Wizard of Oz Dahlia Tubers

Wizard of Oz: Ball Dahlia Tubers

Wizard of Oz is a relatively small ball dahlia growing to about 80cm which makes it good for the front of a border or in a container of at least 10 litres. It has good foliage that contrasts well with the masses of small, beautifully structured pastel pink flowers - some fading to white - which it carries all summer. The blooms are about 5-8cm in diameter and are a mid-pink when they open which then gracefully fades as time passes.
Due to their short stems and multiple buds, they aren't ideal for cut flowers.
Browse our other Ball Dahlias or our full range of Dahlias here.

Features

• Colour: Pastel Pink
• Flower Size: 5-8cm
• Type: Ball Dahlia
• Cutting: So-so.
• Height/Spread: 80 cm x 35 cm
• Flowering: July to November
• Outdoor Planting Months: March to July

Growing Wizard of Oz 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.

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 is a Dutch variety from 2006.