Dahlia 'Onesta' Pink

Your dahlia tubers are ready to plant as soon as you get them. Dahlias are sensitive to frost so do beware of late frosts. Best time for planting in the garden is probably the end of April to mid-May. Dig a wide hole and add some good, fertile soil. Lay the tubers carefully in the hole at a depth of 3-5 cm and cover with more soil. Press carefully down and water immediately. Dahlias will flower more profusely in a sunny spot.
Dahlias in the border
The dahlia is a favourite of many gardeners and the flowers make real eye-catchers in the border. Forcing your dahlias If you want your plants to flower earlier you can 'withdraw' them. Place the dahlia tubers in a shallow tray in moist compost at 15-20˚ C during the month of April. When shoots begin to appear, place them in potting soil. By the beginning of May, they can be put outside to get used to the outdoor temperature and you can plant them from mid-May onwards in either your garden or in pots.

Fertilize your Dahlias on a monthly basis throughout the flowering period until the first frost. Deadhead the faded flowers to prolong the flowering period. Prevent the soil from drying out during dry periods. As these dahlias are fairly tall it is sometimes necessary to support their stems. Overwintering dahlias Dahlia tubers can easily be overwintered. If you want to do this, dig up the plants after the first night frost. Then cut all stems off 15 cm above the tuber. Attach a label with the name of the dahlia to remind yourself for the next year. Shake the soil from the dahlia tubers and place in a box with peat dust or sharp sand. Store the dahlia tubers in a frost-free area such as a garden shed or greenhouse. Next spring you can plant the dahlia tubers again and they will reward you with their wonderful flowers.

This relatively small but diverse genus is native to Central America. Dahlias have been continuously crossed and selected until there are now thousands of varieties to be found all over the whole world. They vary enormously in height, colour, flower size and flower shape. This led to dahlias being sub-categorised into different types of flower form groups. This dahlia falls under the Decorative Group.
Dahlias are classified generally under Compositae.