Karma Choc Dahlia Tubers
The details
- Colour: Deepest red
- Flower Size: 14cm
- Type: Decorative waterlily
- Cutting: Excellent
- Height/spread: 90cm x 60cm
- Flowering: Jul - Nov
- Planting Months: Mar - Jul
- RHS Award of Garden Merit
Recommended extras
Description
Karma Choc Dahlia Tubers
The deep red, nearing black waterlily style flowers are brooding and flawless, up to 14cm in diameter. Originally developed as a cut flower, this fabulous dahlia has strong stems and excellent longevity in a vase.
Browse our other Waterlily varieties or our full range of Dahlias.
Features:
- Colour: deep dark red
- Flower Size: 14cm
- Type: Decorative waterlily
- Cutting: Excellent
- Height/spread: 90cm by 60cm
- Flowering: July to November
- Planting Months: March to July
- RHS Award of Garden Merit
How to Grow Karma Choc Dahlias
Dahlias like deep, fertile soil with good drainage and this compact variety is ideal for the middle of a sunny border. Add stakes at planting time, so support is available when it is needed.
Water well in dry periods and keep your dahlias flowering prolifically throughout summer and autumn by adding a bit of soluble food in the watering can once every couple of weeks. Dahlias grown in containers need to be kept especially well watered and fed.
Planting Instructions
Unless they are grown from 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 add plenty of horticultural grit if drainage is in any way doubtful. Plant one tuber per hole, leaving 60-80cms between plants (depending on final size) and make sure the tuber is covered with 10-12cms (4-5") of soil. This will insulate the tuber against frosts in March-May as they will take a couple of months to show.
Rooted cuttings (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 10cms below the surrounding soil level.
Pot grown plants are not delivered until June, and should be planted out immediately in the same way as an established rooted cutting.
Deadhead regularly to encourage more flowers over a longer period.
Did You Know?
The Karma Dahlia Series was developed between 1993 and 2017 by Dutch breeder Verwer. Released around 2005, Choc is the only one to hold an RHS AGM. With their sturdy stems and long vase life of up to 12 days, they are among the best for cutting.