Dahlias are rightfully considered crowned persons among autumn flowers. They flaunt in gardens and flowerbeds until late autumn. Few people know that the cultivation of dahlias has not only aesthetic, but also practical significance. Luxurious, lush, brightly colored flowers attract bees. So, if dahlias grow near vegetable beds, pollination of vegetables is ensured. And finally, for all their beauty, these flowers are quite unpretentious. The topic of today’s article is the Figaro dahlia: growing from seeds.
A bit of history
There is a beautiful legend about the origin of dahlias. During a severe cold snap, the bonfires, supported by people with their last strength, went out. In place of the last ashes, a flower has grown with petals resembling flames. The plant helped people survive difficult times, and has remained an eternal symbol of the desire for life.
According to scientific facts, Central and South America is considered the birthplace of dahlias. In their warm homeland, the plants were real giants – they reached up to 6 m in height.
Flowers were brought to Europe in the XNUMXth century and quickly spread throughout Europe.
Variety description
Dahlia “Figaro” is a dwarf variety with double flowers and dense compact bushes. The plant reaches a height of only 20-30 cm, the flower has a diameter of 10 cm. The advantage of the culture is a large number of inflorescences (up to 15 pcs per plant). The flowers have a variety of colors (hence another name “Figaro Mix”). Another plus of the variety is unpretentiousness. Dahlias can be grown as a garden crop or in pots.
Growing dahlias from seeds
The optimal time for sowing dahlias is March-early April. If you want to get planting material for further breeding of these plants, you need to sow a little earlier.
Work on planting annual terry dahlias is carried out in the following order:
- Preparing containers for seedlings. If you are using plastic containers, you must first make drainage holes in the bottom. Fill containers with planting mix (sand-peat-perlite is best). Before planting dahlia seeds, the pot must be thoroughly washed with ordinary soapy water. Dirt can be a source of disease for the plant.
- Soak the seeds overnight in warm water to which aloe juice has been added (the ratio of water to aloe is 2:1). This procedure is desirable but not required. The plant will turn out to be healthier and stronger, with good immunity.
- Sow the seeds in the prepared soil, sprinkled with earth on top.
- Cover the pot with a piece of glass or plastic wrap. Put it in a sunny, warm place.
- After 2-3 days, the first shoots will appear. Do not rush to remove the film so that the rays of the sun do not damage the delicate plants.
- After the Figaro dahlia gets a little stronger, the dahlia sprouts need to be transplanted into separate containers. If the plants are not swooped down, thickened dahlias will only develop in height. For planting, it is desirable to use a peat-sand mixture with turf soil. When picking, the plant deepens into the ground to the lower leaves.
- When the sprouts are accepted, feed them using any complex fertilizer (the dosage is halved compared to the instructions).
- Dahlias are growing pretty fast. To prevent the stems from stretching too much upward, pinch the plant at the level of the fourth leaf.
- As a result, you will get strong, healthy plants that can be planted in a permanent place without any problems. You need to wait until warm weather sets in so that night frosts do not harm the seedlings.
In warm sunny weather, pots with young plants are taken out into the street, first for 5, then for 10 minutes, gradually increasing the time spent by young plants in the air.
Plants are planted in the soil in the last days of May – early June. The size of the hole is approximately 40 x 40 x 40 cm. Lay a layer of humus or compost on the bottom of the hole, then sprinkle fertilizer with earth and only then plant a seedling. After planting, water the plants and cover the soil with a 5 cm thick layer of mulch. Sawdust or shredded tree bark mixed with peat or compost is well suited for mulching.
Unlike many garden plants, dahlias are very easy to care for. It is necessary to periodically spud plants, remove dry flowers and weed weeds. Dahlias do not tolerate autumn frosts well, so it is advisable to cover them with special textiles at night.
Collecting seed material
Buying seeds is not required at all. You can collect seed in the fall from dried dahlia inflorescences. Carefully separate them from the petals and dry a little. Store until disembarkation, placing in paper bags. At the same time, there is no likelihood that the new flowers will be like two drops of water similar to the mother ones.
