Organic Dahlia 'Larry's Love'

Organic Decorative Dahlia

The Dahlia 'Larry's Love' is a decorative type of dahlia with petals that are white at the tips and feature a striking gradient of red towards the center of the flower. The petals do not curl back as far as those of ball dahlias, which results in large flowers. The leaves are green and grow on strong, thick flower stems that reach about 80 centimeters in height.

'Larry's Love' starts blooming in the summer and can continue blooming uninterrupted until the first night frost. By removing dead flowers, the plant is encouraged to bloom even more abundantly throughout the season. As a result, you can enjoy this excellent cut flower variety for more than 100 days per year.

How, Where, and When to Plant Organic Dahlia Tubers?

Starting Indoors

A dahlia is not winter-hardy. Therefore, the tubers can be started indoors from March. This gives the plants a head start and results in earlier blooming. The plants can be moved outdoors after the ice saints (May 15), or earlier if the weather is favorable, but be cautious of night frost and bring them inside if necessary.

Planting Outdoors in the Garden

If you choose to wait until after the frost to plant the dahlia tubers, the best time to do so is until May 15. From this point onward, the tubers can be safely planted in the ground, and they will bloom approximately 60 to 90 days later. Plant the tuber with last year's old flower stem facing upwards, about 2 to 3 centimeters under the soil, and leave half a meter of space between each tuber. The planting period lasts until June.

Location

A dahlia prefers a sunny location in nutrient-rich, well-draining, preferably lime-rich sandy soil.
The Dahlia 'Larry's Love' grows to 80 centimeters tall and has large flowers. We recommend supporting the plant and removing a few flowers for a vase if they become top-heavy during blooming. For pot planting, choose a pot with a minimum width of 40 centimeters to prevent it from drying out too quickly during the summer.

Pinching Dahlias

Pinching a dahlia is a technique used to encourage growth and make the plant more compact and bushy. Dahlias are pinched when they reach a certain height, typically when they are in the active growth phase. We recommend allowing at least 2 to 4 pairs of leaves to grow before pinching.

A leaf node is the point where a leaf is attached to the stem. Look at the upper leaf pairs on the stem. Use sharp, clean pruning shears and cut the stem just above a leaf node. Make sure to cut cleanly to avoid damaging the plant. If there are flower buds below the pinched point, you can also remove them. This helps the plant focus its energy on developing side shoots. After pinching, the dahlia will start to develop side shoots from the leaf axils, resulting in a more floriferous plant.

Care of Dahlia 'Larry's Love'

Keep the soil of Dahlia 'Larry's Love' always moist. Too dry soil can cause problems with growth and blooming.
During blooming, remove dead flowers to encourage new blooms. If the plant finishes blooming in the fall, it’s best to let it completely die back to prevent water from getting into the hollow flower stems when they are cut, thus avoiding rotting.

What to Do with Dahlias in the Fall?

Protect the tubers planted in the ground in winter with leaves against light frost. For severe frost, they should be stored in a frost-free, dry place. The benefit of digging up the tubers is that they can be divided every year.

Dahlias and Feeding

The dahlia is a fast-growing plant that requires a lot of nutrients. Fertilize the plant several times a year for optimal results.
For organic potting soil, plant food, and other soil enhancers, we recommend Bio Kultura!

Giving Back to Nature

In the fall, you can cut off the remnants of the dead plant and incorporate them into the soil as nutrients. This way, you give back to nature while keeping your green bin empty for kitchen vegetable scraps.

Propagation of Dahlia Tubers

In the fall, the dahlia tubers 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 directly, but this can also be done in the spring. The advantage of splitting in the spring is that small growth points will already be visible, making it easier to identify where the tuber should be split.

Edible

Everything from the Dahlia 'Larry's Love' is edible. The tuber has a root-like flavor, and the flower can be used to garnish a salad or placed in a carafe of water for decoration and to flavor the water.

Origin of the Dahlia

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

Buy Organic Dahlia 'Larry's Love'

Skal NL-BIO-01 certified: 109459

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Stacking discount: B

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Characteristics

Other dahlia varieties

NL-BIO-01