Organic Dahlia 'Akita'

Organic decorative Dahlia 'Akita'

The Dahlia 'Akita' is a decorative dahlia with large, two-tone flowers. They combine deep, reddish tones with golden or orange edges, which gives a warm look. As the flower opens further, the colour changes to a more pink with yellow hue as can be seen in photo 4. The flowers can grow to around 20-25 centimetres in diameter. The 'Akita' can reach a height of around 100-120 centimetres, making it ideal for the middle or back of a border. A quality tuber from the Bloemoloog can produce 10 to 15 flowers per year, spread over 100 days. It flowers from mid-summer until the first frost. A true sea of flowers, even late in the year when much has already finished flowering and died.

How, where and when do I plant organic dahlia tubers?

Indoor pre-growth

A Dahlia 'Akita' is not winter hardy. This means that the tubers can be grown indoors from March. This gives them a head start in growth and the Dahlias will flower earlier. The plants can be put outside after the Ice Saints (15 May), or earlier if the weather is good, but watch out for night frost, then they will have to go back inside at night.

Outside in the garden

If you choose to wait to plant the dahlia tubers until after the frost, then this is best done up to and including May 15. From then on, the tubers can be planted in the ground without any risk of frost and will flower approximately 60-90 days later. Plant the dahlia tuber with its old flower stem from last year facing upwards, just 2 to 3 centimeters below the ground and keep a distance of half a meter from tuber to tuber.

The planting season is until June.

Location

A dahlia prefers a sunny spot in nutrient-rich, water-permeable, preferably calcareous, sandy soil.
The flowers of the Dahlia 'Akita' grow quite large. We recommend supporting the plant and planting it in a sheltered spot.

For pot planting it is best to use a pot that is at least 40 centimetres wide, so that it does not dry out too quickly in summer.

Dahlias topping

Topping a dahlia is a technique to stimulate growth and make the plant more compact and full. Dahlias are topped when they have reached a certain height, usually when they are in the active growth stage. We recommend allowing at least 2 to 4 pairs of leaves to grow before topping.

A leaf node is where a leaf is attached to the stem. Look at the top pairs of leaves on the stem. Use a sharp, clean pair of pruning shears and cut the stem just above a leaf node. Make sure to make a clean cut so as not to damage the plant. If there are flower buds below the topped spot, you can also remove them. This helps the plant to put more energy into developing side branches. After topping, the dahlia will begin to develop side branches from the leaf axils, resulting in a more floriferous plant.

Caring for the Dahlia 'Akita'

Keep the soil of the Dahlia 'Akita' moist at all times. Too dry soil can cause problems in growth and flowering.
During flowering, the faded flowers are removed for new flowering. When the plant has finished flowering in the fall, it is best to let it die completely, so that no water gets into the hollow flower stems when they are cut off, to prevent rotting.

Dahlias and nutrition

The dahlia is a fast growing plant that can use a lot of nutrition. Feed the plant several times a year for an optimal result.
For organic potting soil, plant food and other soil improvers we recommend Bio Culture On!

What to do with dahlias in autumn?

Protect the tubers that are planted in the open ground with leaves in the winter against light frost. In case of severe frost they should be stored frost-free in a dry place. The advantage of digging out is that the tuber can be divided every year.

Giving back to nature

In the fall, the remains of the dead plant can be cut off and processed into the soil for nutrition. In this way, you give back to nature and your green bin remains empty for vegetable waste from the kitchen.

Propagation of dahlia tubers

In the autumn, the dahlia tubers continue to grow well. Do not remove the tubers from the ground too early for propagation. Just before the first frost is the best time. The tubers can be split immediately, but this can also be done in the spring. The advantage of splitting in the spring is that small growth points can already be seen in the spring. This makes it easy to recognize where the tuber can best be split.

Edible

All of the Dahlia 'Akita' is edible. The tuber tastes like carrots and the flower can be used to garnish a salad or as decoration in a carafe with water, to flavour the water.

Origin of the dahlia

Dahlias originate from Mexico and have been found in European gardens since 1615. They were originally grown as tubers for consumption, but after people discovered how beautiful they can be as ornamental plants, they became one of the most diverse plant species in the world.

Buy Organic Dahlia 'Akita'

Skal NL-BIO-01 certified: 109459

Individually packed or choose a volume discount.

Stacking discount B

Available to order from January '25!

Shipping €8.95 - Free shipping from €100,- purchase.

Characteristics

Other dahlia varieties

NL-BIO-01