding of dahlias for abundant flowering is performed right during planting, when a layer of humus is placed in the dug hole for planting the tuber. Also, when planting under the root, you can pour a handful of mineral fertilizers. The next feeding is carried out after 2 weeks, adding nitrogen and potassium mixtures that accelerate growth.

Further, the introduction of nutrients is alternated at the same frequency. In mid-July, during budding and at the beginning of flowering, seedlings are fed with superphosphate and potassium. Organic matter is added two weeks later. This could be:

• mullein solution;
• tincture of compost;
• extract from fermented weeds.

So they alternate until the end of flowering.

Top dressing in spring

In the spring, when the snow has just melted, the plots for flowers are re-dug up.When digging, potassium sulfate is introduced into the ground in a ratio of 20 grams per 1 m2.

How to feed dahlias for growth, each gardener decides for himself, based on the conditions of his site and planting material. Usually, top dressing is applied not only at the root, but also by spraying with a nutrient solution. The first mandatory spring spraying is carried out in early spring, shortly after planting, when it is necessary to reinforce the tubers to start growing after winter. To do this, prepare a solution of nitrate with superphosphate in the ratio of 20 g of the mixture to a bucket of water.

Fertilizers in summer

For a lush flowering dahlia in the summer, it is important to form a strong bush. Therefore, nitrogen fertilizers are applied in June. A water-based solution is prepared from them. Add 20 g of fertilizer to 10 liters of water.

For watering with a nutrient mixture, a circular hole is made around the bush at a distance of 10 cm from the base, where the solution is poured. During the beginning of flowering, the bush can be sprayed with a nutrient solution. At the beginning of summer, at least two dressings are performed with diluted mullein infusion in a proportion of 10 liters of water per 1 liter of fertilizer. The solution is diluted and allowed to brew, then 20 g of superphosphate and ammonium nitrate are added to it.

Dahlia fertilizer

In July, at least three phosphorus-potassium dressings are carried out. The solution is prepared by adding 50 g of superphosphate and 3-4 handfuls of wood ash to 10 liters of water. In July, dahlias are watered with urea for abundant flowering. Once the bush has formed, it needs strength to form strong buds and bloom.

Tuber is laid in August. At this time, it is useful to feed with potassium nitrate at the rate of 30 g for each bush. From mid-August, feeding is stopped. Excessive amounts of nutrients can negatively affect tuber formation and the formation of growth buds.

Top dressing in autumn

In order for the dahlias to delight with exuberant flowering next year, you need to take care of this in the fall. When the plant has faded, the last dressing is applied for the formation of tubers with potassium sulfate. Fertilizer is applied once at the rate of 30 grams for each bush. Since September, they completely stop feeding and watering the plant. To ripen the roots, the stems are cut off.

In the fall, they take care of fertile soil for planting next year. To do this, depending on the type of soil, nutrient mixtures are introduced during the autumn digging of the site:

• 15 kg of humus, compost or fresh manure are introduced into sandy soil at the rate of 1 m2, mixed with 3 kg of poultry manure. Such a mixture of organic matter will enrich the soil well over the winter;
• peat and sand are added to clay soil;
• slaked lime is added to acidic soil at the rate of 400 - 800 g per 1 m2.

Before digging a site in the fall for a future spring planting, superphosphate granules of 25 g per 1 m2 are scattered over it.

What mistakes can be when applying fertilizers

When fertilizing, it would be wrong to assume that the more the soil is fertilized, the better the plant is. Sometimes it can be overfed and then the result will be the opposite, instead of a lush beautiful bush there will be a sluggish and weak plant. Fertilizers must be applied carefully. Before fertilizing dahlias in the summer, so that they bloom faster, you need to find out the acidity of the soil. It is imperative that before you water the flowers with a solution with a nutrient mixture, you must take into account the appearance of the plant itself. If it grows and develops, then it is better not to overdo it with watering.

The main mistakes when applying fertilizers can be:

• excess feeding, with an excessive amount of fertilizer of one type, the plant ceases to perceive other microelements;
• non-compliance with the timing of feeding, you can not apply nitrogen fertilizers after the bush has grown and is preparing for flowering. They, like other fast-acting fertilizers, are applied at the beginning of growth;
• expired drugs should not be used, as they can be toxic and, instead of benefit, bring harm;
• the uniformity of fertilization should be observed, so as not to overfeed the plant or create a lack of nutrients.

Folk recipes

Dahlias are favorite plants for cultivation among many summer residents and gardeners. Therefore, every lover of these plants has their own growing secrets. Here are some of them that are suitable for both tuberous varieties and for feeding annual dahlias:

• for a faster awakening of tubers after winter, it is necessary to place them in a solution prepared from one and a half buckets of warm water with the addition of a tablespoon of boric acid. Being in such a solution will disinfect the roots and wake up from hibernation;
• in order for the earth to be loose, during spring digging, crushed eggshells are scattered into the dahlia bed;
• Fertilization with yeast promotes abundant flowering. Add 0.5 kg of yeast and a 0.5 liter jar of last year's jam or sugar to a bucket with 10 liters of warm water. The solution is left for fermentation for a day. For watering, 1 liter of solution is added to 5 liters of water. The liquid is used on a warm sunny day and no more than 3 times per season;

Lovely and lovely flowers

• during the period of bud formation, an infusion of wood ash with the addition of superphosphate is introduced under each bush. To prepare it, add 2 tablespoons of wood ash and 50 grams of superphosphate to 2 liters of water. The solution is stirred and left to infuse for a day. The tool is used for root watering 3-4 times per season with a break between application of at least 2 weeks;
• the enrichment of the soil with phosphorus and potash dressings allows you to extend the flowering period and make it more lush;
• watering with nettle infusion. A bucket of green nettle is filled with water for fermentation for 3-4 days. The ready-made watering solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10.

Dahlias are lovely and lovely flowers that make a wonderful decoration for your garden. But it is also a very demanding culture that has its own preferences. However, it is impossible not to love them. If you strictly follow the feeding scheme, then the result should certainly please. Properly organized care will allow you to enjoy the beauty of lush bloom until the first snow.