Dahlia - Ask Extension
I bought 2 bulbs in late spring and planted them in late May. The are about 4’ tall and ver thick stalks but no buds or flowers I have used all sugg...
Knowledgebase
Dahlia #912768
Asked August 05, 2025, 12:40 PM EDT
I bought 2 bulbs in late spring and planted them in late May. The are about 4’ tall and ver thick stalks but no buds or flowers I have used all suggested powders and fertilizers any suggestions
Greene County Ohio
Expert Response
Thank you for your question to Ask a Master Gardener Volunteer with eXtension.
It sounds like you are taking good care of your dahlia plants! In general, dahlias will bloom anywhere from 90 to 120 days after planting. They require bright sunlight for at least 6 hours and consistent watering.
Too much fertilizer can actually be detrimental for many plants - including dahlias! (See the following website.)
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/newsreleases/2023/august/dakota-gardener-the-myth-of-high-phosphorus-fertilizers-for-more-flowers
If your dahlias do not bloom later this month or next, perhaps a soil test would be the way to go for next growing season - to determine if you need to add some other micronutrients like iron or zinc to bring your soil back to a well balanced ratio.
Make sure you do not dig out dahlia tubers to store until the plant has been stunted by a good frost.
It's best to wait until the foliage has turned brown and the stems are mushy, indicating the plant is dormant. Leaving them in the ground for a couple of weeks after the first frost allows the tubers to develop stronger "eyes" (potential growth points). Then dig carefully, cut back the old growth, clean off the tubers, allow them to dry and store in a cool, dry and frost free location until next spring.
In either case, I am including some websites which may expand your knowledge of all things dahlia!
https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C576&title=dahlias
https://www.dahlia.org/growing/fundamentals-of-growing-dahlias/
I am hoping your dahlias are late bloomers (so to speak) and will still develop buds and flowers.
Best of luck!
It sounds like you are taking good care of your dahlia plants! In general, dahlias will bloom anywhere from 90 to 120 days after planting. They require bright sunlight for at least 6 hours and consistent watering.
Too much fertilizer can actually be detrimental for many plants - including dahlias! (See the following website.)
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/news/newsreleases/2023/august/dakota-gardener-the-myth-of-high-phosphorus-fertilizers-for-more-flowers
If your dahlias do not bloom later this month or next, perhaps a soil test would be the way to go for next growing season - to determine if you need to add some other micronutrients like iron or zinc to bring your soil back to a well balanced ratio.
Make sure you do not dig out dahlia tubers to store until the plant has been stunted by a good frost.
It's best to wait until the foliage has turned brown and the stems are mushy, indicating the plant is dormant. Leaving them in the ground for a couple of weeks after the first frost allows the tubers to develop stronger "eyes" (potential growth points). Then dig carefully, cut back the old growth, clean off the tubers, allow them to dry and store in a cool, dry and frost free location until next spring.
In either case, I am including some websites which may expand your knowledge of all things dahlia!
https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C576&title=dahlias
https://www.dahlia.org/growing/fundamentals-of-growing-dahlias/
I am hoping your dahlias are late bloomers (so to speak) and will still develop buds and flowers.
Best of luck!
