How to feed dahlias for growth and flowering

In the summer, almost every home can meet beautiful flowers. 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, and flower size, they delight the eye from mid-summer until the first frost. They, like little suns, are the decoration 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 the soil and top dressing. After all, a plant cannot take so many useful substances from ordinary garden soil to bloom for so long. Watering the plant in the absence of rain should be plentiful, 2 times a week. It is necessary to ensure that there is no stagnation of water, otherwise the roots may rot, which will lead to the death of even an adult bush. In dry weather, to maintain moisture, the bush should be spudded after watering, watered again and spudded again. To better maintain moisture, the ground around the bush is covered with straw or dry grass.

Dahlias - beautiful, but whimsical flowers

If there is a shortage of microelements, then the plant begins to weaken, the color of the leaves becomes faded, there is a discharge of peduncles. To prevent this from happening, dahlias are fed in open ground by applying different types of fertilizers under them. Among them, an important place is occupied by such trace elements:

• nitrogen. If the plant does not have enough nitrogen, then it does not develop well, its leaves turn yellow and fall early, and the flowers may not appear at all. A sufficient amount of nitrogen fertilizers helps the stem to grow green, strengthen the measles system and create the basis for future flowering;
• phosphorus. With its deficiency, 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 in bright and lush colors, and the roots become persistent and strong;
• potassium, its deficiency is determined by the change in the color of the foliage, on which a bluish tint appears. Leaves do not develop well. A brown fringe appears on them, as after a burn. If you do not take measures, then the stems lose their strength and cease to grow vertically and begin to spread along the ground. A sufficient amount of potassium strengthens the root system, creating the prerequisites for the development of powerful vertical stems.

Dahlia, which fed

Nutrition for growth and flowering

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

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

• at the base of the bush, in a circle, dig a furrow with a depth of 10-15 cm and water it abundantly;
• having waited when water is absorbed into the soil, they make nutritious feeding;
• only after the mixture with top dressing is absorbed into the soil, the recess is covered with earth.

Dahlias in the ground

Ready-made mineral dressings

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

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

Dahlias in Growth Period

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

Organic types of fertilizing

For the full development of seedlings, it is important to use not only mineral fertilizers, but also organic substances. Useful substances that are a product of the vital activity 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 soil fertility by structuring it. It 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 duration of action on plants compared to mineral fertilizers. Their disadvantage may be a high concentration of the composition, requiring mandatory dilution with water.

Bacterial supplements

They include microscopic microbes and bacteria that make up the microflora of the soil and, when combined with the soil, enrich it and contribute to better absorption of nutrients. They can be applied to the ground or used for processing planting material by soaking. Bacterial additives themselves do not contain nutrients, but only help the plant to use the fertilizer applied.

The most used and best-selling bacterial supplements are:

• Baikal;
• Azotobacterin;
• Nikfan.

Frequency and feeding patterns

Dahlias, unlike other flowering plants in the flowerbed, have a tall strong bush and large lush flowers that require a lot of nutrition. Therefore, they need to be constantly and regularly fed. The correct will be to alternate the application of mineral and organic substances. The first feeding of dahlias for abundant flowering is carried out 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 top dressing is carried out after 2 weeks, introducing nitrogen and potassium mixtures that accelerate growth.

Further, the introduction of nutrients alternate with the same frequency. In mid-July, during budding and at the beginning of flowering, seedlings are fed with superphosphate and potassium. Two weeks later, organic matter is introduced. It could be:

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

So alternate until the end of flowering.

Top dressing in the spring

In spring, when the snow just melts, the flower sites are re-excavated. When digging, potassium sulfate is added to 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 plot 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 you need to reinforce the tubers to begin growth after winter. To do this, prepare a solution of nitrate with superphosphate in the ratio of 20 g of the mixture per bucket of water.

Fertilizers in the summer

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

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

Fertilizer dahlia

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

In August, the tubers are laid. At this time, it is useful to feed potassium nitrate at the rate of 30 g for each bush. From mid-August, feeding is stopped. Excess nutrients can adversely affect the formation of tubers and the formation of growth buds.

Top dressing in the fall

So that next year dahlias delighted with lush flowering, you need to take care of this in the fall. When the plant fades, make the last top dressing to form tubers with potassium sulfate. Fertilizer is applied once at the rate of 30 grams for each bush. Since September, feeding and watering the plant is completely stopped. To ripen the roots, the stems are pruned.

In autumn, they take care of fertile soil for next year's plantings. For this, depending on the type of soil, nutrient mixtures are added during the autumn digging of the site:

• 15 kg of humus, compost or fresh manure are added to the sandy soil per 1 m2, mixed with 3 kg of bird droppings. Such a mixture of organics over the winter will well enrich the soil;
• 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 plot for a future spring planting in autumn, granules of superphosphate are scattered on it, 25 g per 1 m2.

What could be the mistakes when applying fertilizers

When applying fertilizers, it will be wrong to assume that the more the soil is fertilized, the better the plant. 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. Fertilizing must be done carefully. Before fertilizing dahlias in summer, so that they bloom faster, it is necessary to find out the acidity of the soil. It is imperative that before watering the flowers with a solution with a nutrient mixture, one 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 applied to one species, the plant ceases to perceive other trace elements;
• failure to comply with the timing of dressing, you can not make nitrogen fertilizers after the bush has grown and is preparing for flowering. They, like other fast acting fertilizers, are introduced at the beginning of growth;
• do not use expired drugs, since they can be toxic and harm instead of benefits;
• it is necessary to observe the uniformity of fertilizer application so as not to overfeed the plant or create a lack of nutrients.

Folk recipes

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

• for faster awakening of tubers after winter, they must be placed 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 into a dahlia bed, crushed egg shells are scattered;
• Fertilizer with yeast promotes abundant flowering. In a bucket of 10 liters of warm water add 0.5 kg of yeast and a 0.5 liter jar of last year's jam or sugar. The solution is left for a day for fermentation. 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 bud formation period, infusion of wood ash with the addition of superphosphate is introduced under each bush. To prepare it in 2 liters of water, add 2 tablespoons of wood ash and 50 grams of superphosphate. The solution is stirred and left to brew for a day. The tool is used for radical watering 3-4 times a season with a break between application of at least 2 weeks;
• enrichment of the soil with phosphorus and potash top dressing allows you to extend the flowering period and make it more magnificent;
• watering nettle infusion. A bucket of green nettle is poured with water for fermentation for 3-4 days. The finished solution for irrigation is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 10.

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