Dahlia bulbs are some of the easiest and most popular perennials to grow. Dinnerplate dahlias are known for their enormous blooms growing 10 inches and beyond, and they sometimes reach to 5 feet tall. It’s hard to fathom! Their petals may appear twisted or cupped, making a full bouquet an absolute work of art. For gardeners who have the space for a cut flower garden near their home, dinnerplate dahlias are a must-have, and they work best in the back—standing tall and making their presence known.
To Grow them is to Love them!
Eden Brothers’ spring-planted dahlia tubers are always extremely coveted, with some varieties selling out immediately after they become available. If you’re a dahlia-lover, please shop early! When you reserve bulbs in advance, they’ll ship to you in spring at the perfect time to plant. Being the showstoppers of the bunch, dinnerplate dahlias go even faster than their decorative, cactus, and ball dahlia peers.
A Dinnerplate Mix that Does it All!
If you simply can’t decide on one dinnerplate dahlia, our AA Giant Bloom Dahlia Mix combines 6 favorite (an enormous) blooms. The more bulbs you purchase, the more savings you’ll enjoy. There’s no excuse to not go big!
5 Easy Steps for Growing Huge Dinnerplate Dahlias
1. Find the sun!
You’ll plant tubers in late spring or early summer after danger of frost has passed. Dahlia’s love heat! Choose a sunny spot. Dahlias will tolerate a little shade but a bright and sunny location is best.
2. How big should you dig?
Make your hole big enough to accommodate the roots, and then place the entire tuber in the hole with the stubs of last year’s stem/stems pointing up.
3. When to water.
Unless it is a very dry spring, it is not necessary to water at the time of planting—that may encourage rot. But as soon as your dahlias are growing above the ground, water deeply to encourage strong roots.
4. Maintenance.
As plants grow, remove broken or damaged foliage. Once plants are several feet high lower leaves can be removed to increase air circulation. You may need to stake at this point as some dahlias can become very heavy. Learn how to prevent pests and diseases in our recent blog post.
5. Prepare for next season.
A heavy frost will kill the plant so you may want to dig the half a dozen or more tubers the plant has produced. Those tubers can then be stored until next spring! In Zones 8 and warmer, tubers can be left in the ground and will bloom the following summer.
The variety of color, size, shape and petal texture of dinnerplate dahlias is neverending. It’s easy to get lost in the catalog of choices. But we try to make it easier on you with our handy website filters. Once you’re on the dahlia page, you can select color, zone, and additional features to access the best fit for your garden.