Home	Strange Wonderful Things Rare and exotic plants & seeds

Tree Dahlia

Dahlia imperialis

Please take your time removing your plant from it's packaging.

Your plant was grown in filtered light, not direct sun, so it should be acclimated to direct sun slowly. I recommend growing your Tree Dahlia in a 1-2 gallon pot for the first month, so you can slowly move it from shade to sun over a period of a few weeks.  Start your plant with bright, indirect light or filtered sun for the first week.  After this, give it an hour or two of morning sun per day.  If all looks well after a few days, give it about an hour more sun every 4 or 5 days.  This will give your plant time to grow a larger root system, so it can handle more light.  Depending on your climate, you may want to give it mid-day shade for at least the first 4-6 weeks. 

Before removing your plant from its pot, give it a watering, so the soil doesn't break apart, which can damage the roots.  If you have trouble removing it, push the eraser end of a pencil into the holes at the bottom to loosen it.

Soil -- Tree Dahlia likes rich but well-draining soil.  Most ordinary potting soils should work.  If you mix your own soil, use one that's high in organic matter like compost, and add perlite too, for drainage.  In wet-winter areas like the West Coast, use extra perlite.  Mulch your plant heavily to retain moisture and keep the roots cool.  

Planting out -- After a month of being in its 1-2 gallon container, it is ready to plant in the ground.  I've never seen them grown in a container but if you're going to attempt it, use as big a container as possible - 40+ gallons is what i would use.  In hotter areas, try to shade the pot, to keep the roots cool.  In the ground, mulch the plant well, for the same reason.

Climate -- Tree Dahlia likes full sun, or anything down to a half-day of sun.  It's hardy to Zone 8, but it's known to flower in Zone 7b in warmer years.  In very hot areas, mid-day shade might be necessary.  Tree Dahlia is hardy to Zone 8, but it's known to flower in Zone 7b in warmer years (frost may ruin the flower clusters).  Protect the plants from strong winds, as the stems are fairly brittle. You may need to stake your plant. 

Watering -- For the first month, ensure that the original soil ball remains moist (but not soggy).  After that, water regularly during periods of active growth.  Don't allow the soil to dry out.  

Fertilizing -- Give monthly feedings with ordinary vegetable fertilizer or the equivalent.  The more growth your plant has, the more food it will need.  Follow the label's recommended dosage carefully.  Don't try to force more growth with more fertilizer.  It's normal for some of the older leaves to yellow and die throughout the year, but if it's excessive, it could be from not enough fertilizer, particularly nitrogen.  Around September-October, switch to a "bloom" or flowering-plant fertilizer - but not one with zero nitrogen.  

Pruning -- If for some reason you don't want a monster-sized plant, you can keep it to a reasonable height by pruning the tops a few times throughout the season.  Pruning it will make it bushier.   After flowering, the plants often self-prune by themselves down to a few feet tall.  

Propagation -- Cut a branch that's at least as thick as your finger into sections about 12-16" long.  Make sure it has at least one node (leaf axis).  Snip off all the leaves, or nearly all of them.  Use well-draining soil (lots of perlite or sand). Plant the branch vertically in the soil, with the node under an inch of soil, and the rest of the branch above the soil.  Moisten the soil moderately.  Put the pot in a warm spot  (65-75 degrees) that is bright, but without direct sun.  You should see new growth within 1-2 months or less.  Occasionally it will take longer.  If it's taking a long time, scratch the stem with your fingernail to see if it's green inside, which means it's still alive.

Bugs to watch for -- Spider mites (tiny "dots" under the leaves), Aphids (green ones are hard to see), leaf-miners, snails/slugs.

If you have any questions or problems, please email me.

Enjoy your plant!

Strange Wonderful Things

 

Home	Strange Wonderful Things Rare and exotic plants & seeds
Entire site Copyright 2004-2009 by Strange Wonderful Things, except as noted