Hi dahlia lovers. I’m growing from tuber for the first time this year (New Jersey zone 7b) and I couldn’t stop ordering tubers.
Ive been spending the cold winter on the computer trying to figure out a good layout for them. I ordered three 3x6x14.5h raised beds and I’m looking for feedback on my 5-4-5 design. I’m putting them along a white pvc fence I hate looking at. I will be putting them at least 2-3 feet off the fence so I can access both sides. I have a mix of varieties and I set it up that the taller will be the back row.
I’m open to moving them around or taking some out or swapping ones in that currently are “extra”. The good news is I have space in my yard and Im open to figuring out where to add another bed or using grow bags.
Attached are the pics. The bed layout, where the beds will be set up, extras dahlias that don’t have a home yet, ai’s rendition , and my adopted rabbit who will visit them daily (reason for the raised beds).
Thanks for the advice and help.
by cathsgsr
4 Comments
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I think this looks great and will be so pretty!
It all looks good there. Hardest part for me with my raised beds is filling them; I’m still doing it years later. 😅 Main thing to remember is that it won’t be perfect your first year, but you will learn what works and what doesn’t.
If you end up with too many dahlias, you have someone there who would gladly dispose of them for you.
Spacing will be a little tight, but should work. When I do my layouts, I consider the height of each dahlia, and plant them so the shorter ones are the furthest south in the beds so they don’t get shaded out later in the season (border dahlias only get about 2’ tall, and my tallest -Bloomquist Orion- gets around 10’ tall). My advice would be to consider the direction of the light source and make sure your plan takes height into account.