Key features

• •An annual plant (30-80 days). Stems are strong, with a height of 30'-40' (80-100 cm). Inflorescences-baskets are large, spherical, with a diameter of 2'-3' (4-6 cm), and a variety of bright colors. Grow by sowing seeds in open ground, or for earlier flowering through seedlings. Flowering begins in July and lasts until frost. Used in group plantings in the design of flower beds, and for cutting.
• •Fill a pot or seed tray with moist seed compost and lightly firm the surface. Gently push your dahlia seeds into the compost. Don't forget to label your seeds. Cover pots with an inflated clear polythene bag, held in place with a rubber band. If sown in seed trays, cover with a propagator lid.
• •Seedlings will germinate within a couple of weeks. Once the 'true' leaves have grown, seedlings are ready to transplant into individual pots. Hold plants by their leaves and gently tease them out of the soil.
• •Gently transplant seedlings in 10 cm (4'') pots of multipurpose compost, firm, and water well. In mid-May, harden off plants by standing them outdoors during the day and bringing them in at night. Plant them in their final positions once all risk of frost has passed.
• •You'll get a wonderful mixture of different flower shapes and colors from the resulting plants.