Dahlias are undersized and dwarf: photo with names

Dahlia (Dahlia) belongs to the Astrov family, came to us from Chile, her genus is numerous and diverse. But, despite this, natural species in cultural floriculture are practically not used - they are bred exclusively by collectors and originals. This is not surprising, because varietal dahlias are many times superior in their decorative qualities. Now there are more than 15,000 varieties, and their number is growing every season.

These flowers are remarkable for their diversity: the tallest varieties exceed one and a half meters in height, while the undersized ones may not reach 30 cm, the size of the inflorescence is from 3 to 25 cm and more. Dahlia flowers can be simple, double, semi-double, with open or turned outward petals, there are even "collar" inflorescences. Nature did not skimp on color - it can be snow-white, all shades of yellow, orange, pink, purple, red, there are varieties of almost black color. Very often, dahlias are painted in several harmoniously combined colors. Recently, low-growing dahlias have been very popular.

Dahlia life cycle and structure

Dahlia is a perennial plant with a pronounced dormant period. The aerial part of it dies off annually, and the root tubers are a "storeroom" with a supply of nutrients and serve as the basis for the development of the plant in the next growing season.

Dahlia structure

Dahlias are composed of:

Root cones or root tubers, which are thickened roots that store moisture and nutrients. They allow the plant to survive a dormant period; in the new season, it is there that vegetative processes begin.
Root collar - it is the lower part of the stem, to which the modified roots are attached. During the autumn digging of a dahlia, it cannot be cut off; new stems will form at its base after it leaves the dormant period. If you completely cut off the root collar, the root tubers will only have to be thrown out - they will not give new plants.
Stems... Despite the fact that the stems of dahlias are hollow, they are quite strong. But still, tall plants need to be tied to a support - dahlias bloom profusely, and the inflorescences are very large. Often, the shoot simply does not support the weight of the flowers.
Inflorescences... The dahlia inflorescence is a complex basket, painted with a wide variety of flowers. It consists of marginal ligulate and tubular flowers. Marginal flowers can be flat, curled inward or outward, modified collar, and tubular - open or remaining buds until wilting.

Dahlia life cycle

Dahlias have a one-year growing cycle with a pronounced dormant period. A new cycle can begin only after the complete completion of the previous one. If you transplant a dahlia into a pot, bring it into a warm room for the winter, water and feed it, it will simply die.After the first frosts have hit, the stems are necessarily cut off, the root tubers are brought into a dark, cool room with a temperature of 5-8 degrees and they are allowed to rest for several months.

The new growing cycle begins with the awakening of the root cones, they are brought into a warm room, moistened and exposed to light. With the onset of suitable weather, dahlias are planted in open ground, where they grow and bloom throughout the warm period. After the onset of frost, the root tubers are taken out of the ground, and everything is repeated from the beginning.

All dahlias can be propagated by cuttingsand some undersized varieties are often bred with seeds. In the first months of life, they behave like most plants - their life cycle begins either with seed germination or with the formation of roots, but soon root tubers are laid, in winter they leave as full-fledged representatives of a kind with all its inherent features.

Stunted dahlias

Low-growing dahlias are called dwarfs, midgets, minions. They became especially popular not so long ago, after new, very beautiful and diverse varieties appeared. Lilliputians are resistant to diseases, unfavorable conditions and are excellent for growing as a pot or container plant.

Comment! The lower the dahlias are, the earlier they bloom.

Often stunted dahlia varieties are called curb, starting from the fact that the curbs are usually the smallest plants. In relation to dahlias, this is wrong, there is an International classification, according to which border varieties grow in height from 60 cm and above. Dwarf dahlias usually have bushes about 30 cm.

It should be noted that the height of this flower is highly dependent on the growing and planting conditions. One and the same variety, depending on the circumstances, with an average height of 30 cm, can easily reach 40-50 or not want to exceed 20 cm in any way. It depends on the fertility and structure of the soil, watering, fertilizing, and the ecological situation. Remember, the better conditions are created for a dahlia, the higher it will grow. Interestingly, this does not apply to flowering, often the growth of vegetative mass is at the expense of flowering.

Comment! Low-growing dahlias are less demanding for watering.

Low-growing dahlia varieties

In the International Classification of Dahlia, which was adopted in 1962, undersized varieties did not even get there, they were so few in number and uninteresting. If flower lovers belonging to the older generation are asked what dahlia varieties they know about undersized varieties, most of them will remember only “funny little people”.

The rise in popularity of low-growing dahlias is associated with the emergence of the Dutch variety series "Gallery", which was bred when the boom of container and potted garden flowers began.

Variety series "Gallery"

After 15 years of painstaking work, in 1994 a collection of dahlia varieties of the Dutch selection "Gallery" was presented. These are completely terry varieties of extraordinary beauty, as can be clearly seen in the photo, suitable for growing in pots and containers. During winter storage, they do not take up much space, they can remain in pots, they tolerate waxing well and can be stored in the vegetable section of the refrigerator.

Usually, the size of the bush is around 40 cm, but strongly depends on the growing conditions. If you want more compact bushes, water the plants sparingly and don't overdo it with fertilizer and soil fertility. The inflorescences for such growth are rather large - 10-15 cm.

Gallery Cobra

An excellent orange variety with slightly curved ligulate flowers.

Gallery Renoir

Variety with very beautiful pink double inflorescences.

Gallery La Tour

The pink petals of this variety have a subtle purple hue at the tips.

Gallery Bellini

The variety has bright pink double flowers, the inner part of the petals of which is very light.

Gallery Vincent

The orange flowers of this variety have an original shape.

Gallery Rembrandt

A low-growing variety with a pink delicate flower.

Gallery Vermeer

A golden variety with large inflorescences and pointed petals.

Gallery Art Fire

A snow-white undersized variety with a slightly yellowish center and buds.

Gallery Serenade

A yellow inflorescence with slightly wavy petals adds extra charm to this undersized variety.

Gallery Art Nouveau

The variety is deep pink in color with the marginal petals slightly curved to one side.

Gallery Pablo

A low-growing variety, the yellow petals of which have a salmon-pink blurred edge.

Gallery Cezan

White variety with a slight yellow tinge.

Gallery Art Deco

Very beautiful flower of bright red tones.

Gallery Sisley

A pink-lilac variety with a dark center.

Gallery Singer

A low-growing variety with a classic red color.

Galleri Salvador

A low-growing variety with pink petals covered with darker strokes.

Gallery Coin

A very beautiful flower of the original shape, the petals are white with blurred purple strokes.

Low-growing dahlias "minion"

"Minion" is a very shorthand term. It usually includes varieties that can be propagated by seed. Their main advantage is that planting material does not need to be stored, and dahlias grown through seedlings bloom very early and release buds until frost. They grow well outdoors and as a container plant.

This does not mean that the tubers formed over the summer must be left in the ground, they can be dug up and germinated next spring, like an ordinary dahlia. It should be noted that flowers of the next generation, grown from their own seeds, may lose their doubleness.

Comment! You can sow seeds directly into the ground when the ground thaws, but don't expect flowers before August.

Funny boys

These undersized flowers can be double or simple, have a wide variety of colors, and are easily propagated by seeds.

Piccolo

Low-growing semi-double flowers of various colors.

Figaro

Low-growing terry dahlias of various colors, somewhat reminiscent of low chrysanthemums. They winter well right in pots and can bloom in the second year at the end of May.

Caring for low-growing varieties of dahlias

By and large, caring for low-growing varieties is no different from caring for tall curb dahlias - except that you do not need to tie and pinch them. Moreover, in accordance with their growth, they only need a little less - water, dressing, care.

After germination, they are planted in soil or containers in the sunniest place, watered regularly, and fertilized moderately. It is better not to feed dahlias with organic matter and not loosen them. They need to be planted in loose soil and mulched - so less watering is needed, and weeds do not grow.

If you remove wilted inflorescences in time, more buds will form. Often in late autumn, nature jokes with us - either the frost will hit, then the above zero temperature will be established again. If nothing can be done with tall dahlias, after the very first frosts they need to be dug up and sent to rest, then the undersized ones can still bloom. Potted plants are brought into a warm room during a cold snap, and then taken back to the street, and those growing in open ground can be covered with agrofibre.

Watch a short video showing low-growing dahlia varieties grown from seed:

Conclusion

We hope that we have even persuaded city dwellers to have a couple of undersized dahlias as pot plants. Believe me, they are so beautiful, they bloom so profusely and respond to the smallest care that it is impossible not to love them.

Varieties of low-growing dahlias: growing and care