Cactus dahlias, the versatile summer flowering plant that every garden can use are now available online at Farm Fresh Living.  If you want to plant dahlias in your garden this spring, now is the time to order. We start shipping our dahlias in late March depending on the USDA zone that they are going to and stop shipping by late May. If you have never grown dahlias before, you will be amazed how quickly they get up and start growing!

Cactus dahlias are easily recognizable by their dramatic spiky petals and vivid colors. Indispensable as cut flowers, dahlias are also useful in the summer perennial garden to add a "pop" of drama and color to any garden. Catcus dahlias are available in two bloom sizes: cactus dinnerplate dahila produce very large, dinnerplate sized blooms and standard cactus dahlias that produce adorable, golf ball size blooms in clusters on each stem.  Some of our top selling cactus dahlias are:

     

Hayley Jane Cactus Dahlia                Bridgeview Aloha Cactus Dahlia                           Shooting Star Cactus Dahlia

Browse our collection of Cactus Dahlias, Dinnerplate Dahlias, Gallery Series and Dwarf Dahlias, Shogun Dahlias

Dahlias are extremely easy to grow, but as a tender perennial they should be planted in the spring only after the last hard frost. As tender perennials, dahlias are only winter hardy to USDA hardiness zone 7. In garden zones below 7, dahlias will need to be dug and stored over the winter or can be treated, as we do at the farm, as wonderful annuals!

Dahlias prefer full sun and a rich, well-drained soil. Large-flowering dinner plate cactus dahlias should be spaced 3 to 4 feet apart; smaller cactus dahlias can be spaced 1-2 feet apart. To keep dahlias actively growing and flowering provide ample water and fertilization.  At the farm we fertilize our dahlias monthly with an organic fertilizer such as Down To Earth Rose & Flower Mix 4-8-4 at 5 lbs. per 100 square ft.  Pinch out the tips of the main stems three weeks after planting to produce strong, bushy plants. Harvest regularly for cut flowers or take off the faded blooms during the summer months to encourage continuous blooming. Tall dinner-plate cactus type dahlias will need staking with 6’ bamboo stakes, which should be driven a foot into the ground at planting time. Dahlias can also be added into container gardens with annuals and perennials for a knock-out display of summer color.