April is one of the best months in the Dahlia garden, mainly because some
of the heat has gone out of the day and the nights are just that bit cooler.
There are lots of flowers available for picking, so pick them with a good long
stem and this will encourage the plant to produce more buds.
This is a good time to evaluate your plants, and decide which areas you can
improve for next season. Order videos or catalogues now, and they will arrive
during the Winter.You will then be able to sit inside in the warmth and make
your selections for the coming season. Tubers are usually sent out during
September or October.
Continue disbudding and dead-heading as before, and the production of new
flowers will keep right on. If you have several plants of the same variety
select the strongest and best flower producers, and mark them as the one to keep.
If you keep only the best of your plants each year, your stock will improve and
and not decline. Spread your tubers amongst your friends, or exchange with other
club members and acquaintances. If you have the bad luck to lose one of your
favourite varieties you can then often get it back from someone you gave it to
earlier.
Save the seedheads you require, and let them dry out on the plants before picking
them. Leave a good stem on them, and they can then be hung up in a dry place to
really dry out. They can rot quite easily before they are completely dry, so do
check on them and squeeze any moisture out of them as it accumulates.
