Dahlia Game Plan 2024: Getting Organized- Fertilization
The new year has begun and it’s time to get ready because dahlia season will be here before we know it! For some of us it’s only a month away and others will have to wait until late Spring.
This series is designed to help you develop a more organized approach to growing your dahlias. Today I want to introduce you to my spreadsheet that I use for tracking fertilization and pest control.
So why do I track these 2 things specifically?
- Because there’s more than just me working around here. This way my employees know the bigger picture of what is happening in the dahlia field.
- Because in a few years, I’ll have valuable data that I can use to project things like: How much fertilizer do I need to buy at the beginning of the season? When do the Japanese Beetles usually show up?
- Because it keeps me accountable to make sure my dahlias are getting cared for regularly
Today we are going to concentrate on the fertilization side. Pest Control is coming in the next blog.
First off consistency is very important. We like to eat regularly, so do our plants. Dahlias aren’t a plant it and forget it type of thing. Consistency can look different depending on your goals and amount of time. We are a commercial farm so we fertilize every week. But maybe every other week works for you or even once a month.
Just keep in mind you will see different results depending on how often you fertilize. I recommend at least every other week for the home gardener.
Sylvia, Pink Sylvia, Caitlyn’s Joy and Sweet Nathalie
Now- what are we fertilizing with? Dahlias need different nutrients at different stages. From sprout to around the 2 month mark, they need a complete fertilizer (Complete fertilizer has nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus) which has a higher percentage of nitrogen.
I really like to use liquid organic fertilizers in this instance. My favorite is to mix fish emulsion with the Rose and Flowering fertilizer from Neptune’s harvest. This gets the nitrogen to the highest percentage in your mix but also gives the plants some phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). I like to go ahead and give the P and K in the early stages because I feel it really helps out the early bloomers. They are going to be setting buds around the 40 day mark.
Once you see bud development, it’s time to swap your strategy around. Now the plants need a higher percentage of phosphorus and potassium. But you can’t neglect the nitrogen. You just don’t need as much. I especially think the nitrogen is important if you have a long flowering season. They are going to need a lot of food to keep going.
I like to use a few different things. Alaska Morbloom is great- 0-10-10. I would add a low dose of some nitrogen (fish emulsion, kelp, etc.) if this is the only fertilizer I was using. I also like the Southern Ag Bloom Booster- 10-30-20. (There are a lot of companies that make a similar product to this as well).
I do recommend taking a trip to your local nursery or feed and seed. See what they have in stock. Fertilizer can be heavy and expensive to ship. And it’s always good to support your local businesses. Remember there are a lot of similar products out there- it’s more important you know what nutrients to focus on during the different stages of growth.
Peaches N Cream
So how do we apply it? Well if you are really lucky, you have a fertigation system that feeds it through your irrigation system. Unfortunately I don’t. We use a battery powered backpack sprayer. I highly recommend the My4Sons brand. I’ve had mine for years.
You can also mix ingredients in your spraying. You don’t have to spray each one individually. But you do need to research online or read the bottle to make sure it mixes well with others. If you have an oil based product in your mix, I recommend using an emulsifier product to keep everything mixed up.
If you are working on a small scale, a watering can or pitcher works just as well. They also make hand crank sprayers. Dahlias benefit from a foliar spray because they have such broad leaves.
Coseytown Clem
Lastly do make sure you are watering consistently. Hydration is just as important as feed for the plant! Irrigation systems are pretty easy to set up. And winter is a great time to research how to do it!
So Game Plan Step 1- Get Organized and decide what your fertilization schedule will be this year.