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Dahlia (Dahlia) belongs to the Asteraceae family, came to us from Chile, its genus is numerous and diverse. But, despite this, natural species are practically not used in cultural floriculture – they are bred exclusively by collectors and originals. This is not surprising, because varietal dahlias are many times superior to them in their decorative qualities. Now there are more than 15000 varieties, and their number is growing every season.
These flowers are remarkable for their diversity: the tallest varieties exceed one and a half meters tall, while the undersized ones may not reach 30 cm, the size of the inflorescence is from 3 to 25 cm and more. Dahlia flowers can be simple, double, semi-double, with petals open or turned outward, there are even “collar” inflorescences. Nature did not stint on color – it can be snow-white, all shades of yellow, orange, pink, purple, red, there are varieties of almost black color. Very often, dahlias are painted with several harmoniously combined colors. Recently, undersized dahlias have been very popular.
Life cycle and structure of dahlias
Dahlia is a perennial plant with a pronounced dormant period. Her aerial part dies off every year, and the root tubers are a “pantry” with a supply of nutrients and serve as the basis for the development of the plant in the next growing season.
The structure of the dahlia
Dahlias are made up of:
- Root cones or root tubers, which are thickened roots that store a supply of moisture and nutrients. They allow the plant to survive the dormant period, in the new season it is there that the vegetative processes begin.
- root neck – it is the lower part of the stem, to which modified roots are attached. When digging a dahlia in autumn, it cannot be cut off; new stems will form at its base after leaving the dormant period. If the root neck is completely cut off, the root tubers will only have to be thrown out – they will not give new plants.
- stems. Despite the fact that the stems of dahlias are hollow, they are quite strong. But all the same, tall plants need to be tied to a support – dahlias bloom profusely, and the inflorescences are very large. Often the shoot simply cannot bear the weight of the flowers.
- Inflorescence. Dahlia inflorescence is a complex basket, painted with a wide variety of colors. It consists of marginal reed and tubular flowers. Marginal flowers can be flat, turned inward or outward, modified collar, and tubular – open or remaining buds until withering.
Life cycle of a dahlia
Dahlias have a one-year growing cycle with a pronounced dormant period. A new cycle can only begin after the previous one has been completed. If you transplant a dahlia into a pot, bring it into a warm room for the winter, water and feed it, it will simply die. After the first frosts hit, the stems are cut off, the root tubers are brought into a dark, cool room with a temperature of 5-8 degrees and they are allowed to rest for several months.
A new growing cycle begins with the awakening of root cones, they are brought into a warm room, moistened and exposed to light. With the onset of suitable weather, dahlias are planted in open ground, where they grow and bloom throughout the warm period. After the onset of frost, the root tubers are taken out of the ground, and everything is repeated all over again.
All dahlias can be propagated from cuttings, and some undersized varieties are often propagated using seeds. In the first months of life, they behave like most plants – their life cycle begins either with the germination of seeds or with the formation of roots, but soon root tubers are laid, in winter they leave as full-fledged representatives of their kind with all its inherent features.
undersized dahlias
Undersized dahlias are called dwarf, midgets, minion. They became especially popular not so long ago, after new, very beautiful and diverse varieties appeared. Midgets are resistant to diseases, adverse conditions and are excellent for growing as a pot or container plant.
Often, low-growing varieties of dahlias are called curb, starting from the fact that curbs are usually the smallest plants. In relation to dahlias, this is wrong, there is an international classification, according to which curb varieties grow in height from 60 cm and above. Dwarf dahlias usually have bushes of about 30 cm.
It should be noted that the height of this flower is very dependent on growing and planting conditions. The same variety, depending on the circumstances, can easily reach 30-40 cm with an average height of 50 cm, or not want to exceed 20 cm in any way. This depends on the fertility and structure of the soil, watering, fertilizing, and the ecological situation. Remember, the better conditions are created for a dahlia, the higher it will grow. Interestingly, this does not apply to flowering, often the growth of the vegetative mass is at the expense of flowering.
Varieties of undersized dahlias
In the International classification of dahlias, which was adopted in 1962, undersized varieties were not even included, they were so few and uninteresting. If lovers of flowers belonging to the older generation are asked what kind of low-growing varieties of dahlias they know, most of them will remember only “merry little men”.
The rise in popularity of low-growing dahlias is associated with the appearance of the Gallery variety series, a Dutch selection bred when the boom in container and potted garden flowers began.
Sort series “Gallery”
After 15 years of painstaking work, in 1994 a collection of dahlia varieties of the Dutch selection “Gallery” was presented. These are fully double varieties of extraordinary beauty, as can be clearly seen in the photo, suitable for growing in pots and containers. During winter storage, they do not take up much space, can remain in pots, tolerate waxing well and can be stored in the vegetable section of the refrigerator.
Usually the size of a bush fluctuates around 40 cm, but it strongly depends on growing conditions. If you want to get more compact bushes, water the plants moderately and do not overdo it with fertilizers and soil fertility. Inflorescences for such growth are quite large – 10-15 cm.
Gallery Cobra
An excellent orange variety with slightly recurved reed flowers.
Gallery Renoir
Variety with very beautiful pink terry inflorescences.
Gallery La Tour
The pink petals of the flowers of this variety have a barely noticeable lilac hue at the tips.
Galleri Bellini
The variety has bright pink double flowers, the inner part of the petals of which is very light.
Gallery Vincent
The orange flowers of this variety have an original shape.
Gallery Rembrandt
Low-growing variety with a pink delicate flower.
Gallery Vermeer
Golden variety with large inflorescences and pointed petals.
Gallery Art Fire
Snow-white undersized variety with a slightly yellowish center and buds.
Gallery Serenade
The yellow inflorescence with slightly wavy petals adds extra charm to this undersized variety.
Gelleri Art Nouveau
A variety of deep pink color with marginal petals slightly bent to one side.
Gallery Pablo
A low-growing variety with yellow petals that have a salmon-pink blurred edge.
Gallery Cézanne
White variety with a slight yellow tint.
Art Deco galleries
A very beautiful bright red flower.
Gallery Sisley
Pink-lilac variety with a dark center.
Gallery Singer
Low-growing variety of the classic form of red color.
Gallery Salvador
A short cultivar with pink petals covered with darker streaks.
Gallery of Coins
A very beautiful flower of the original form, the petals are white with blurry purple strokes.
Undersized dahlias “Mignon”
“Mignon” is a very conventional designation. It usually combines varieties that can be propagated by seeds. Their main advantage is that planting material does not need to be stored, and dahlias grown through seedlings bloom very early and release buds until frost. They grow well outdoors and as a container plant.
This does not mean that the tubers formed over the summer must be left in the ground, they can be dug up and germinated next spring, like an ordinary dahlia. It should be noted that the flowers of the next generation, grown from their own seeds, may lose their doubleness.
Jolly Fellows
These undersized flowers can be double or simple, have a wide variety of colors, and are easily propagated by seeds.
Piccolo
Low-growing semi-double flowers of various colors.
Figaro
Undersized terry dahlias of various colors, somewhat reminiscent of low chrysanthemums. They winter well right in pots and can bloom in the second year at the end of May.
Caring for undersized varieties of dahlias
By and large, caring for undersized varieties is no different from caring for tall curb dahlias – except that you don’t need to tie and pinch them. Moreover, according to their growth, they need only a little less – water, fertilizing, care.
After germination, they are planted in soil or containers in the sunniest place, regularly watered, moderately fertilized. It is better not to feed dahlias with organic matter and not to loosen. They need to be planted in loose soil and mulched – so you need to water less, and weeds do not grow.
If you remove wilted inflorescences in time, more buds will form. Often, late in autumn, nature jokes with us – either frost hits, or the temperature rises again. If nothing can be done with tall dahlias, after the first frosts they need to be dug up and sent to rest, then undersized ones can still bloom. Potted plants are brought into a warm room for a cold snap, and then taken back to the street, and those growing in open ground can be covered with agrofiber.
Watch a short video showing low-growing varieties of dahlias grown from seeds:
Conclusion
We hope that we have persuaded even city dwellers to get a couple of low-growing dahlias as pot plants. Believe me, they are so beautiful, bloom so profusely and respond to the smallest care, that it is impossible not to love them.