Dahlia Sturm Sweet Maria

The decorative Dahlia 'Sturm Sweet Maria' is easy to grow in all regions. Here are a few simple rules to follow to enjoy its beautiful and generous flowering. Plant the tubercles in the sun after the last frosts. A rich, cool, and well-drained soil will be greatly appreciated. Avoid any stagnant moisture which encourages tubercle rot. Amend your soil with compost (in case of poor soil) and sand (for drainage) if necessary. Work your soil deeply and enrich it with ground horn or dehydrated blood, as you prefer. Place your tubercle and crumble the soil well around it to fill any air pockets. Your dahlia should be covered with about 6 cm of soil. Water abundantly at planting and then regularly for the first six weeks to help with rooting.

Dahlias are sensitive to cold, so they need to be overwintered. In November, the first frosts blacken the foliage, which is the time to lift them. Dig up the tubercles carefully. Remove as much soil as possible. Allow the foliage to dry, so that the tubercles replenish their reserves. Then cut the stems to 10 cm. Spread your tubercles in a crate on newspaper. Store them in a frost-free, dry, cool, and dark place, such as a frost-free garage or an attic, for example. In southern regions, close to the coast, experiencing only a few frosty days per year, it is possible to leave them in place. In this case, simply cover the soil with a thick mulch (leaves, straw...).

Pinch the stems early (from the 3rd or 4th week after planting) to make your dahlia more compact and ramified and thus more resistant to bad weather (wind, rain). To do this, cut the terminal shoots with your fingernails just above the previous leaves. Otherwise, you always have the option of staking, but the aesthetic result is not necessarily in the best taste.

Slugs and snails are very fond of these young shoots. Protect them!