Staking Dahlias

[CountryQueen]

I have really pretty dinner plate dahlias that are the deep purple and the bright pink. I want to show them at their best in my yard, but the heads are so heavy they tend to droop and grow crooked. What is the best way to stake them so that they "show their face" and still grow to their full height?

 

[gata montes]

There are quite a few reasons as to why your dinner plate dahlias are not " showing their faces " and one of them being - that there are quite a few varieties of dahlia that naturally hang their heads down and unfortunately there is nothing that you can do to alter that.

So would ask in order to know what to suggest - have your dahlias always had drooping heads or is this something that has started to happen recently - as up till now - they have always had their " faces facing showing " ?

 

[CountryQueen]

They do until they get so big, then they droop. They tend to grow side ways, not quite like a vine, but very similar. Is there any hope for them?

 

[firelily99]

Those are some excellent questions and until we have all the answers its hard to know what to suggest to you. Perhaps you could post some pictures of them so we might have a better idea.

 

[justusforus]

I have noticed the droop before but thought it was normal for them. Someone here will know the definitive answer...I always count on it and am never disappointed.

 

[gata montes]

They do until they get so big, then they droop. They tend to grow side ways, not quite like a vine, but very similar. Is there any hope for them?

I know that this may seem like a very silly question - but are you sure that what you are growing are in fact Dahlias - I only ask that - because to be honest I've not as yet seen a Dahlia that grows like a vine - as they tend to be bushes rather vines and the dinner plate varieties although much larger in general - tend to be bushier than the other varieties.

I too would also agree that a photo or two of your Dahlias - if you have some would be very helpful - but also if you could let us know how long you have had your plants and whether you have had the problem with the drooping flower heads over many years - or is it something that has only started to occur during the the last growing season ?