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How to make the most of your dahlias

You will need: Pot, Straw, Cane, Secateurs

When it comes to stunning colour and flower size in the summer, Dahlias perform brilliantly. With a little care and attention, you can have blooms that will be the envy of your neighbours.

Best time to do it:

Step 1

Earwigs love Dahlias and will feast on the flowers, leaving notches in the petals and mess everywhere. They feed at night and hide during the day, making them hard to remove. Create a trap by filling a pot with dry straw…

Step 2

…and placing it upside down on the top of a cane right next to the plant. The earwigs will hide in the straw and you can simply empty the pot each day to get rid of them.

Step 3

If you want really big blooms, remove competing flower buds from nearby on the same stem.

Step 4

Remove flowers as they fade. This stops the plant setting seed, which will reduce flowering, and reduces the risk of grey mould as the petals rot.

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