Includes
compost maintenance
February-March—bed preparation
- Lay carboard.
- Soak and cover with compost, manure, soil, straw,
etc.
April—sorting and potting tubers.
-
Compost maintenance—on-going.
- Remove tubers from boxes and pot some of them.
May 7th to 21st—planting
-
Plant tubers. (or transfer potted plants).
- Stake each plant and attach label.
- Add bone meal and compost in bottom of hole.
- Compost maintenance—on-going: Begin adding grass-clippings and dried leaves or straw. Keep moist. Turn regularly.
June—watering, pest control
-
Protect sprouting plants from slugs. Apply diatomaceous earth. Hand-pick slugs at dusk.
- Begin regular watering when plants are few inches tall.
- Continue maintenance of compost pile—haul and mix in manure.
June-July—topping, tying, pest control, weed control, watering, fertilizing, fencing
- Continue regular watering. Deep water every 3 days if no rain.
- Protect young plants from rabbits, woodchucks and deer. Apply cayenne pepper to deter rabbits. Install poultry fencing to keep woodchucks out. Build a deer fence if necessary
- Begin tying up plants.
- "Top" the plants when they are about 15" tall.
- Pinch off extra sprouts at ground level.
- Begin weeding.
- Mulch the paths between rows with carboard and woodchips.
- Top-dress the plants with well-rotted manure or compost.
- Continue compost construction: Use grass-clippings mixed with leaves saved from previous fall..
July-August—disbranching, staking/tying, pest control, watering, fertilizing, weeding
- Pest control: earwigs, cucumber beetles, Japanese beetles, goldenrod soldier beetles, thrips.
- Apply diatomaceous earth. Hand pick bugs if necessary.
- De-branch if necessary. Maintain 4 or 5 branches off the main stem.
- Continue regular watering.
- Continue tying. Add additional stakes as necessary.
- Fertilize with fish emulsion. Mix into a thirty gallon trash can and apply with a bucket.
- Pinch side buds to encourage larger central bud
- Continue compost construction.
August—pinching side-buds, watering, fertilizing, pest and disease control, staking/tying
- Top-dress again with compost/manure.
- Fertilize again with fish emulsion.
- Continue watering.
- Protect against wind damage with stakes and string. (Tying becomes a major chore when plants get branchy and top heavy.)
- Pinch side-buds.
- Begin cutting blooms for vases and table arrangements.
- Continue pest control. Spray with light-weight horticultural oil.
- Begin preventive measures against powdery mildew: spray with postassium bicarbonate and/or milk.
September—pinching side-buds, watering, powdery mildew, staking/tying
October before frost—pinching, staking/tying, build compost pile
- Same as August-September
- Build winter compost pile with grass clippings, shredded leaves and manure.
- Water the pile and cover with plastic sheet to keep moisture in.
- Collect extra tree leaves and store for use in compost next year.
After frost (October, November)—dig tubers, wash/divide/store
- Remove stakes. Dig clumps. Wash and move into basement.
- Divide, label and catalog tubers. Store in vermiculite.
- Continue compost maintenance with kitchen scraps.
November to January—compost maintenance
- Continue compost maintenance when temperature allows it.
...
Reviewing the main points: The most physically demainding chores are digging holes in new beds and pounding stakes. Also hauling wheel-barrows full of compost around. The most time consuming tasks are: watering and tying. Adequate watering is essential. Fertilizing as well. The most under-appreciated chores are: pinching side-buds to enrourage growth of cental flower and also topping the young plant. Dahlias require active management to produce the most beautiful display. They are vigorous growers when the conditions are right, and seem to thrive on pinching and pruning. The greatest danger is letting them sit in soggy soil. Even a fully mature plant will rot where it exits the ground if the soil is too wet. Dahlias need well-drained soil. Note: dahlias don't do well in pots. Even raised beds are iffy. The most damaging pest in this part of the country is the cucumber beetle. Earwigs can also be troublesome. I haven't figured out whether the earwigs are nesting/congregating on the plants or are actually feeding on it. Also: powdery mildew can be devastating in late summer.