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Dahlia (Dinner Plate) refers to the largest dahlia classification — decorative or ball dahlias with blooms exceeding 10 inches across, so named because each flower is the size of a dinner plate. These spectacular late-season showstoppers produce some of the most impressive flowers in the garden world, in colors ranging from pure white through yellow, orange, red, burgundy, lavender, and dramatic bicolors. Growing from tubers in zones 8–10 (lifted and stored in colder zones), Dinner Plate dahlias reach 4–5 feet tall and begin blooming in midsummer, hitting their peak in late summer and fall when most other plants are winding down. They're extraordinary cut flowers with a 5–7 day vase life and produce more prolifically the more frequently they're cut.
Start Dinner Plate dahlias from tubers after last frost when soil reaches 60°F. Plant tubers 4–6 inches deep with the eye (growing point) facing up, spacing 3 feet apart. In zones below 8, dig and store tubers each fall after frost blackens the foliage. Plant in full sun in rich, well-drained soil. Do not water until sprouts emerge — wet tubers rot before sprouting. Pinch the central growing tip when plants reach 12 inches to promote multiple stems and more flowers. Stake plants with bamboo or metal stakes at planting — Dinner Plate dahlias reach 4–5 feet and the blooms are top-heavy. Fertilize every 3 weeks with a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus fertilizer after sprouts emerge. Cut flowers early morning; condition in deep water for 12 hours before arranging. Deadhead spent blooms to maintain production.
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