The dahlia blanca It is a plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family and has flowers that are tremendously appreciated and valued for their beauty. It is used both to decorate outdoors and indoors and has a history linked to tradition, history and culture in Mexico. Many people wonder what the care of this plant is.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you about the care of the white dahlia, its characteristics and aspects to take into account to make it grow correctly.
Characteristics and cultivation
Dahlias are bulbous plants native to Mexico that can be grown both indoors and outdoors. They can reach a height of one meter, but the smallest species are about 30 cm tall.
However, it is undeniable that the most striking thing about these plants are always their flowers, which bloom with the arrival of summer and last until the last months of autumn. The white dahlia has very large flowers and an intense white color. If the weather is very hotthe dahlia can flower after summerwhen the temperature is softer and more pleasant for her, that is, already in autumn.
Although they tolerate the cold, protect them from night frosts. The ideal is to plant them first in pots and in a protected place before transplanting them into the garden. The soil must be fertile, rich in humus and well drained. Dig a hole of about 50 cm, with the growth point of the bulb facing up, cover with soil and compost, water, do not flood. Once every three weeks is enough.
It is recommended to plant dahlia bulbs in stages from February to the end of May. This way you will have flowers both in winter and in summer. In late fall, clean and store the tubers in a cool, dry place. They will keep until spring. Make sure the eyes of the tubers are facing up, don’t water them until you see them start to sprout, then water 3 times a week.
White dahlia care
lighting and positioning
These plants need very bright places to grow properly, especially when we want to enjoy their beautiful flowers. Place the dahlia in a well-lit spot in the garden, or if you keep the dahlia indoors, next to a window or point of light.
You should place these flowers in semi-shade, or at least where they are protected from the strongest and most dangerous influences, only when the sun in your area is very intense, which is usually noon.
Also, the wind can do a lot of damage to your dahlias, so it is necessary to find a place for them that is as sheltered as possible in this regard. If you can’t protect them from him, teaching them is a very good idea.
climate and soil
Although they are temperate in climate and tolerate heat well as long as they are not exposed to direct sunlight for a few hours, dahlia flowers they can tolerate quite low temperatures and light frosts down to -5ºC. However, if your area tends to freeze every so often, it is advisable to put them inside during the coldest nights.
Cover the base and bulbs with a thick mulch, or remove the dahlia bulbs if temperatures are very cold. You can always store them in a protected and dry place to replant them when the frost has passed.
The white dahlia likes to grow in soil rich in organic matter. As always, we recommend using organic and ecological fertilizers such as worm humus, compost and bokashi. Both are very rich fertilizers that will keep your plants free of synthetic chemicals.
To prepare the soil, remove the soil or substrate before planting to loosen it and allow for the best possible drainage. Give it strength with the fertilizers that we have mentioned. The fertilizer is renewed every winter, with a small monthly dose during the warmer months. After planting dahlias, secure the soil over the bulbs and water.
Watering the white dahlia
This plant is very heat tolerant, but it likes it a lot if we water it frequently and abundantly during the hottest days and seasons. Always water the plant in the ground and try not to wet its leaves or flowers to avoid excess moisture problems.
Water dahlias frequently during the warmer months, but keep in mind that the bulbs don’t tolerate waterlogging or excessive moisture, so it’s best to water more frequently, but sparingly, to avoid waterlogging.
White Dahlia Pests, Diseases, and Spread
these plants they are not particularly susceptible to any pests or diseases. At best, snails and slugs can feed on them, and you have plenty of home and eco-friendly remedies on hand for that, like serving beer on a plate or in a bowl.
At this point, we will know how to reproduce our dahlia. We know that the best time of year to plant dahlias is spring. Now, to propagate it, we will do it by the tuber division method. For this we need the bulb of the dahlia, but most importantly, the intersection of the stem with the related bulb. From here all we have to do is plant it.
It should be noted that dahlias will wither before fall.so if you want them to withstand our test, it is best to harvest the tubers and store them in a cool, slightly humid place protected from light.
To prolong flowering, a technique called flower tiara must be performed. This technique cannot be done on all plants, but we can manage to extend the flowering period of plants such as dahlias.
The flowers are headless and, as the name suggests, consist of a stem that cuts through the bud to produce the seed. In this way, the plant does not spend as much energy producing these seeds and helps to create new flower buds so that flowering lasts longer. Of course, at the moment when the temperature begins to drop, whatever we do with the inflorescence, the plant will not flower again.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about how to care for the white dahlia and its characteristics.
