Dahlias are rightly considered crowned flowers among other autumn crops. They can show off in flowerbeds and gardens until late autumn. However, few people know that growing dahlias has not only aesthetic, but also practical value.
These lush, luxurious, vibrant flowers attract bees. Therefore, if you plant dahlias near a vegetable bed, then you will ensure pollination for your vegetables. In addition, these beautiful cultures are very unpretentious in care. In this article you can learn how to grow Figaro dahlias correctly, how to plant them with seeds.
A bit of plant history
There is one beautiful legend that tells about the origin of dahlias. In times of severe cooling, the bonfires that were supported by people of the last forces began to go out. A flower grew on the site of the last bonfire, which had petals resembling flames. This plant helped residents survive the cold difficult time, so the dahlia began to be considered a symbol of the desire for life.
For the first time, Dahlia Figaro was spotted in South and Central America. In the warm homeland, these cultures were real giants, since they grew up to 6 m in height. Plants were brought to Europe only in the 18th century, but they quickly spread throughout Europe.
Description of Dahlias Figaro
This plant is a dwarf plant that has double flowers and dense compact bushes. In height, dahlias reach only 30 cm.
The figaro dahlia flower is 10 cm in diameter. The advantage of this culture is that it has a large number of inflorescences. On one bush there are up to 15 pieces. Therefore, you can create an entire mix of Figaro dahlias in various colors on your flowerbed. Flowers can be of the most varied color.
Another plus of the variety is its unpretentiousness in cultivation. Dahlia Figaro can be kept as a garden crop or in special flowerpots.
Growing from seeds at home
It is best to sow the seeds in late March or early April. But if you want to collect planting material that will be used for further breeding of these plants, then you need to sowing a little earlier. How will the seeds of Figaro dahlias be planted? To do this, adhere to the following rules:
- First of all, it is necessary to prepare containers for seedlings. If you will use plastic containers, you should first make holes in their bottom that are required for drainage. Containers are filled with a landing mixture, for which a substrate of sand, peat and perlite is best suited. Before growing dahlias from seeds, please note that the planting material should be thoroughly washed with soapy water. The fact is that the dirt on the seeds can become a source of various diseases for the culture.
- The seeds of the annual Figaro Dahlia should be soaked overnight in warm water, where aloe juice is added. These ingredients are taken in a ratio of 2: 1. This procedure is desirable, but it is not considered mandatory. The flower will grow stronger and healthier, with a good immune system, if you soak the seeds in such a solution.
- Seeds are sown in a prepared soil mixture, then wake up from above with earth. The pot must be covered with plastic wrap or a piece of glass. Then the container goes to a warm sunny place.
- In a couple of days, the first shoots should appear. However, do not rush to remove the film from the containers, otherwise the sun's rays will damage the delicate leaves of the plant.
- When young dahlias get stronger, the sprouts must be transplanted into a separate container. If you do not dive plants, then they will develop only in height. For planting, it is recommended to use a mixture of turf land with peat and sand. During a dive, the culture must be deepened into the ground to form the lower leaves.
- When young plants take root, they need to be fed, for which you can use complex fertilizer. However, the dosage should be halved compared to the one indicated in the instructions.
- Dahlias grow pretty fast. So that the stems do not stretch up, you need to pinch the plant at the level of the fourth leaf plate.
- As a result, you can get healthy, strong dahlias that can already be planted in the garden. It is necessary to wait until constant warm weather is established on the street, as night frosts will harm seedlings.
Landing
In sunny, warm weather, pots with small plants should be taken outside for five minutes and then 10 minutes. At the same time, the time spent in the air of young plants is gradually increasing. Flowers are planted in the soil in late May or early June. How to do this?
The size of the hole should be about 40 cm in width, height, length. A layer of humus or compost is laid at the bottom of the pit, after which the fertilizer must be sprinkled with soil, and then a seedling should be planted. After planting, it is necessary to water the plant, sprinkle the soil with a mulch layer, the thickness of which should be 5 cm. As mulch, you can use sawdust or chopped tree bark, which is mixed with compost or peat.
Care Features
Unlike other garden plants, growing and caring for dahlias is very simple. It is necessary to periodically wind up the bushes, while removing dry flowers and weeding the beds. Dahlias survive the autumn frosts rather poorly, which is why they should be covered with special textiles at night.
Collecting seeds
It is not necessary to purchase seeds for growing dahlias in a specialized store. You can collect the material for sowing yourself in the autumn. Seeds are located in dry inflorescences of dahlias. To do this, carefully separate them from the petals, dry them a little.
Store them until disembarkation, placing in a paper bag. However, it should be noted that there is no likelihood that new plants will be similar to their mother.
Those dahlias that sprout will bloom in the second year, but differences in color and degree of terry may appear if we compare them with the parent plants. This is due to the peculiarities of genetics, because in fact all the characters can be transmitted only in the case of reproduction of dahlias with the help of tubers.
Possible growing problems
If you follow all the rules of agrotechnical cultivation, regularly water, protect the plants from direct sunlight, then dahlias will never hurt, at the same time delighting their master with long flowering. Flowers that fade should be cut in a timely manner. Thanks to this, you will ensure the formation of other inflorescences, lush flowering, which will be pleasing to the eye throughout the season.
As for pests, the plant can be attacked by aphids, slugs, and other enemies. As a prophylaxis, dusting of the soil is used. For this, ground hot pepper or wood ash is used.
Gardeners reviews
Not only experienced gardeners, but also beginners in this business can grow Figaro dahlias in their garden plot successfully. This is because the flowers require very unpretentious care. In addition, this plant will grow from seeds without causing much trouble.
Reviews of the dahlia Figaro suggest that the germination of these plants is very large. Experienced gardeners note that it is necessary to buy seeds from trusted sellers so as not to run into unsuitable material.
Difficulties in growing Figaro dahlias from seeds arise only if the flowers are planted on the street too early. As a rule, in such situations, small bushes freeze, and then die.
But if everything is done according to the rules that were described in the article, then you can very successfully grow this beautiful culture in your garden or in the flowerbed, which will delight the eyes of not only the owner, but also the guests.