Dahlias are a beautiful summer bloom that are popular in gardens up and down the country. A highlight of the garden in late summer, they can continue to bloom all the way through to autumn and even up to the first frosts.
You may also like
- Sarah Raven's seven favourite dahlias
- Key tips on growing dahlias
- Discover the beautiful National Dahlia Collection
Buying plants can be expensive, so if you have a few simple tools, there is an easy way of increasing the number of dahlias in your garden. Though their flower shapes and colours vary dramatically, dahlias look best in big numbers, so making cuttings of these flowers makes lots of sense if you want a colourful summer garden with wow-factor.
Dahlias are generally propagated by taking basal cuttings in early spring, but with this technique used by Mounton House head of gardens Tim Stretton, you can take cuttings much later, in early summer.
This is also a good time to pinch out your dahlias - pinching out can help make more stems and promote a lot more flowers throughout the summer - and you can take cuttings at the same time.
Watch the full video guide to find out more.
Tim uses a peat-free compost using perlite and vermiculite for drainage and moisture retention - it's important to have free-draining compost when taking cuttings. Take a dahlia that has a few stems already - probably one that has been brought on in a greenhouse or polytunnel. Chose a tall stem and make a clean cut right above a node. You'll need to cut a stem that's 2-3 inches long.
When you're putting the stem into your new pot filled with compost, you will need to cut the stem to right below the node, and trim the leaves off. You can cut the rest of the leaves in half, which will reduce the leaf coverage and therefore reduce the water loss. Water the pot from below by placing in a tray or bowl of water.
Mist the new cuttings everyday and keep them undercover in a greenhouse or indoors in an area with good light, like a windowsill. They should have rooted and be ready for planting out within a month to six weeks.
Key things to note when taking dahlia cuttings:
- Make sure you have a free-draining mix
- Take a 2in to 3in-long cutting
- Make a cut above a node
- Once you have the stem, you need to cut the stem again just below the node.
- Cut off the bottom leaves and reduce the upper leaves by half to reduce water loss.
Equipment you need
- A pot
- Secateurs
- Peat-free compost, mixed with vermiculite and perlite if you have them
- A dibber
- A tray or bowl for watering from below afterwards