The Dahlia is "Blooming in the Patch"

While most perennials by now are just brown stalks and yellowed leaves, the Dahlia is at it's most beautiful and “Blooming in the Patch.” Clean out the garden, give it room and plenty of sun, and it will be glorious until the first frost.

The Dahlia is actually native to Mexico, Central America and Colombia. The Aztecs gathered and cultivated the dahlia for food, decoration and special ceremonies. The woody stem of one variety served as a small pipe. The Spanish discovered it in 1615, but it did not flower in Madrid until 1789 after a French botanist found it again in Mexico while searching for the cochineal insect valued for it's scarlet dye. It was then called the Dahlia Coccinea. In Japan, it is called the “Peony of India” and it represents “Good Taste.” It is now the national flower of Mexico.

Dahlias grow well in Monmouth County. The small variety plants are in , Home Depot and Costco in the early spring along with the tubers in bags, and the large dinner plate varieties can be found in local nurseries as the summer progresses. The smaller plants tend to go dormant after the first flowering as the summer heats up, but then bloom again in August until frost. The large varieties grow throughout June and July and set their buds at the end of July. They usually need staking to keep the stalks off the ground and away from insects such as the earwig, especially in the wind or heavy rain. Cutting the spent flowers will ensure continued bloom.

Because Dahlias are susceptible to diseases such as powdery mildew and gray mold, and have a variety of insects including aphids and slugs that attack them in the early spring, they require extra attention and care. But the extra care at the beginning of their growth result in a fabulous display at this time of year. They will continue to bloom until the first frost, but don't remove the plant from the soil until a “killing frost.” You might be able to keep it in the soil during a mild winter if covered with plenty of leaf mulch, but I remove mine, brush or wash the soil off and put it in the shade for a few days. I store them in the semi-heated garage in a cardboard box filled with wood chips and usually loose about a third due to shriveling. I have found other mulches like peat moss have caused mold.

I start them again in early spring in pots, and plant them in the soil after frost, digging down to 10 inches and covering them with 3 inches of soil. I promptly forget where I have placed them and enjoy the surprise as they pop up next to my herbs and vegetables.