Learn the basics of caring for Dahlia as Gord Nickel shows you how to grow Dinner Plate Dahlias in your perennial flower garden.

Video Transcription

Eunice: This is huge dahlia Barry, it is the largest if they grow? Barry: No, you can actually grow them, if you get the white varieties, its largest 12 to 14 inches in diameter. Eunice: Wow, that sounds like dinner plate. Barry: Yes, that is what they call them, the Dinner Plate Dahlias. Eunice: Dinner plate Dahlias and what a beauty this is too. Now, you actually said something very interesting to me. Just earlier about this is being seedling Dahlias. Barry: Yes, these are grown by individuals who have been sent unto us a trial garden to test them, and see how good they are, and we rate them and give them the results back. Eunice: Oh. Barry; Actually, the dahlias, many of the dahlias that are on the market have been developed by individuals rather than big company some work. Eunice: Oh, that is interesting to know. Barry: So, it is kind of an interesting part of the hobby. Eunice: And what a wonderful variation too so many different forms, look at those gorgeous thing. Barry: That is a form of lucrative in a the bronze color, it is quite nice Eunice. Eunice: Yes, so I knew one tricky thing about dahlias is and it started the year that you got to really be careful about this pesky slugs. Barry: Slugs, yes that is important to either you slug bait or go out at night and check and make sure if there are slugs there to do away with them. Eunice: So, 11 o’clock at night, get that flash light out. Barry: Yes, that will work, that will work. Eunice: That is the good way to do. Barry: Actually, most damages to plant occurs at night and that is sort of a fact of life and— Eunice: While we are sleeping the pest are at work. Barry: Yes, the pest are at work. Eunice: Oh, typical and this is a gorgeous one too, wow. Barry: That is a cactus, incurve cactus type. Eunice: Incurve cactus wow, really spidery looking, just gorgeous. So, as form as graying dahlias. What do we absolutely need to know about growing dahlias? And not that checking early, but if you start digging them up in the winter, to dig or not to dig. Barry: To dig them up for the winter usually, some people are very successful if they have a protect location or to live them in year to year and they seem to be okay. A very important thing is sunshine, you need at least six hours a day of good sunshine to get good daily production. Eunice; Right, so ideally sunshine will drain soil and keep them cut because there is such weight cutting flowers. Barry: And fertilizing of course is important. They are heavy feeders as you can see the plants are large and they definitely need a couple of two, three times feedings during the year. Just ordinarily 686 where worked quite well and just scratched being around the plant. Eunice: Great, fantastic, thanks. Barry: You are welcome.