Care and maintenance: Dahlia, the colourful garden favourite

Dahlias are one of the most popular flower bulbs for the garden. With their impressive colours and shapes, they bring an explosion of liveliness to any garden from summer until late autumn. Whether you choose a classic dahlia with large, pompom-like flowers or a playful, cactus-like variety, this plant makes your garden shine.

Dahlias like a sunny spot in the garden where they receive at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. The soil should be well-drained, rich in nutrients and preferably slightly moist. Before planting the bulbs, you can enrich the soil with compost or organic fertilizer to create a good base. Only plant the bulbs after the last night frost, because dahlias are not winter hardy. Plant them about 5 to 10 centimeters deep and keep a distance of 30 to 60 centimeters, depending on the variety.

Watering is essential during the growing season, especially during dry spells. Keep the soil moist, but avoid letting the bulbs sit in wet soil for too long. Dahlias will flower more abundantly if you fertilize them regularly with a fertilizer rich in potassium. To support the plant, you can tie up taller varieties so that they do not fall over because of their heavy flowers. Remove faded flowers regularly to stimulate flowering and keep the plant looking neat.

In the fall, when the dahlias begin to die back, you can dig up the bulbs to save them for next year. Let them dry and store them in a cool, dry place until spring.