Growing And Showing Prize Winning Dahlias
By Ed Alley

This is a copy of the handout that attendees received at the educational workshop hosted by E & S Dahlias on August 23, 2003 in Berwick , Nova Scotia

Plant Right

• Good solid tubers with visible eye(s)
• Plant when soil warms up, tubers with an eye, with growth, or cuttings, plant about 4" deep.

Good Soil

• A good amount of compost material, lime to a pH of 6.5 to 7, lime every year.
• Fertilizer, a good broadcast worked into the soil, or a handful worked into the planting hole, to start the season.
• The correct type of fertilizer is 6-12-12 .
• Water mid season with 20-20-20 soluble.

Space Right
Give them room to grow.

• 2' Grid - Single tuber to a stake
• 3' Grid - Some varieties 2 tubers to a stake
• 4' Grid - Any 2 Tubers to a stake.

Grow Right

• Top Dress with 6-12-12 fertilizer and hill tubers to 6" to &" depth.
• Tie Dahlia growth to stake when about 18" high. Use twist method which allows for stock growth.
• Disbranch on AA's and A's remove every other lateral, best on stake side, on B's only remove laterals on late varieties.
• Disbud always and do it early.
• Spray with chemicals of your choice to keep insects under control. Your enemies are the tarnish plant bug, earwigs, aphids and a host of others.

What is available on the domestic market for sprays?

Well here are a few types

• Ambush - Insecticide
• Cygon - Systemic
• Sevin - Insecticide
• Permethrin - Insecticide

Cut Right

• Cut cool, early morning or evening.
• Here is where all that spraying, watering and deadheading pays off.
• Cut your show entries so that you have
  • A flower
  • A stem
  • A set of leaves
  • A stock
• Put in water as soon as possible and keep in cool place.

Transport Right

• Each entry should be in its own container of water, caned and wedged to keep it from being damaged during transport.
• Crunched leaves, broken petals, bruises are not first place winners on the show bench.
• Flowers for multi bloom entries, such as baskets can be transported in a bucket with chicken wire in the bottom to keep flowers in place.

Stage Right

• Put your entries in containers provided, single or multiple to best display your entry.

JUST DOING IT RIGHT !!!!!!!!!