Honka Yellow Dahlia Tubers

Honka Yellow: Decorative Dahlia Tubers

If you're after something a little different dahlia-wise, Honka Yellow is the one for you. Either planted in a sunny border or in a roomy pot on the patio, it will be a real talking point.
Browse our other Decorative Dahlias or our full range of Dahlias.

She's a gorgeous little dahlia with delicate cartwheel, or star, shaped flowers in a pretty shade of soft yellow. There are eight slim petals on each bloom, radiating straight out from a deep golden centre, and rolling gently inwards towards the tip. The stems and foliage are mid-green.

Features

• Colour: slim pale yellow petals
• Flower size: 10-15cm
• Type: single orchid dahlia
• Cutting: yes
• Height/spread: 80cm x 60cm
• Flowering: July to November
• RHS Award of Garden Merit
• Outdoor Planting Months: March to July

Growing Honka Yellow 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 Honka Yellow

Plant en masse in bold drifts for the best effect. Mingle with ornamental grasses, tall Foeniculum vulgare, Verbena bonariensis, and yellow achillea for an airy combination that will look great from late summer onwards.
Alternatively, thread ribbons of Honka through other, more punchy dahlia cultivars, such as the golden pompom Sylvia, to get a wonderful contrast of colour and texture.

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 just that little bit better if there is a bit of soluble food in the watering can once every couple of weeks.

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

Dahlia 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 dahlias flower.

Did You Know?

This American variety was introduced in 1990 and is the first of ten Honkas, the next of which followed 17 years later from a Dutch breeder. Its official name is simply Honka, but now that there are other colours in the series, it is listed almost everywhere as Honka Yellow for clarity.