Dahlias Funny guys - planting and care
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When decorating landscape design, it is difficult to choose flower cultures so that they are maximally combined with each other. For example, you can plant dahlias of the Merry Guys variety. This hybrid looks beautiful in a variety of flower arrangements.
Description of dahlias Funny guys
Dahlias Merry Guys are the most common variety among flower growers. The plant belongs to low-growing annual hybrids, intended for planting in the open field. The height of mature bushes ranges from 30 to 65 cm. The stems are thick and strong. Foliage of a dark emerald hue.
What do dahlias look like? Funny guys
Planting a plant
Planting flower seeds is a simple process. The main thing is to carry it out correctly, and then transplant the seedlings into open ground to a permanent place.
Planting from seeds
The optimal time to plant seeds is mid-April.
Step-by-step planting process:
- Pour the prepared soil into the container.
- Spread the seeds over the surface of the soil.
- Lightly sprinkle the planting material with soil after sowing and sprinkle with warm water.
- Cover the container with cling film or glass to help the seedlings emerge faster.
- The film is regularly removed to water the substrate and allow it to ventilate (this condition is necessary to prevent the appearance of mold).
As soon as the first sprouts begin to appear, the film is immediately removed. After the appearance of several pairs of large leaves, they are transplanted into peat cups.
Planting seedlings in open ground
Transplanting into a flower bed is carried out after the appearance of several large leaves. It is also important that it is warm outside.
Before planting seedlings in a flower bed, it must be prepared for outdoor conditions. A few weeks before transplanting, containers with seedlings are taken out into the street for 20-30 minutes. An annual can be planted in the ground along with peat cups. So the root system will not be injured and the seedlings will quickly take root in a new place.
Dahlias Funny guys are light-loving, so you need to choose areas located in the sun. Seedlings are planted at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other. If the flowers grow too close, they will run out of space and the bushes will not be as lush. In addition, planting seedlings too close often leads to the occurrence of diseases.
Planting seedlings in a flower bed
How to care for dahlias Funny guys
When growing dahlias, care must not be forgotten.
Watering
For watering annual dahlias, it is advisable to use only water heated in the sun. Irrigation with cold water often causes fungal diseases.
Watering is carried out as needed. In hot summer they are held almost every day.
Top dressing
Growing plants involves the regular use of mineral and organic fertilizers.You can feed the flowers with chicken droppings dissolved in water, wood ash, or adding manure to the soil. 2-3 times a month, the flower bed should be fertilized with minerals (complex).
Pruning
Adult dahlias do not need pruning. You can only cut off faded inflorescences so that they do not spoil the design of the flower bed.
Reproduction methods
Dahlias have a friendly family, like other varieties, only two ways of reproduction - by seeds or nodules. In the fall, after the flowers have faded, you can dig up the tubers, place them in a dry box and put them in a cool place, and re-plant them next year.
You can also grow seedlings from seeds next year. The planting material is harvested after the inflorescences have faded and dried. The faded flower must be cut off and left for several days to dry the seeds.
Transfer
It is not always possible to immediately find the perfect place for plants. If dahlias have begun to bloom poorly or do not bloom at all, then they will have to be transplanted to a new place. The problem with transplanting plants in summer is that the root system is already fully formed, and transplanting only injures it.
Transfer
If you cannot do without this, you need to carry out this procedure with minimal risks to the flower. The bush is dug out with a large clod of earth so as not to damage the root system. After that, they are transplanted to a new place and watered abundantly with warm water.
Diseases and pests
Common diseases and pests:
- gray rot;
- white rot;
- fusarium wilting;
- brown rot;
- spotting;
- aphid;
- nematodes;
- cabbage scoop;
- bedbugs;
- slugs.
So that the bushes do not hurt, they need to be properly looked after. If the plants are nevertheless infected with any diseases, they need to be treated urgently.
Spraying the bushes with chemicals helps against diseases. Effective drugs are foundazol, phytosporin-M, Bordeaux liquid, oxyhom.
Spraying with soapy water with wood ash helps from pests. If the insect population is too large, you will have to resort to the use of insecticides.
Flowering period
During the flowering period, the bushes must be taken care of. At this time, flowers need as many nutrients as possible so that they grow lush and bloom for a long time. To do this, the flower bed can be watered once every two weeks with nitrogen. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise the bushes will completely stop blooming and will only grow deciduous mass.
Dahlia bloom
Preparing for winter
In climates with frosty winters, dahlias do not hibernate outdoors. To grow plants further, in late autumn, the entire deciduous part is cut off, and the tubers are dug up. Then they need to be laid out in a dry room to dry out. After that, the tubers can be folded into a box and put into the cellar.
Use in landscape design
Funny kids - dahlias, which are used to decorate flower beds. The plant blends harmoniously with most flower crops. Mono-flower beds with dahlias alone will also look beautiful.
Dahlias in landscape design
The variety of dahlia Merry Children has many advantages - long flowering, various shades of inflorescences and unpretentious care. The blossoming buds will add bright colors to the garden.The main thing is to plant flowers correctly and provide them with the required care.
