Organic Dahlia 'Phyllis Farmer'

Organic Waterlily Dahlia

The Dahlia 'Phyllis Farmer' is a waterlily dahlia with medium-sized pink flowers that have a yellow glow. Waterlily dahlias have flatter flowers compared to ball dahlias, which have more rounded flowers. The 'Phyllis Farmer' is an American dahlia that grows long flower stems, often up to a meter or even higher, making it very suitable as a cut flower for a picking garden.

A dahlia blooms for an incredibly long time, up to 100 days per year, because numerous flowers reappear when dead flowers are removed. It creates a sea of flowers late in the season when most plants have already finished blooming.

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

Starting Indoors

The Dahlia 'Phyllis Farmer' is not winter-hardy, so the tubers can be started indoors from March. This gives the plant a growth head start, causing the dahlias to bloom earlier. 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 at night 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 'Phyllis Farmer' grows to a height of one meter and has medium-sized flowers, so it does not need support.

For pot planting, choose a pot with a minimum width of 40 centimeters to prevent the plant from drying out too quickly in 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

Keep the soil of the Dahlia 'Phyllis Farmer' always moist. Too dry soil can cause problems in growth and blooming.
During flowering, remove dead flowers to encourage new blooms. The dahlia will bloom until the first night frost. Cut the plant down to the ground after blooming. Protect the tubers planted in the ground in winter with leaves against light frost. For severe frost, the tubers should be stored in a frost-free, dry place. The benefit of digging up the tubers is that they can be divided every year.

Fertilize the plant several times a year for optimal results. Dahlias are fast-growing plants that require a lot of nutrients.
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

In the autumn, the 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 can be split.

Edible

Everything from the dahlia 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

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, with a large number of cultivars.

Buy Organic Dahlia 'Phyllis Farmer'

Skal NL-BIO-01 certified: 109459

Packaged individually or choose a stacking discount.

Stacking discount: B

Pre-order now, delivery from mid March!

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Characteristics

Other dahlia varieties

NL-BIO-01