Dahlia jobs in July

All plants should be growing well now and showing signs of budding up, indeed, some will be showing colour.

Now is the time  to place all plants being kept for pot tubers in the garden frame.  If at all dry, and we are certainly not! start watering to prevent the newly growing shoots from hardening.

Keep hoeing in order to keep weed free and to keep the soil from becoming panned; this aerates the ground and enables the roots to 'breathe'.  Dis-bud shoots as soon as buds are large enough to handle.  For full details dis-budding techniques see the web site "How to Grow" pages.

After hoeing mulch around the plants as this will not only allow nutrients to trickle into the soil but will also retain moisture and keep weed growth down.

Keep the outdoor hygiene programme going to prevent disease and pests.

Dahlia jobs in July

All plants should be growing well now and showing signs of budding up, indeed, some will be showing colour.

Now is the time  to place all plants being kept for pot tubers in the garden frame.  If at all dry, and we are certainly not! start watering to prevent the newly growing shoots from hardening.

Keep hoeing in order to keep weed free and to keep the soil from becoming panned; this aerates the ground and enables the roots to 'breathe'.  Dis-bud shoots as soon as buds are large enough to handle.  For full details dis-budding techniques see the web site "How to Grow" pages.

After hoeing mulch around the plants as this will not only allow nutrients to trickle into the soil but will also retain moisture and keep weed growth down.

Keep the outdoor hygiene programme going to prevent disease and pests.

Dahlia fields

We have had pretty good weather the last 2/3 weeks, plenty of light rain that has soaked the ground well, now nicely moist with the underlying clay well soaked and retaining the rain.  Looking forward to a few weeks of sunshine and warm nights to bring them on!

All my dahlias are now planted with the later ones in yesterday which will start blooming a little later and, hopefully, bloom on a little longer in the late summer / early autumn and giving a flowering season lasting from mid-July through to end of October, frost permitting.

The first top dressing of a 7.7.7 fertiliser is down and will repeat in around 4 weeks time.  Then, in mid August, a top dressing of bone meal will go down to strengthen the plants, maintain the colour and help the tubers develop.  

All grass areas and pathways mown, time for a little relaxing before there is a need to concentrate on dis-budding.