Dahlia Farming
The dahlia’s many entrancing colors and alluring forms have made it one of our favorites for the bouquet program here at Charles Little & Company. From the beautiful cactus flowering varieties resembling a sea anemone, to the tightly quelled petals of the spherical Pompom form, there is a dahlia for every taste, occasion and garden. An incredibly versatile flower, certain varieties, like the Loverboy command attention and instantly become the centerpiece of any floral arrangement. Others like the White Lightning add the perfect subtle touch and a dash of whimsy.
The Dahlia’s Winter Ritual
In early January, we began the process of digging and dividing the dahlias. Since the first killing frost of late fall, the dahlias have been resting in the ground, but the tubers must be removed and stored before the first really cold temperatures set-in. So, when January arrived, we began digging up our dormant dahlias, washing them, separating the varieties and storing them for the upcoming planting.
From the wonderfully formed clumps of tubers, to the glorious flowers of peak blooming season, it is easy to find the beauty of dahlias in all of their life stages. Here’s how we process our dahlia tubers and get them ready for spring:
- Digging the Dahlias
After the first frost of autumn the dahlia stems and leaves die back but the tuberous root system is still quite alive. They are now ready to be dug, washed, separated and stored. When digging, our crew must take care not to damage the tubers with their spades. - Washing the Tubers
Caked with wet soil; the dahlia tubers must then be washed, this a tedious but rewarding process. - Separating the Tubers
In this delicate stage, we are careful to identify potential sprouts — the “eyes” — and then we separate the large clumps into smaller groups. - Drying and Storing the Tubers
Drying the tubers protects them from rot and storing them protects from frost. The tubers are best stored at 40–50 degrees Fahrenheit in a dark, dry and well ventilated space.
Selecting Dahlia Varieties
After viewing the photos of the dahlia tubers, you may be thinking that they all look exactly alike, so how do we tell them apart? Well, when the dahlias are in full bloom, we are careful to mark and label the best rows and individual plants. We are also careful to take note of mistakenly planted dahlias like the ones featured in the photo below. The orange flag marks an out-of-place plant that was accidentally placed in a solid row of one variety.
At Charles Little & Company, we are discerning and painstaking when selecting varieties that we want to bring back the following year. We target the plants whose blooms worked nicely in bouquets, and we strive to cultivate a wide range of colors and shapes.
Our Community and the Dahlia
The dahlias bring us joy in so many ways and we enjoy being part of the thriving dahlia community surrounding us here in the Willamette Valley. We share dahlia interest and trade tubers with many of our neighbors and friends. Visitors and customers enjoy our dahlias directly from our farm stand.
Our connection with amateur dahlia breeders and fellow enthusiasts allows us to try out new and different varieties as we trade tubers back and forth; some of which we bring back every year, despite not knowing their proper names. “Keep Good Red” and “Keep Purple Ball” are designations you will see written on dahlia labels at our farm. Because dahlias are so beautiful and fairly easy to breed, there are dozens of amateurs in our community producing unique and interesting varieties. As a professional flower grower, it means a lot to us to be included in this very social community of generous and passionate dahlia lovers.
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