Updated at: 14-05-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Dahlia here, nice to meet you! These lovely blooms come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, always keeping things fresh and exciting. You may get everything from 12-14-inch-tall kinds (like Melody Harmony) to enormous dinner plate Dahlias like Seattle and “over the top” variations (like Nick Sr.) with complete blossoms that reach 12-14 inches across!

Dahlias are one of the most profuse flowering plants around. Throughout the summer, these show-stoppers produce stunning blooms that will brighten your garden and your vase for months to come.

Dahlias will grow into tall, wiry plants that droop over if not given a little TLC, despite the fact that they aren’t difficult to grow. What if you could have a front-row seat to these breathtakingly beautiful flowers in your own backyard? Right here, right now, we’ll tell you everything you need to know. You can even check out our handy-dandy infographic for some additional tips on how to grow Dahlias.

Where to Plant

Dahlias can be grown in both containers and the ground, however they need soil that is rich enough to sustain their “heavy feeding” requirements, and wet places will not be able to support them. You should look for another location or treat the soil with organic material if you detect puddles 5-6 hours after a heavy rain. For the strongest stems and most flowers, plant your Dahlias where they will get full sun.

How to Pinch Dahlias for more Blooms - Flower Patch Farmhouse

When to Plant

You should plant dahlia tubers in the spring when the soil temperature has warmed to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and there is no threat of frost. They can be grown as annuals in zones 2-7, or they can be dug up and stored for the winter in zones 8-11. To get a head start on the growing season, start your Tubers in containers indoors before transplanting them outside.

Soil Preparation for Planting Dahlias:

  • Plant your Dahlias by breaking up the soil and adding compost to increase nutrition and drainage. Bringing in “fresh” soil can harm your newly budding Dahlias because of the pesticides and fertilizers commonly utilized in packaged soil.
  • Bone meal should be incorporated into the soil approximately an inch below where the tubers will be planted. Before planting, add about an inch of dirt. Bone meal is an excellent source of nutrients for your growing plants’ tubers and roots. Bone meal can attract pets and other animals, so add crushed pepper if necessary to deter them.

How to Plant:

  • When planting Dahlias in the garden, look for a spot that is well-drained and gets enough of sunlight. Design your location based on the mature size and spacing information supplied for each variety. A variety of tubers should be planted 18-24 inches apart, with the eyes facing up and their crowns at the soil line. Remove any air pockets in the soil by tamping down on the plants.
  • Consider how much room you have to work with when selecting a pot to house your Dahlias in the garden. Use the cultivar information supplied to select cultivars that are less than 2 feet tall. You can add peat moss or perlite to the potting soil to increase drainage, if necessary. A variety of tubers should be planted 18-24 inches apart, with the eyes facing up and their crowns at the soil line. Remove any air pockets in the soil by tamping down on the plants. Place your plants where they will be exposed to as much sunlight as possible.

Stake Dahlias to Support Big Blooms

  • Dahlias that reach a height of more than two or three feet need a support system to help them bear the weight of their many blooms.
  • Stake the tubers as soon as they are planted to prevent damage to the plants, ensure a good harvest, and reduce future labour.
  • You can support your Dahlias with bare branches from the garden, wooden pegs with twine crossed at various levels, or even tomato cages. Isn’t that beautiful right now? The blossom and foliage will soon cover up any visible supports.

Watering Dahlias

  • If it hasn’t rained in your garden for several weeks, make sure to water the tubers after planting; otherwise, leave them dry.
  • Before watering the Dahlias again, wait until the tops of the plants have emerged after planting.
  • When the plants are actively growing, water them frequently and gradually increase the amount of water you give them as they become larger. In the beginning, they’ll need to be watered once a week, growing to twice a week as they mature.
  • Watering should be adjusted based on the current weather conditions. Flowers grown in pots or areas with high temperatures will require more frequent watering than flowers grown in the ground.

How to "Pinch" Dahlias - The Secret to Getting the Most Blooms per Plant! - YouTube

Topping Dahlias and Pinching Dahlia Plants

  • In order to get shorter plants with more flowers, pinch or “top” your Dahlias when they reach 12-16 inches tall.
  • Top the plants with shears, scissors, or your fingers, taking care not to break the stem.
  • After pruning your Dahlias, expect them to grow swiftly and produce more stems and foliage for future blooms.
  • For even more blooms, keep pinching back the new growth. Pinching back a few of the forming buds will increase the size of the remaining flowers.
  • The similar effect as pinching can be achieved by snipping the stems of your flowers.
  • Keep deadheading as soon as the blooms fade so that the plant’s energy can be devoted to more blossoms rather than seed production.

All of our best-kept secrets for cultivating beautiful Dahlias are here!

How to Pinch Dahlias for more Blooms

Dahlias are easy to grow if you pinch them in the Spring. To increase the number of blooms on your dahlias, follow my step-by-step instructions.

As they are growing quickly and just above two leaf nodes, pinch dahlias so that they become bushier and more sturdy. See what I mean? Keep reading and you’ll see exactly how it’s done in a video at the end of the piece.

For the first time in a long time, I decided not to grow Dahlias since digging up the tubers in the fall seemed like too much work. However, after putting in the time and effort, I have come to appreciate them, and I am confident that you will as well if you give them a shot.

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Why Pinch Dahlias?

Dahlias don’t need to be pinched to grow well. What’s the point of pinching back dahlias now that I’ve stated that?

Because it increases both the number and quality of flowers produced by a single plant. Large, heavy blooms can cause the plant to topple over, so you want them to be more sturdy.

When to Pinch Your Dahlias

Allow your dahlias to grow to a height of 12 to 16 inches in the spring, with four sets of leaves on each stem. As a general rule, but not a law, don’t give up hope if your plant has grown much.

How to Pinch Dahlias

Using pruning shears or your fingernail, remove the top sprout from the stem between two leaves. It’s lower on the plant, but it’ll do. I was attempting to capture the greatest possible image for you. See how much higher they have cut off other stems if you look to the left.

Here, we can get a sense of what the plant will look like if you pinch it.

You’ll see this a couple weeks later…

Daisy stems are regrowing on each side of the punctured spot. You will receive two blooms instead of just one.

How does Pinching Dahlias work?

You can encourage the growth of stems and leaves rather than flower buds by pinching or pruning back the dahlia stems. One stem is left alone in the film because it will generate a bud sooner than the cut ones, which will take longer to mature.

Plants that are bushier, stronger, and simpler to manage will take the place of lean, tall ones. One of the great advantages is that each plant will produce more flowers.

Dahlias for a Cutting Garden

Dahlias are ideal for a cutting garden because of their compact growth habit. There are more blossoms if you cut more often! Cut flowers frequently for bouquets when they are in full bloom. Cutting the flowers stimulates new growth and flowers, just as pinching does, keeping the dahlia healthy and blooming! Win, win, win.

However, despite the fact that pinching Dahlias increases their sturdiness, a support structure such as an obelisk, wire cage, or stake is still required.

I’ll be pinching dahlias for you in the video below.

I hope you’ll give dahlias a try in your garden. They’re beautiful. They will continue to do so for many years.

Good luck with your gardening endeavors!

The Benefits of Growing Dahlias in a Mini Greenhouse

Dahlias grown in a greenhouse have a better chance of blooming successfully. Other advantages of growing plants in a tiny greenhouse include the following: Some examples are as follows:

Protection from pests and diseases

Thrips, mites, leafhoppers, and aphids love dahlias. Stem rot, mosaic virus, aster yellows, viral problems, and botrytis are just a few of the illnesses they are susceptible to. In a tiny greenhouse, your plants are less likely to catch diseases or attract hazardous pests that can injure or even kill them.

How to Pinch Dahlias for more Blooms - Flower Patch Farmhouse

Great for gardeners without enough space to plant

A greenhouse can be used to grow flowers or vegetables if you don’t have a lot of room. In comparison to the enormous greenhouses that most people are used to, a little greenhouse is the most cost-effective option. It is easy for homeowners to place greenhouses on balconies, patios, and decks because of its six-foot standard size. Smaller versions that fit tabletops are available if the usual size is still an issue.

Perfect for gardeners who want to learn about greenhouse gardening

Is greenhouse gardening something you’d like to learn more about? Starting with a small greenhouse is a great idea. Even though it’s less expensive than a standard greenhouse, it nevertheless gives the same benefits to the plants. You won’t have to fork over thousands of dollars to get started. With the help of a greenhouse, you may learn more about the optimum circumstances for your favorite plants to thrive.

Start growing your plants early

Start growing dahlias even before planting season begins with a tiny greenhouse. Heating and cooling systems can be used in greenhouses to regulate the temperature. As soon as the weather warms up, you can move your flowers outside or into your garden.

Shield them from harsh weather

When the weather turns nasty, your plants will be well protected in a little greenhouse like this. Protecting them from snow, frost, drought, severe rain, and high winds is done by keeping them in an enclosed area. Until it’s time to transfer or pick them, they’ll happily grow in your greenhouse

Final Thoughts on How to Pinch Dahlias

In the long run, pinching your dahlias will help your plants develop more quickly. Side shoots that develop into long, upright stems will be more prevalent. These stems will produce beautiful flowers that may be used in bouquets and decorations.

After learning the proper technique for pinching dahlias, you can enjoy months of longer-lasting blooms! Boil a few inches of water in a plastic pot with your stems and flowers after cutting them. For about an hour, let them cool. Dahlias can stay up to a week in a vase if you follow these steps, but be sure to replace the water on a regular basis if you want them to last that long.