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California Gardening Dahlias

Dahlias from nursery have tons of buds, would you remove some?

2 years ago

I just bought a one gallon and several 4" pots of dahlias from the nursery. According to the label they will grow 14" so they are different from our traditional dahlias that grow 5'+. They are all loaded with buds and a couple of open flowers. I know this can be a good thing but I've heard over the years to cut off buds and flowers when planting most plants so plant the plant can put it's energy in it's roots. There are lots of roots in these containers, I just looked.

I really want these to do well as I've almost had to stop growing regular dahlias because it's just become too hot here in my garden in San Jose.

Thanks,

Ginny

zone 5b

Comments (5)

CA Kate z9
2 years ago
I'm trying my hand at growing Dahlias here in CA for the first time too. What I always heard is that if you want big blooms then to take off some of the buds; if you want loads of bloom then you just leave them on.
ginjj thanked CA Kate z9
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
The pots of dahlias in bud found in nurseries now and sold as bedding plants ARE regular dahlias......they have just been grown from seed (or possibly cuttings if a named form). If grown on for a season or two, they will form tubers and grow taller just the same as other dahlias do and will require the same exact care as any other dahlia would. btw, dahlias come in a range of sizes, both wrt flowers and overall height.

Cutting off any buds or flowers won't really accomplish anything towards plant establishment and I wouldn't bother with any removal. Just plant and enjoy.
ginjj thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
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lindac92
2 years ago
No the bedding dahlias are different from the giant dahlias. They may be grown from seed to be sold in the spring as bedding plants, but they form tubers and you can buy bedding dahlia tubers in the very early spring to start yourself.

As for cutting the flowers to encourage root growth, that's not so. All plants exist to reproduce and make seeds, if you cut off the flower and seed head, the plant "wants" to make seeds and puts out more flowers. That's why you deadhead annuals and repeat blooming perennials.
ginjj thanked lindac92
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
They are NO different from taller growing dahlias except that they have been started from seed....ALL bedding dahlias are! Selling of tubers is reserved for named forms, which seed grown plants are not. But even shorter, seed grown dahlias produce tubers after at least one full growing season. Since these are typically grown as annuals, most do not bother to dig and overwinter but these can grow for many years under the proper conditions and are no different in that regard as their taller cousins.
ginjj thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
FrozeBudd_z3/4
2 years ago
lindac92, I understand what you're getting at, dwarf dahlias whether seed grown such as 'Figaro' or vegetative grown types, these will remain dwarf even if stored and kept over ... yes, they're likely to produce sturdier more husky plants the following year, but height itself would not be vastly impacted unless growth regulators had originally been used by the nursery.

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