A word of warning about pests. Slugs and snails love young dahlia shoots.

When your dahlias are just starting out, be prepared to battle these pests in whatever mode of combat you prefer. Slugs will come a long way for young dahlias and will kill them at this stage if you do not control them.

Once a dahlia plant has attained some maturity, it will make it, but it is vulnerable to slugs and snails at the early stage.

The major insect problems of dahlias are earwigs, tarnished plant bug and aphids. A general garden insecticide used as soon as these pests are spotted will give good control. The leaf and root diseases can be controlled by the use of a garden fungicide. There are organic products that can be used in place of chemical controls if you prefer.