DAHLIAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 50, 28 February 1931, Page 6 (Supplement)

DAHLIAS.

Dahlias are now so widely grown that there are few gardens in which one or more plants are not growing. The different forms of the dahlia are so varied that one can have blooms of almost any size and plants of varying heights. The dahlia is essentially an autumn flower, and from now till "winter sets in the plants will be at their best. Plants that were put out early may have grown, large aiid comparatively unwieldly, but they, can be cut back severely, and in a short time will be producing another show of flowers. Cut down to about half the height, to healthy-looking laterals the plants soon recover and make new growth. Late planted that have made little or no growth should have the benefit of liquid manure. Where large blooms are desired, disbudding must be practised, and even with plants grown for garden decoration, it is better to cut away some of the buds. Remove all spent blooms; do not allow them to exhaust the plant. The question of whether to apply manure or not needs to be answered with care. On poor soils, if there has been little cultivation, the dahlia will require assistance in the form of manure. When, however, the plants are flowering, little or no nitrogen should be given. Superphosphate, blood and bone sprinkled on the' soil around the plant and stirred in with the hoe are very good. Top-dressings with sheep or cow manure are also good. Probably the best and safest method is to make a liquid manure by hanging a sugar bag half-full of cow manure in a tub of water and using the liquor-diluted with twice its bulk of clean water. This applied twice a week will provide sufficient soluble plant food to keep the plants going without causing an excess of leaf growth. Nitrogenous' manures •given when the plants are flowering are often the cause of excessive leaf growth, the production of a green, hard centre to the flowers, the petals being soft and flabby, and the loss of colour in the flower. If caterpillars put in an appearance, spray with arsenate of lead, loz to the gallon of water.