Dahlia bulbs are often referred to as dahlia bulbs. Factually, that's not quite right. The storage organs of georgines, as the dahlia is also called, are thickened roots, which are called tubers in technical jargon.

Dahlias are not grown from bulbs but from tubers

The difference between tubers and bulbs

Unlike onions, tubers do not consist of several layers. Dahlia shoots grow from the neck of the tuber, in different places, while onions only have one shoot in the middle.

Dahlia tubers form many new small root thickenings, i.e. tubers, over the course of the summer.

Dahlia tubers can be divided

You cannot divide an onion plant. It propagates by seeds or, more importantly, by small daughter bulbs that grow alongside the mother plant. In contrast to the tubers, no vegetation points can be seen on the bulbs.

Dahlias can be propagated by simply cutting the bulb in two. As long as at least one eye remains on the section, a new plant will grow from it. The vegetation points are clearly visible on the tubers.

Dahlias are late bloomers

Most bulbous plants flower early in the year. This is the case, for example, with tulips or daffodils, but also with gladioli.

Bulbous plants like georgines only start flowering later. The flowering period can be brought forward by driving indoors.

Dahlias need an initial fertilization

Onion plants will reproduce even if the soil is poor. The formation of new bulbs can not be stimulated by fertilizer. Onion plants are therefore only fertilized later.

You can promote the development of dahlia tubers if you place the georgines in nutritious, fertilized soil as soon as you plant them.

Overwinter dahlia bulbs

Unlike bulbous plants, dahlias are generally not hardy. After the first frost, you should therefore dig up the tubers and overwinter them indoors. There are various possiblities for that:

  • basement, cellar
  • conservatory
  • pot
  • Outside

It is best to overwinter the tubers at a maximum of ten degrees in a dry place.

tips and tricks

Voles are very fond of dahlia bulbs, or rather tubers. If you have a lot of these pests in the garden, it is better to plant the dahlias in a wire mesh. However, this must be quite large, since the tubers increase in size considerably in summer.

Category:

Vegetable garden