Dahlia Unwins mixed is a mixture of double flowered dahlias in different beautiful and bright colours. This mixture contains a.o. flowers in yellow, red, pink, white and orange. The leaves are light green and this makes for a striking contrast with the flowers. The double flowered flowers are very well loved by bees, butterflies and other benificial insects. This mixture is very well suited for the use in borders, flower- and picking garden, in the bee- and butterfly garden, as cutflower and for the growing in large flower pots and containers. Deadhead often to ensure a longer, more beautiful and more abundant flowering season.
The flowers start flowering from half June and they can go on till the first frost in October. During the time of flowering the dahlias grow a rootstock. Remove this tuber before the first frost sets in. Store this tuber in a dark, cool and frost free place. You can store the tubers in a cardboard box filled with sand. These tubers can be planted in the soil from the middle of May, when there's no longer any risk of frosts. Plant Your dahlias on a very sunny, sheltered spot with free draining soil. Non hardy perennial. Height: 60 cm.
Indoor sowing: half March - end of April
Outdoor sowing: half May - beginning of June
Germination: 7 - 14 days
Germination temp.: 17 - 21°C
Sowing depth: shallow - ½ cm
Transplanting: end of April - middle of May
Plant distance: 30 - 60 cm
Plant position: very sunny and sheltered
Flowering period: half June - October
Sow indoors from half March. Sow in seperate pots of approx. 5 cm across. Sow in moist sowing soil or potting soil mixed with vermiculite. Sow thinly and shallow and cover the seeds with a very thin layer of soil or some grit. Put the pots in a propagator and put away somewhere light and warm. Keep moist and warm. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop during the night. The ideal germination temp. for dahlias is between 15 - 25 °C. Cover the propagator with a lid to retain the moisture.
Remove the lid when the seedlings emerge. Harden the seedlings of by putting them outside during the day for approx. 10 - 14 days from the beginning of May. They can also be put outdoors in a cold frame. Put the plants on a very sunny, sheltered plot with free draining soil after this period. Keep them 30 - 60 cm apart. Low growing varieties 30 cm and high growing varieties need 60 cm.
Sow outdoors from the middle of May, when there's no longer any risks of night frosts. Put them on a very sunny, sheltered plot with free draining soil. Sow thinly and shallow. Cover the seeds with a very thin layer of soil of press them gently in the soil. Keep them 30 - 60 cm apart. Low growing varieties 30 cm and high growing varieties need 60 cm. High growing varieties need some support. Young plants can be eaten by slugs and snails. They need protection against these pests. Deadhead ofter to ensure a flowering period till the middle of the autumn. Keep well watered especcialy during dry spells, don't let Your dahlias dry out. Remove the tubers for the first frosts. Store them during the winter in a dry, cool and dark place. They can be planted in the soil from the middle of May, when there's no longer any risk of night frost, in the following year.
