Tuber Health

My farming philosophy is similar to what is known as the Slow Flower movement. I never will want rows and rows of dahlias that are machine-planted and machine-harvested. Besides the use of fossil fuels, over the years, machines can destroy the soil’s tilth (ability to hold a porous structure), and can disturb the important ecosystem of worms and beneficial organisms.

Any new tuber stock I bring to the farm is grown for two years in pots that are not touching, in a quarantine area far from my regular dahlia beds (since insects can transmit disease). I sanitize my snips between plants!

Harvesting by hand lets me inspect each tuber clump in the Fall before they go into storage. If I don’t like how a certain plant performed, or if the tubers look wonky somehow, though not obviously diseased, I will err on the side of caution and dispose of the tubers.

I’m always happy to talk about my methods and philosophies!


The Basics

Dahlias are native to Mexico. They need plenty of sunlight, ideally 6 hours a day. However, excess heat will stress the dahlia plants, so a bit of afternoon shade can be helpful. Once they are above ground, they need plenty of water and well-draining soil.

For tips on planting dahlia tubers, check out this page.

For tips on harvesting the tubers at the end of the growing season, visit this page.