El Santo Dahlia Tubers

El Santo (The Saint): Decorative Dahlia Tubers

El Santo is one of the best compact modern varieties available - the decorative, fully double flowers are a wonderfully intense pink, highlighted with a hint of buttery yellow at the base of each petal, most noticeable at the heart.
Browse our other Decorative Dahlias or our full range of Dahlias here.

The plants are compact at just 90cm x 45cm, they will fit into virtually any garden. Despite its small size, the flowers really pack a punch, at up to 15cm wide - "twice the plant from half the size" as our head nurseryman says. It will be in flower from midsummer until the first frosts.

They are great for the cutting garden, with upright heads on strong stems. They look great with other vibrant colours, or simply three flowers in a small vase.

Features

• Colour: Deep pink with yellow at the base of the petals
• Foliage: Dark green divided leaves
• Flower Size: 15cm
• Type: Decorative
• Cutting: Yes
• Height/Spread: 90cm x 45cm
• Flowering: July to November
• Outdoor Planting Months: March to July

Growing El Santo Dahlias

Perfect for pots on the patio - not less than 10 litres volume if possible - where their nodding heads and vibrant colours can be fully appreciated.

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 El Santo

Plant them in your mixed borders, where they'll sit nicely in the middle, looking great alongside a huge range of plants, from annuals like Cosmos, to perennials like Salvia and Echinacea.

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 Dutch cultivar was introduced in 2009 and is also sold under the English version of the name, The Saint: Simon Templar fans... this one is for you.