Dave Gillam has top tips to encourage more dahlia blooms
Removing the growing tip from your dahlias will give you a much better display
The art of getting a good flowering display in your garden is to be brave enough to remove the central growing tip once the plant has settled in its planting position. Those new to growing dahlias – and most flowering plants for that matter – find it hard to bring themselves to remove the first potential flower.
If the main stem is allowed to flower then the vigour of the plant is lost. The following shoots will start to grow higher up the stem and cause the plant to be taller than usual and unstable in the end. As a guide, I’d cut out the centre so it leaves three or four pairs of leaves on the plant. This will provide you with an initial six to eight flowering stems for your first flush. Do this when the plant is first planted, nted, or when it starts to develop the first bud up to the end of June. Trust me, you’ll not be disappointed. A grower for 25 years, in 2012 Dave won National Individual Champion awards at each of the English (Shepton Mallet), Welsh and Sco ish National Dahlia Society competitions, the first time this has ever been accomplished. He’s very busy on YouTube, where you’ll find dozens of videos on how to grow dahlias.
Another reason for removing the growing tip is to encourage the plant to produce more shoots than would naturally come. I do this while the plant is young in the pot, allowing the laterals to develop. At the end of June I then take out the knife and cut the plant hard back again to produce lots more stems from low down in the plant.