Cornel Dahlia Plants & Tubers

Cornel: Ball Dahlia Tubers

Cornel's middle name is perfection. With its deep-red velveteen petals and neat pompom shape, it's one of those flowers you can't help but marvel at. Each neat petal curves inwards to form a tube, and they're packed together tightly. So tactile!
Browse our other Ball Dahlias or our full range of Dahlias.

The colour is spectacular: the deepest, richest red, with a hint of purple at the centre. The stems are about a metre long and the flowers are about 10cm across. They make wonderful cut flowers, and keep well in a vase. The stems and foliage are deep green.

Features

• Colour: Deep maroon red
• Flower size: 7-10cm across
• Type: Ball dahlia
• Cutting: Yes
• Height/spread: 1.2m x 70cm
• Flowering: July to November
• Outdoor Planting Months: March to July

Growing Cornel Dahlias

All dahlias do best in deep rich soil with good drainage in a sunny spot. If it is windy they will need staking. They are greedy, thirsty plants so will need watering in dry spells, and they will always flower that little bit better if there is a bit of soluble food in the watering can once every couple of weeks.

It is generally more convenient to put support stakes in at planting time, rather than leaving it until there is foliage in the way.

Planting Companions for Cornel

Growing up to 1.2 metres tall, it is best planted towards the back of a sunny south or west-facing border, where it will provide a glorious backdrop to other late-flowering, cottage-garden favourites such as penstemon, Verbena bonariensis, lavender and helenium.

Cornel combines well with other dahlias; try planting it in generous groups with other dahlias that have apricot shades, like the dinner plate shaped dahlia Fairway Spur, or another pompom variety such as Burlesca.

If you ignore seed, Dahlias can be planted at three stages: as tubers, rooted cuttings and pot-grown plants.

Tubers can be planted at any time from March onwards. The hole should be at least double the diameter of the tuber laid out on the ground. Incorporate about 25% well rotted compost and if drainage is in any way doubtful then add plenty of horticultural grit as well. Plant one tuber per hole, leaving 60-80 cms between plants (depending on final size) and make sure the tuber is covered with 10-12 cms (4-5") of soil. This is important as it will insulate the tuber against frosts in March-May as they will take a couple of months to show.

Rooted cuttings, which are available from early April onwards, will need to be potted up and kept in a sunny and frost free place until they are ready to be planted out in mid May. Their treatment then is the same as for tubers except they are planted level with rather than 10 cms below the surrounding soil level.

Pot grown plants are not delivered until June, and are then planted out immediately in the same way as an established rooted cutting.

The more you deadhead, the more flowers you'll get.

Did You Know?

This variety was introduced in 1994 by the Dutch husband and wife team Cor and Nellie Geerlings, and its name is a compound of theirs.