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Posted on 10:48 AM by Wanto and filed under
By Tim McDonald
No two dahlia growers ever agree on this subject but assuming that it is considered necessary to feed, and ignoring the type of fertiliser used, the treatment will vary according to whether the fertilisers are applied as a dry top dressing or in liquid form. If applied dry it is as well to apply prior to watering, and to give a thorough soaking immediately afterwards.
Should liquid fertiliser be used it is best to saturate the ground before feeding to ensure that the various chemicals penetrate deeply into the ground, and rapidly become available to the feeder roots. The danger in applying any fertiliser without a thorough soaking lies in the tendency to remain in the top inch or so of the soil, which will probably dry out before the roots can take advantage of the extra nourishment, and in the possibility of root scorch owing to over concentration in a limited space.
Whether it is better to apply the water to the soil direct, or to water overhead, is a moot point. When watering overhead all insecticides will be washed off, so that it will be necessary to redust or spray immediately after watering. If the facilities exist a overhead spraying system will undoubtedly save a great deal of time, as the sprays can be set to cover a certain area, moving the stand as each area has received sufficient for its needs.
All that is necessary then is to ladle the required dose of the chosen fertiliser into the watering can, fill this by dipping into the tank, and so on to each plant in turn. Give about a quarter of a gallon per plant when young, increasing to half a gallon when full grown.
Some growers recommend that a little soil should be scraped away from round the plant before watering, to be replaced to act as a dry mulch when watering has been completed. This is fallacious and, almost certainly, must be detrimental as it is probable that feeder roots will be damaged.
Following on as a natural sequence from watering comes the question of supplementary feeding. No two dahlia growers ever agree on this subject but assuming that it is considered necessary to feed, and ignoring the type of fertiliser used as this will be dealt with in a later chapter, the treatment will vary according to whether the fertilisers are applied as a dry top dressing or in liquid form. If applied dry it is as well to apply prior to watering, and to give a thorough soaking immediately afterwards.
Should liquid fertiliser be used it is best to saturate the ground before feeding to ensure that the various chemicals penetrate deeply into the ground, and rapidly become available to the feeder roots. The danger in applying any fertiliser without a thorough soaking lies in the tendency to remain in the top inch or so of the soil, which will probably dry out before the roots can take advantage of the extra nourishment, and in the possibility of root scorch owing to over concentration in a limited space.
Whether it is better to apply the water to the soil direct, or to water overhead, is a moot point. When watering overhead all insecticides will be washed off, so that it will be necessary to redust or spray immediately after watering. If the facilities exist a overhead spraying system will undoubtedly save a great deal of time, as the sprays can be set to cover a certain area, moving the stand as each area has received sufficient for its needs.
All that is necessary then is to ladle the required dose of the chosen fertiliser into the watering can, fill this by dipping into the tank, and so on to each plant in turn. Give about a quarter of a gallon per plant when young, increasing to half a gallon when full grown.
Some growers recommend that a little soil should be scraped away from round the plant before watering, to be replaced to act as a dry mulch when watering has been completed. This is fallacious and, almost certainly, must be detrimental as it is probable that feeder roots will be damaged.
Following on as a natural sequence from watering comes the question of supplementary feeding. No two dahlia growers ever agree on this subject but assuming that it is considered necessary to feed, and ignoring the type of fertiliser used as this will be dealt with in a later chapter, the treatment will vary according to whether the fertilisers are applied as a dry top dressing or in liquid form. If applied dry it is as well to apply prior to watering, and to give a thorough soaking immediately afterwards.
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