How to plant dahlia tubers
3 Easy Steps
1. Planting time. Plant dahlia tubers when the ground has warmed up in the spring. Here in Iowa, we plant our tubers in mid to late May. Plant tubers about 3-4 inches deep, laying the tuber on its side with the "eye" facing up. Cover with soil.
2. Watering needs. Do NOT water your tubers until you start to see green growth. Once you see green, then water your dahlias similarly to other flowers. Regular water helps them grow, but they don't like wet feet. So be sure your planting area has good drainage. We also use a low nitrogen fertilizer a couple times throughout the growing season.
3. Pinch and deadhead. Once dahlias grow to about a foot tall, then pinch them just above a leaf node, leaving at least 2 sets of leaves on the plant. By pinching, you are encouraging the dahlia to branch off, giving you more flowers. Once dahlias start to bloom, be sure to keep them deadheaded. If you do this, you'll see abundant blooms from late summer through frost.
How to dig & store dahlia tubers - 3 easy steps
3 easy steps to save your dahlia tubers for the next growing season
Step #1 - Label, then cut back your plants. It's important to label your dahlia varieties while they are still blooming. We use bright colored flagging tape wrapped around the base of the plant, and marked with a sharpie. Sometime around mid-October or after your first frost, cut back the dahlia plants to about 6 inches tall, making sure the tuber variety tape stays in place. Allow the plants to "rest" for a week or two.
Step #2 - Dig up the tubers. Using a pitch fork, carefully loosen the soil around the dahlia plant, making sure to go wide enough around the plant so you won't damage the tubers beneath the soil. Rock the pitch fork back and forth until the dahlia plant can be lifted out of the ground with the tuber clump attached. Shake off excess dirt.
Step #3 - Storing tubers. Tubers can be stored clean, or with the dirt on. If you are planning to divide the tubers, you'll want to clean and dry the tubers. For storage, we use peat moss or wood shavings and store the tubers stacked in bulb crates. Tubers like to be stored at 40-45 degrees with humidity levels between 75-85%. Also, its best to keep air flow going so we have a fan running in our storage room. Check tubers every 3-4 weeks, discarding any rotting tubers.
How to plant tulip bulbs - 7 easy steps
Step 1 - Decide on your planting approach
Home gardeners usually plant in clumps of 10-15 bulbs per circular clump, about 1-2 inches apart. Here on our Iowa flower farm, we plant in 3-foot wide trenches and 20-foot rows.
Step 2 - Select a sunny, well-drained location
Tulips do best in full sun, and prefer well-drained soil. If the soil is soggy, bulbs can rot or become diseased.
Step 3 - Let's get digging
Dig down into the soil about 6 inches deep. Bulbs should be planted about 3 times deeper than they are tall. So, depending on variety and bulb size, you may need to dig a little deeper.
Step 4 - Amend the soil
After you have your planting space dug out, then it's time to give those tulip bulbs a little boost to ensure a good healthy plant in the spring. We add a generous dusting of organic bulb fertilizer and some compost as well.
Step 5 - Plant your bulbs
Be sure to plant tulips with the pointy side up. Home gardeners, plant about 1-2 inches apart. On our flower farm, we plant very tight spacing, like eggs in a carton, but not touching. If you're keeping track of varieties, add a planting label stake at this time.
Step 6 - Backfill the soil back into the hole
Carefully pull the soil back into the hole, covering the tulip bulbs, taking care not to knock them sideways or upside down. After the soil is evenly distributed on top of the bulbs, we recommend adding 2-3 inches of compost on top of the soil to add extra nutrients to the mix.
Step 7 - Water in the bulbs
We water in our newly planted bulbs lightly so everything gets settled in. You should not have to water your bulbs throughout the winter as Mother Nature provides enough moisture to carry the bulbs through spring. If springtime weather is very sunny and dry, we water our tulip beds periodically to help the tulips grow strong and tall.