Fothergill's Dahlia Pompon Mixed Seeds

Details:

• Botanical Name: Dahlia x hortensis, a premium, structurally advanced color-selected strain within the genus.
• Plant Class: Half Hardy Perennial, growing rapidly from an early spring sowing to flower heavily in its very first year, while developing underground tubers that can be overwintered.
• Intricate Honeycomb Blooms: Bears an abundance of perfectly spherical, fully double flower heads. The petals naturally roll inward to create a fascinating, highly symmetrical honeycomb architecture that immediately draws the eye.
• Brilliant Kaleidoscope Palette: Delivers a breathtakingly diverse color mix, showcasing rich shades of deep velvet red, bright pink, sunny yellow, crisp white, glowing orange, soft lavender, and rich bicolors.
• Stately Tall Border Framework: Naturally forms a robust, multi-branched, and elegant upright framework reaching a mature height of 90cm (36in). It provides a magnificent structural element when planted in drifts through the middle or back of sunny borders, cottage gardens, or cutting patches.
• Elite Cut Flower Choice: Widely considered the gold standard for cut flower enthusiasts; the exceptionally rigid, sturdy stems and durable, weather-resistant globe blooms hold up beautifully in water, allowing you to create elegant, long-lasting bouquets.
• Pollinator Friendly: Despite their tight double structure, these vibrant blooms act as an excellent visual attractant, drawing honeybees, bumblebees, and butterflies into your garden throughout the summer months.

Care Instructions:

• Sowing Position: Start seeds indoors from February to April by sowing on the surface of good quality, moist seed compost in pots or trays. Lightly cover the seeds with a thin layer of vermiculite or compost. Maintain a warm, consistent indoor temperature of 15–20°C for rapid germination. Position in full sun.
• Planting Out & Spacing: Once seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots. Grow them on in cooler but frost-free conditions, hardening them off gradually before planting out into their final garden positions in late May or June, once all risk of spring frost has safely passed. Space plants roughly 40–50cm apart.
• Moisture, Nutrition & Support: Dahlias are hungry plants that thrive in rich, fertile, well-drained soil. Incorporate plenty of organic matter or well-rotted manure into the planting area. Because this variety reaches 90cm, it is highly recommended to stake the plants early to support the heavy weight of the summer blooms. Water deeply and regularly, and feed weekly with a high-potash liquid fertilizer once buds begin to form.
• Deadheading & Maintenance: Pinch out the central growing tips of young plants early on to encourage a bushier habit with more stems. Deadhead faded blooms regularly to stimulate a non-stop succession of fresh flowers. After the first sharp autumn frost blackens the foliage, the underground tubers can be lifted and stored in a cool, dry, frost-free shed to replant the following spring.