The way you cut a dahlia flower has a lot to do with how it produces

Sunset, July, 1986

The way you cut a dahlia flower has a lot to do with how it produces

How do you cut your dahlia flowers? Many gardeners mistakenly try to avoid removing flower buds and large lengths of stalk. The result: short-stemmed cut flowers and a plant that's tuckered out by midsummer.

For better results, you need to cut longer stems and to remember the rule of threes. Whether you're cutting bouquets or removing faded blooms, the rule is the same: never expect more than three healthy shoots from any leaf node (the place where leaves attach to the stem).

The center stalk almost always blooms first; cut back to the next side buds that give the stem length you want (cut 1 in the photograph). For a longer stem, you can sacrifice the two side buds and cut above the next lower set of leaves.

The two side buds usually bloom simultaneously. When both are ready to pick or discard, cut to the next lower set of buds that give the stem length you want (either option shown for cut 2). If one side blooms earlier, you can cut its stem next to cut 1; just make the final cut of the triad no higher than shown.

The mistake gardeners often make is to cut all three stems at the spot marked cut 1. The result is a blind stem--with three stubs, it can't produce vigorous new tip growth, but it still inhibits active growth lower down. When a plant has a lot of blind stems, it mildews sooner.

You can rejuvenate plants that seem beyond help simply by cutting back all the blind stubs to a still-productive leaf node. That often means cutting most stalks an inch or two from the ground. Healthier new growth should sprout from the remaining few leaf nodes or underground.

For longer-lived bouquets, cut only dahlias with tight but fully developed centers. All three shown at right are suitable; the center one is best. On kinds with no central button, compare center petals for comparable guidance--cut when centers are expanded but not lax.

Photo: Dahlia stems grow in threes: center stalk blooms first and largest; two side ones often open simultaneously. Cut as shown to keep plants healthy and producing

Photo: Centers cue cutting time: tight one at left is not fully mature, center one is prime, right one is older and won't last as long