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Dazzling, delightful and dependable dahlias. Mark Hurst's passion for these flowers creates beauty in his landscape and some to share with others.
If you have noticed great dahlias at the county and state fair, they likely included some from his garden.
Hurst and his wife, Sue, are longtime gardeners in West Valley City, but their focus wasn't always on dahlias.
"I always grew vegetables, but one day I just started growing flowers," Mark said. "A gentleman across the street gave me my first tubers in 2003 — or around that time. I messed up growing them the first couple of years and didn't do too well, but since that time they have been my favorite flower."
"Dahlias are fascinating flowers," he said "You get more bang for your buck with them than any other flower. They start blooming in mid-July and keep blooming until frost. This morning I cut three large bucketfuls for a local floral designer."
The plants originated in Mexico and Central America and made their way to Spain and across Europe. They were named after a Swedish botanist Anders Dahl and were originally grow as a food crop. The tubers have the texture and taste of a spicy potato with spicy smelling foliage.
Dahlias are members of the Composite family and are related to chrysanthemums and daisies. In our area they are tender, so they have to be taken in or protected during the winter.
Hurst's advice for a growing area is to think tomatoes. If you have a good spot for tomatoes, you can grow dahlias. They need six hours of sunlight to thrive, but the light intensity varies with the flower color.
Hurst points out the growing areas in his garden and explains their pros and cons.
"The more pale the dahlia, the more brightness it can tolerate, but deeper colors might fade when exposed to full sun during the bloom stage. I plan to put some shade cloth over those beds because it helps the flowers grow bigger and last longer."
He further explains their space requirements. "Don't expect to plant a tuber in any bare spot in the garden. Plants should be 36 inches apart, or even more, as some feeder roots can extend over two feet. Even dwarf dahlias sold as bedding plants in the spring will fill out a 24-inch space.
To help his plants grow better, Hurst adds homemade compost to the beds to create a fertile, loose and well-drained soil.
One of the most important aspects of growing dahlias is the support system. Many varieties grow very tall, and the large flowers are very heavy. Hurst said there are many methods to support the plants including tomato cages and stakes. Hurst noted gardeners should insert the stakes at planting time to avoid piercing the tubers.
After selecting and preparing the growing area the fun begins. Few flowers have the size, shape and color selection of these dazzling flowers. Dahlia flowers can be 2 inches across to more than 10 inches across, which gives rise to their common moniker of dinner-plate dahlias.
In addition to flower size, the various flower forms are more diverse than most other flowers. Exotic blossom shapes range from anemone, orchid, cactus and peony flowering types. The stunning array of 14 colors and many bicolor and variegated combinations give other wonderful dimensions to your choices.
The choice is not easy as the American Dahlia society has an online "Big List" with more than 2,000 cultivars. Hurst has numerous choices that he grows, and he trades with other local growers and also orders from many specialty suppliers.
Since fall is almost upon us, I asked Hurst to share how to preserve these flowers to grow them in your landscape again next season.
He advises that you pick out only the cultivars you really like. If it was a poor plant on top it is most likely not good below ground.
He admits that everyone has their favorite methods. "Let the tops freeze back and then cut the stalks down to about a foot. Let them harden off in the soil for two weeks to set the skins and buds — or eyes — for the next season. Carefully dig the plants and then scrape away excess soil. Leave them in the sunlight for several hours to further harden the skins before storage."
He likes to wash and divide his tubers in the fall, although many growers wait and do that in the spring. Regardless of your choice, the tubers must be stored in a dark place at 32-50 degrees F.
Traditional methods include burying the tubers in dry peat moss, sawdust or soil, but Hurst prefers to store his in industrial-size plastic wrap to prevent them from dehydrating.
His final advice is to keep the tubers from getting mixed up. "I write the name on the tubers with a permanent marker, and I write the name on the tape that I use to seal the wrapped tubers. I also keep a detailed planting map of each of my beds. If I don't know its name, I can't love it."
Get information about the show at http://utahdahliasociety.blogspot.com/
Get other great information on growing dahlias from the American Dahlia Society at www.dahlia.org.
Written by: Larry A. Sagers Extension Horticulture Specialist Utah State University Thanksgiving Point Office
