The dahlias, which originally come from Mexico and Central America, are available in an almost unmanageable variety with a wide variety of flower shapes and colors. However, you don't have to buy your favorite dahlia from a specialist store; you can easily propagate it yourself. This is how it works!
How can dahlias be propagated?
Dahlias are particularly easy to propagate byDivision. Before planting out in spring, divide the tubers into several individual pieces and plant them separately. Alternatively, propagation is also possible usingcuttings, which are obtained from early tubers.
When and how do you divide dahlia tubers?
Most dahlias can be propagated by division, which is done immediately before the tubers are plantedin May. You can make this task easier by letting the tubers grow indoors for a few days. The shoots show you which tuber pieces are he althy and where you can divide them. However, onlyolder tubers with several individual tubers should be divided. And this is how it works:
- Break off individual tubers
- alternatively separate with a sharp knife
- There should be at least one eye on each root neck
- Dip cuts or breaks in charcoal powder
- Plant partial tubers separately
Older dahlia tubers should definitely be divided to rejuvenate them. If the tubers are too old, they will no longer sprout.
How does dahlia propagation through cuttings work?
You can get a particularly large number of dahlias at once if you propagate them using cuttings. To do this, collect the tubers from the winter quarters in late winter - i.e. inFebruary or March- and put them in a box. As soon as the shoots growing from it have developedthree to four pairs of leaves, you can cut the cuttings. Here's how to do it:
- fill small growing pots with growing soil
- Sterilize the substrate, e.g. B.for 30 minutes at 150 °C in the oven
- Cut cuttings directly below the lowest node
- remove the bottom pair of leaves
- Hold the interface slightly at an angle
- Plant cuttings individually in pots
Press the soil well and moisten it, if possible with a spray bottle. Place the pots in a warm and bright place.
How long does it take for the cuttings to form roots?
The cuttings cut to propagate dahlias root quite quickly. It works particularly quickly if you create agreenhouse climateusing a cover made of translucent film, glass or a cut-off PET bottle. Cuttings taken in February can oftenmid to late Marchbe transplanted into larger pots with nutrient-rich soil.high-quality potting soil based on compost, which you mix with a little sand and horn meal, is well suited for this. However, planting in the bed only takes place after the Ice Saints in May.
Can you grow dahlias from seeds?
In fact, you can also propagate some dahlias from seeds. The young plants are grown on the windowsill fromearly to mid-March. This works like this:
- Fill growing pots with growing soil or swelling tablets
- Insert seeds, cover only thinly with soil
- Moisten the soil with a spray bottle
- Put pots in indoor greenhouse
- alternatively cover with transparent foil or similar
- warm (18 to 20 °C) and bright place
- Keep substrate moist, but avoid moisture
The first seedlings should appear after about ten days. Once they have developed three to four pairs of leaves, repot them into a larger pot with high-quality compost soil.
Tip
Which varieties are particularly suitable for propagation?
Mignon dahlias are particularly suitable for propagation from seeds. These are low-growing plants that bloom in many colors and are suitable for both pots and beds. Apricot-colored dahlias, on the other hand, should only be divided if possible, as their cuttings often have a harder time rooting.
