Frequently the dahlias you choose will be planted in existing garden areas. Here little advance preparation is required
other than working up the soil.
If the area that you have chosen to plant has not been previously worked, it is best to do so in the fall so that you
will have plenty of time to break up grass clumps, add compost, well rotted manure, leaf mulch and sand. When spring
comes it will be easy to till the soil just before planting to a good depth. At this time a good application of
commercial fertilizer such as the readily available 4:10:10 may be applied at the rate of 3 to 5 pounds per 10 square
meters (100 square feet). It is important to keep nitrogen levels, represented by the first number in a fertilizer
ratio, at lower levels than phosphorus and potassium as nitrogen will encourage excess top growth. Phosphorus and
potassium encourage good tuber production assuring a good crop of tubers to plant in the following year..
Read Other Parts Of This Series:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11