The Early Bird Gets The Worm
I keep hearing a lot about dahlias being “behind” this year. And it’s been a brutal summer for some areas of the country. We had a very hot July but overall- not the worst summer I’ve experienced for dahlias. Thankfully the weather is cooling down and the dahlias are loving it.
So your blooms should be along soon but what if there was a little something you could do get blooms sooner?
Plant early varieties!!
These varieties are great for several reasons- Most of them bloom within 75 days. That means they are perfect for short season climates (pretty much guaranteed a bloom before frost!) If you are in a long season, then you usually get 2 flushes out of the plants. So here are my favorite early bloomers!
Peaches N Cream- Not only is this one of the most reliable dahlia varieties for a hot climate but she’s an early bloomer. A must have in my opinion.
Wine Eyed Jill- I love a color changer like this one. If you overwinter her, she’s peachy in Spring’s cooler weather and then pink/purple in warm.
Linda’s Baby- Pinky Coral and just downright cute! Shorter growing habit means she’s perfect for throwing a little frost cloth over too - just to get a few more blooms out of her if you get hit by frost early.
(Pictured below left to right)
4. Sweet Fabienne- Identical plant structure to Linda’s Baby but a pink bloom instead- very productive.
5. Blizzard- always nice to have an early white, productive
6. 20th Ave Gwen- Beautiful pink/yellow in heat and then yellow/peach in cooler weather (my new personal favorite right now!)
(Pictured left to right)
7. 20th Ave Memory- One of the best blushes I’ve ever grown!
8. Karma Marteen Zwaan- Flowers fast- often I can get 3 flushes out of this variety in a season.
9. KA Mocha Katie- more yellow when she flowers early but then goes to the tan/burgundy coloring later in season
10. Sylvia- She’s the perfect orange in my opinion- bright but without screaming at you.
(pictured left to right)
Ten Dahlias guaranteed to get you blooms faster! What are your favorite early bloomers? Drop a line and let me know!
