Stopping Dahlias
by: John Howard on Fri, 6 Mar 2009 at: 1:30 AM Go to: Previous Article Next Article
The medium and small pompons should be accorded similar treatment to that given to the small decorative and cactus, that is only the weak growths are removed if grown on rich soils, reducing a little more severely on poor soil. The small pompons require very little thinning unless the soil is particularly poor.
Practically all other double flowered varieties will give excellent blooms if treated in similar fashion to the small decoratives, with the exception of one or two varieties in the miscellaneous section which have comparatively large blooms-Andries Wonder is an example; this variety will produce blooms up to it in. in diameter and should be treated accordingly as a giant decorative or cactus.
If very early blooms of giant varieties are required, the break bud is allowed by some growers to develop fully, and some of the side branches removed for some way down the main stem, immediately below the bud, to give a little extra length of stem if the bloom is cut. This treatment has the disadvantage that, though the first blooms are early, the succeeding blooms will come much later.
Although the main object of stopping is to produce early blooms, it must be understood that the plant must be in good condition at the time of stopping, otherwise the effect will be lost and the plant may receive such a check that it will bloom later than if left unstopped.
Treat miniature varieties similarly. Double Show and Fancy should be treated very similarly to the giant cactus if really heavy globular flowers of maximum size are required, but it is fairly obvious from the blooms exhibited at most shows throughout the country, that this point of view is unpopular.
Most exhibitors prefer to treat this class of dahlia in similar fashion to the medium cactus; this will give perfectly good blooms of reasonable size in greater quantity.
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If you plant dahlia in your garden, plant it as close as possible to the stake that support it.
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