How to pinch dahlias (details)

Dahlias are very popular, beautiful and lush flowers that grow in almost every garden. In general, they are practically not whimsical, but still they must be properly cared for. Dahlia bushes need to remove stepchildren and form a bush, although some young gardeners simply do not know about this and do not think about it. Dahlias are grown from tubers and their bushes must be shaped. Pruning bushes is quite easy to carry out, but in this case, as in everything else, there are rules and features. In this article, we will talk about how to pinch dahlias.

How to pinch dahlias? First, briefly about the plant

The peculiarity of dahlias is that they grow very quickly. Unlike other plants, they bloom for a very long time. They tolerate various weather conditions well and have a very strong immunity.

If you decide to grow dahlias on your site, then you need to choose the right place for them. Because their bushes are tall and very lush. And the flowers themselves, depending on the variety, sometimes simply amaze with their size. Therefore, it is better to plant bushes in full view of everyone. There should be no wind or draft at the chosen place, it should be well illuminated by the sun.

How to grow dahlias correctly

Initially plant dahlias are possible only in spring, when the earth is already well warmed up. So the best period for planting this perennial will be the second half of May.

Before planting dahlias from seeds or tubers, they must be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. Just keep in mind that the potassium permanganate solution should be pale pink. In no case should the concentration of the solution be increased, otherwise you simply risk burning the planting material, and it will not be suitable for growing.

The land must be dug up and fertilized before planting. In this case, compost or wood ash can be used as top dressing. Only it should be in its pure form without impurities. At the bottom of the dug hole intended for a flower, you need to pour a little manure, and pour earth on top of it.

It is best to use only organic matter as a fertilizer before planting. And minerals as top dressing should be applied only in summer, not earlier than mid-July.

When planting tubers, the depth should be no more than 20 cm. After planting, this place is best mulched. For dahlias, sawdust mixed with peat is best. It is impossible to plant plants too densely. The distance between the bushes should be at least 1 meter.

Behind the bushes you need to carry out proper care, it includes: high-quality watering of plants, weed removal, loosening of the earth, timely feeding, timely removal of stepsons and the formation of a bush, if necessary, a bush tie to an appropriate support.

Dahlia bushes need to be watered 2 times a week. But feeding should be done before planting, then in mid-July and at the end of August. At the end of summer, dahlias need a mineral mixture that contains more calcium and phosphorus. After all, it is he who is necessary for plants at this time.

But nitrogen, on the contrary, should be as little as possible. Otherwise, the preparation of the bush for winter will be delayed, and the greenery will actively grow. And this is not very useful for the bush.

How to pinch dahlias correctly at home

Of course, many may be surprised, but dahlias can be grown even at home on a windowsill.In order for the flower to be lush and beautiful, the first thing you need to do for it is to pick up a large and strong pot. And at the bottom of the pot, drainage must be poured. And pour earth on top of it.

If the soil in the pot is often waterlogged, then the flower will wither very quickly due to insufficient oxygen. And the roots of the plant can simply rot. Therefore, there must be holes at the bottom of the pot so that excess water comes out of the ground when watering.

Since the soil in the pot must be fertilized and nutritious, the stones at the bottom of the pot, which act as drainage, will act as a filter so that only excess water comes out of the pot, and not the earth along with the elements necessary for the flower.

Houseplants, just like those that grow on the site, require timely watering, careful loosening, timely feeding and other points of care.

When growing dahlias at home in pots, you need to choose the right varieties. They should be low, compact and not very bulky roots that do not grow.

How to pinch dahlias: in detail

All experienced gardeners say the same thing. That dahlias must be pinned. In the formation of bushes, this is one of the most important procedures. If done correctly, the bushes will be more lush and healthy. Beautiful flowers will appear on them in large numbers.

If pruning is carried out in the summer, then the plant will receive all the substances it needs in the right amount. Indeed, at this time you will cut off all the extra processes, and then all the power of the bush will be completely directed to the flowers. In this case, the buds will form better, they will bloom longer and emit an amazing aroma.

After the pruning event, the bush looks not only more beautiful and well-groomed, but also healthier. And the immunity of such a bush becomes stronger and in this case it is practically not exposed to fungal diseases. Insects "bypass" it.

But when the dahlia is not pinched, the bush spends its energy on the entire plant as a whole. And this affects not only its appearance, but also the flowering. A large number of buds that form on such bushes may simply not bloom. And the blossoming flowers will definitely be small, weak and will begin to crumble very quickly.

When the bush grows very much without pruning, then the root system simply does not have enough strength and power to fully feed all the plants. And you can simply forget about the accumulative part of the elements. In this case, during severe winter frosts, the plant will simply die.

But even if, by some miracle, an uncircumcised plant survives the winter, it can very easily die in the spring. With high humidity, it will simply rot. But remember that you can only form those dahlia bushes that grow more than a meter in height.

Those that grow below this size are considered decorative and do not require shaping. It will be enough for them that the extra processes will be torn off them.

• Initially, the removal of excess processes should begin at the end of June. It was at this time that the active growth of the bush begins. This procedure must be repeated every two weeks. And this is done until the buds begin to appear on the bush.
• It is best to spawn the plant in the morning, after all the dew has dried.
• You need to trim stepchildren with a sharp, clean tool. Dahlia pinching is done in the same way as tomato pinching.
• If the bushes are not very tall, then the processes at the top may not be cut off.
• The pruning event needs to be carried out several times per season.
• On the day when pinching is carried out, you do not need to water the dahlia bushes.
• Dahlias need not only pinch, but also pinch, remove excess processes and leaves.

It is necessary to carry out pinching only on the already formed tops, on which the buds have begun to form. And the undeveloped ones need to be left in order for them to grow to the desired stage. The developed tops should be pinched no more than 5 cm. That is, remove the part of the top, on which several leaves are formed.

This is done so that young shoots stop developing for some time. Then all the necessary substances are evenly distributed throughout the bush. And thanks to this, new buds begin to actively develop. If you do not carry out this procedure, then the bush will not be lush and, accordingly, there will be practically no flowers on it. He will grow in height and look miserable.

Cutting and shaping rules

Pruning just needs to be done in order for the bush to look well-groomed. In this case, he begins to bloom early and all his strength goes to the formation of beautiful and large flowers.

The pruning procedure is carried out as follows: no more than 5 full-fledged stems should remain on the bush, while the rest should be cut with a sharp tool as low as possible to the ground.

Despite the fact that pruning leaves some gardeners consider it useless, this is not the case. During this procedure, when the lower leaves are removed, the root system develops better. And the tubers of the plant receive more nutrients.

When pruning in summer, dahlias need to cut off several pairs of lower leaves. The main thing is that it needs to be done correctly. With this pruning, the root collar of the plant opens up and oxygen flows to it much better. And the extra buds are cut off so that the rest develop better and subsequently bloom.

Experienced gardeners always say that before carrying out pruning and pinching activities, the bushes generally need to be very carefully examined. If any fungal disease or insect pests are found on them, then initially it is necessary to carry out treatment or destruction.

Always keep your trimming tools clean. Ideally, disinfected. This is necessary so that you do not introduce any kind of infection into the cut of the plant.

You also need to choose a specific day for trimming. It should not be very hot, but not rainy, and there should be no wind either.

After cutting and shaping the place of cuts, it is imperative to process it with special means. The most popular for this are: "Abiga-peak", "Bordeaux liquid", "Fudazol" and the like.

After processing, the bush should dry well. In no case should it be watered on this day.

To fully understand how to properly carry out all the care of these beautiful flowers, you need to study all the nuances that can occur. It is advisable to read the necessary literature and listen to the advice of experienced gardeners.

Pruning, shaping, etc. must be carried out in order for the bushes to be healthy and fully bloom. Despite the fact that it seems to novice gardeners that it will be difficult to grow full-fledged, beautiful flowers, they still take up this business.

At the very first carrying out of the necessary manipulations, it becomes clear that this is not the case. The main thing in growing dahlias is to understand how to properly carry out all the actions. And then these lush, large and beautiful flowers, which emit a very pleasant, moderately strong aroma, will delight you and decorate your site.