Dahlia Bacardi

You will fall in love with the 'Bacardi' Dahlia at first sight! This stunning annual will enchant you with its delicate wine-pink to fuchsia shades. The petals are darker on the underside, as is the center of the flower itself. It is absolutely ideal for wedding arrangements or luxury bouquets, as wine tones are currently in high demand.

This Dahlia loves the sun. Choose a site for it that receives sunlight for most of the day. In the shade, the plants will become leggy, weak, and bloom poorly. The soil should be humus-rich, nutritious, and well-drained. Dahlias do not tolerate waterlogged, clay soils, in which the tubers can easily rot.

You have two great options. Tuber division: In the spring, before planting, you can divide larger, older clumps. Each piece must have a so-called neck with an 'eye' (bud), otherwise, it will not sprout. Treat the cut surfaces with charcoal. Cuttings: In February or March, lightly bury the tubers in substrate in a warm place. Once the shoots grow to 5–8 cm and have two pairs of leaves, cut them off, dip them in a rooting hormone, and plant them in substrate to root.

Cut the flowers when they are three-quarters open, as they hardly open any further once cut. Check the back of the flower; the petals must be firm and fresh. For maximum longevity in a vase, immediately after cutting, submerge the ends of the stems in hot water (70 to 80 °C) for 15 minutes. They will stay beautiful for about a whole week!

Definitely yes. Regular removal of all faded flowers directly in the flowerbed is absolutely essential. This encourages the plant to produce new buds until November. If you left them on, the Dahlia would invest energy into seed production instead of new fuchsia-colored flowers.

If your plant shows strange coloration, yellowing or deformed leaves, and is stunted, it is likely a dangerous mosaic virus. In that case, it is unfortunately necessary to uncompromisingly dig up and dispose of the entire plant, including the tuber (do not put it in the compost!), so that the viral infection does not spread to other plants in the flowerbed.

Slugs and snails absolutely love young Dahlia shoots and can destroy them completely. The key is to monitor the plants as soon as they sprout. You can pick them off by hand or use proven ecological pellets such as Ferramol. Don't let them ruin your beautiful 'Bacardi' right at the start of the season!

Besides the aforementioned slugs, you need to watch out for thrips. This tiny insect sucks plant sap and causes light spots on the leaves and flower deformities. In the case of a larger infestation, it is advisable to intervene with a spray. Providing sufficient spacing between plants so they have enough airflow is also a good form of prevention.

Yes, growing in a container is possible, but given the enormous height of this variety (up to 160 cm), it requires a really large and heavy pot with good drainage so it does not tip over. Also, remember that the substrate in a pot dries out faster, so you will need to water and fertilize much more often than you would in a flowerbed.

Dahlias are not frost-hardy, so you must remove the tubers in the autumn. With the arrival of the first autumn frosts, which burn the above-ground part, cut back the stems. Carefully dig up the tubers with a spade, clean them, and let them dry. Then, store them in a dark, cool (frost-free) place, ideally covered with sawdust or sand. You can then plant them again before spring planting.