Plan Your Garden
Plan Your Dahlia Garden
From choosing the perfect varieties to figuring out how many plants will fit, these simple tools can help you create a garden you'll love.
Variety Finder
Build Your Dahlia Garden
Not sure which dahlias to choose? Tell us a little about your garden and what you love, and we'll help you find varieties that are a beautiful fit.
Your matches will appear here — tell us a little about your garden and we'll do the digging.
Dahlia Growing Guide
How to Grow Dahlias
Everything you need, from the first planting to the winter storage box — tap a topic to expand it.
A season at a glance
Dahlias follow the same rhythm every year — from a tuber in the ground to a box in the cellar, and back again.
- Plant
- Grow
- Pinch
- Bloom
- Cut
- Dig
- Store
Planting+
- Dahlias thrive in full sun and well-drained soil.
- Plant tubers in the spring after the danger of frost has passed.
- Dig a hole approximately 4–6 inches deep and place the tuber horizontally with the eye facing upward.
- Cover with soil and wait to water until sprouts appear to help prevent tuber rot.
- Adding stakes at planting time will help support taller varieties later in the season.
Spacing+
- Space plants approximately 12–24 inches apart depending on the variety.
- Smaller, compact varieties can sit 12 inches apart; big dinnerplates and cut-flower rows are happier with 18–24 inches.
- Good spacing means airflow between plants, which keeps foliage healthy through humid summer weeks.
Watering+
- Once established, water deeply 2–3 times a week rather than a light sprinkle every day.
- Water consistently, particularly during dry periods — dahlias are thirsty once they're growing strongly.
- Water at the base of the plant when you can, so leaves dry quickly and stay disease-free.
Pinching+
- When plants reach approximately 12 inches tall, pinch them to encourage bushier growth and additional blooms.
- Snip or pinch off the growing tip just above the top set of leaves.
- Pinching delays the first blooms by a couple of weeks but rewards you with many more stems all season.
Staking & Support+
- Taller varieties can easily reach 4 feet and flop in summer rain — stake them at planting time so roots aren't disturbed later.
- A sturdy stake beside each plant, twine between posts, or a simple corral all work beautifully.
- Tie stems loosely as they grow so they're supported but never strangled.
Cutting Flowers+
- Cut in the cool of the morning when stems are fullest, and place them straight into deep, cool water.
- Cut just above a set of leaves — the plant will branch and produce more flowers.
- Deadhead spent flowers regularly to encourage continued blooming throughout the season.
End-of-Season Care+
- Keep cutting and deadheading — dahlias bloom right up until frost.
- Stop fertilizing in late summer so the plants put energy back into their tubers.
- After the first frost blackens the foliage, it's time to prepare your tubers for winter.
Digging & Storing Tubers+
- Cut the stalk down to several inches above the ground.
- Carefully dig around the plant and gently lift the entire tuber clump.
- Shake away excess soil and allow the tubers to dry in a cool, dry location for several days.
- Store them in a breathable container using materials such as peat moss, wood shavings, or vermiculite.
- Keep them somewhere cool, dark, and protected from freezing until spring.
Want the long version, with photos? Read the full growing guide.
Planting Calculator
How Many Dahlias Can I Plant?
Enter the size of your garden bed and we'll estimate how many dahlia plants can comfortably fit.
Your bed, roughly sketched
Each flower marks about where a plant would sit.
Enter your bed size and we'll sketch your planting plan here.
Found your favorites?
Our tuber shop opens each season as varieties are dug, divided and labelled — and Debi is always happy to help you narrow down a list.