My latest Instagram posts have spurred many questions on how to effectively support dahlias. I can honestly say that I have tried many methods and as much as I hate my current method, it is the best way, IMO. 

So to keep it as simplistic as possible... 

• You'll need 6-7' posts placed every 9-11' apart. 
• Hortonova netting - comes in different widths and lengths.
• A sharp pair of snips.
• A few zip ties
• A 4-5' stick (if hortonova netting is purchased on a roll)
• Another set of hands - this is not a 1 person job. 

First - do not skimp on posts. You will regret it later and will have to do the work, twice. Do not buy short posts - they have to be at least 6 to 7 feet tall. Why? Because dahlias get tall and you need at least 12" of the post in the ground to be an anchor for the netting that is to support the weight of all the plants. I prefer metal T posts, but as you can see in the photo above I have used pine stakes. They are cheaper and lighter, but I only get 1 season, maybe 2 seasons out of a stake. Another farmer hack: Always use T posts on the end, they handle the weight best- wooden posts are okay for the centers. 

How are you going to water? If you think - drip irrigation - then it needs placed now. 

Dahlias are a long game project, best to be proactive than reactive so the netting support needs implemented early on, before your plants get too big. Or else the netting support does not help at the base and the plant doesn't grow through the 6" squares as it should. You'll have to manually work the stems through it and that takes oodles of time. I have done it, take my advice! 

The netting comes in a few widths and varying lengths. Since my rows are narrow I use 3' wide netting and purchase in 'bulk'. The roll has over 3,000' on it. I should mention the netting is not a cheap option. And it requires quite a few feet depending on your operation. I plant in long straight rows to maximize my space, making it easier to run irrigation and support the plants with netting. If you utilize another lay out, you may have to think outside the box as to how this support system could work for you. The netting doesn't need to be fastened to the posts. It just needs to be stretched tight over the posts and be taunt. You do not want any give in the netting. Again, it's there to be a grid that the plants grow through and will keep them upright. There is more stretch to the netting then you'd think, so test it's limitations and if you break a section, have a few zip-ties on hand to repair.

I place 2 levels of netting. I don't measure but I would say the first layer is 15-20" from the ground and the second layer is 34-40" from the ground. Do not stress out too much on how it 'looks'. As long as the netting is tight in a month and a half you will never notice it because you're plants will swallow it up! Occasionally you may have to thread through a side shoot that didn't grow through the grid or add in a post because the plants got too tall the wind forced them over, but you won't have dahlias flopped over on the ground with stems growing at a 90 degree angle. 

Supplies can be purchased anywhere. I encourage you to find a produce/orchard/greenhouse/farm supply store near you. Do a google search for your area. For Pennsylvania, there are two known suppliers: Martin's Produce Supply and Nolt's Greenhouse Supply. 

I am a person that comes from a production background. Efficiency is key because I'm usually the only person doing all the tasks! Or in the case of growing up on a farm, my family ran a herd of beef cows and farmed a few hundred acres of hay with just us. We didn't hire help and if we did it was because the weather was good and we had a pile of hay to get in the barn. (Yo, we did small square bales. I would estimate nearly 85% was  small squares. And if you aren't familiar, this is me basically saying that it was so much work, time and all physical labor. Bales don't stack themselves - well then at least.) But my point is, you quickly figure out ways to be most efficient with your time and effort, as they are both very precious. 

This mindset is also applied to growing dahlias. Dahlias are fickle and can be exceptionally challenging to grow. They are needy, hungry, thirsty and their only saving grace is they can't move (but need a lot of support to keep them upright, because they can fall down quickly). But with all their quirks they are so very, very rewarding. They evoke a sense of pride that is unmeasurable when the plants are looking lush and green, upright and full of color. It's truly a beautiful sight to see. 

But not all dahlias are created equal.

There are garden varieties, which are bred to stay short, compact, bloom profusely and require no support for enjoyment in your landscape or flower beds. These varieties are not for cut flower production, just ornamental use.

There are show dahlias where the most desirable trait of the plant is the bloom. Some folks grow dahlias just for exhibition. The blooms are judged by a qualified official to a standardized ruleset and awards are given for the best ones. It functions much like any other thing that can be exhibited. i.e: dogs, cattle, vegetables, etc. I will admit to not knowing much about the show world of dahlias but I have grown some of the varieties and they aren't my favorite. The criteria required for a good show bloom, sometimes does not align with a good production bloom.  But that does not mean they do not have any merit, it just means they aren't what works well for me. 

Then there are what my sister, LeeAnn, and I like to call production dahlias. Which is where the efficiency chatter comes back into play. I do not want to work any harder than I have to to get a plant to perform for me, but there are a few key traits that make the saying 'Work smarter, not harder' come to fruition. The perfect dahlia for me produces many fleshy, easy storing tubers. Those tubers are vigorous and quick to grow when planted out in the field. I.e. - no pre-starting tubers. I just want to be able to plant a sound tuber in the the ground when the soil temperatures are right and it will just grow. Ideally that plant will respond well to a healthy pinch by throwing many strong side laterals and has a robust frame that offers rigidity for the weight it's about to bear. The side shoots produce lots of long, strong cuttable stems with ample space between internodes and will bloom above the leaf canopy. The bloom will be strongly fixed to the stem and at a 45* angle. Notice how I haven't even mentioned anything about the bloom shape, color or size yet? That's because you have to have a good foundation in order to have a production dahlia. Without it, you are having to do more work. Now, I know, you can't sell an ugly bloom. But I have found that 'ugly' is in the eye of the beholder, so I try not to judge the bloom too harshly. Odds are there is someone out there that will absolutely adore it. I also didn't mention anything about the height of the plant. Bigger doesn't always mean better. I have found there are plenty of short stack dahlia varieties that produce the ideal stem length without setting the plant back in production. 

I have been wanting to write a blog for a few months now. And much like anything new, it is scary. It is scary from the perspective that I know I am not good at writing. I may not have the best sentence structure or punctuation. I may spell something wrong or not proof read well enough and miss a word. And lord knows there are some English grammar police who will be sure to point out the flaws, which is frustrating. So if poor writing or grammatical errors bothers you, this will not be the reading content for you. However, if you can look past those flaws, I feel I can provide good content. I receive many questions through Instagram about growing flowers, marketing, sales outlets, etc and though I feel that 90% of those questions just has to be figured out on your own, I can fill in the other 10% with some life experiences and what-no-to-do's. 

My writing style will be more conversational and post will probably be short. I am starting this blog in early January, but come the summer months when I'm stretching myself a little to thin, I imagine I will not want to post lengthy to-do's of what went well and what didn't go quite right. I do not want to over promise anything and just want to see where this leads. It could also a great way for me to remember things. How many times are you relying on your photo scroll to tell you what to you did on a specific day or month? ** I am raising my hand very high ** So as much as it is to help my customers and followers, this will hopefully keep me in line and more efficient for years to come.

If I still have you, amazing! I would love if you could check back every so often. If I have a really good post to share, I may put a plug out to the email subscribers letting you know a new blog post has dropped. I do have a few good topics in mind to start with but if you have a question feel free to leave it in the comments. I may not get to them right away, but it always good to circle back if I run out of ideas. 

Have a great Saturday night!
 >> Kate <<