Checkers: Decorative Dahlia Tubers

If you like your flowers to have show-stopping impact, then Checkers Dahlias are for you! Up to a metre tall, with rich, velvety deep burgundy-red petals, each of which are tipped with pure white. Its chequerboard effect is highly unusual, and is one of the most reliable bi-colours available. The flowers grow up to 10cm wide and are plentiful, held above handsome shiny green, divided foliage.
Browse our other Decorative Dahlias or our full range of Dahlias here.

It will bloom from midsummer until the first frost when the foliage will blacken and die down. The plant is compact, suitable for a large pot.

Features

Colour: Deep burgundy red and white
Flower Size: Up to 10cm
Type: Decorative Dahlia
Cutting: Superb
Height/Spread: 100cm x 45cm
Flowering: July to November
Outdoor Planting Months: March to July

Growing Checkers Dahlias

All dahlias do best in deep rich soil with good drainage in a sunny spot. If it is windy they will need staking. They are greedy, thirsty plants so will need watering in dry spells, and they will always flower that little bit better if there is a bit of soluble food in the watering can once every couple of weeks.

It is generally more convenient to put support stakes in at planting time, rather than leaving it until there is foliage in the way.

Planting Companions for Checkers

It is ideal for growing in the middle of a mixed herbaceous border, and associates well with flowers like pink or white Cosmos (Purity is perfect) and toning Surfinia (Petunia) varieties. Try it as part of an exotic border, backed by big-leaved cannas, gingers or bananas.

They also make excellent cut flowers - you may recognise them from your florist if you're keen on flower arranging. Cutting the flowers encourages the plant to produce more, so have at least one in your cutting bed.

Did You Know?

This American variety was bred in 2001 by the Gitts family, who run Swan Island Dahlias in Oregon.

If you want to try your hand at exhibiting, Checkers is a highly popular variety on the show bench, as it is so eye-catching and reliable, whatever the weather - much easier to grow than the huge dinner plate specimens.

If you ignore seed, Dahlias can be planted at three stages: as tubers, rooted cuttings and pot-grown plants.

Tubers can be planted at any time from March onwards. The hole should be at least double the diameter of the tuber laid out on the ground. Incorporate about 25% well rotted compost and if drainage is in any way doubtful then add plenty of horticultural grit as well. Plant one tuber per hole, leaving 60-80 cms between plants (depending on final size) and make sure the tuber is covered with 10-12 cms (4-5") of soil. This is important as it will insulate the tuber against frosts in March-May as they will take a couple of months to show.

Rooted cuttings, which are available from early April onwards, will need to be potted up and kept in a sunny and frost free place until they are ready to be planted out in mid May. Their treatment then is the same as for tubers except they are planted level with rather than 10 cms below the surrounding soil level.

Pot grown plants are not delivered until June, and are then planted out immediately in the same way as an established rooted cutting.

The more you deadhead, the more flowers you'll get.

Read our full terms and conditions here.

Delivery: Our standard delivery charges are:

Small box (Orders containing only seedlings or rooted cuttings) £7.20 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £60 inc VAT)
Standard box (Bareroots up to 1.2m) £11.40 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £60 inc VAT)
Large box (Pots up to and incl. 7.5L) £15.00 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £100 inc VAT)
Trees & Hedging (Bareroots & trees 1.2m+) £18.00 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £120 inc VAT)
Pallets (Root balls, large pots, trees etc) £60.00 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £240 inc VAT)

*Surcharges to the Highlands and Islands still apply.

Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
We will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.

Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.

Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.

Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted hedging must be watered in dry weather while it is establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week in summer if there is no heavy rain.

Our nursery has been supplying container grown and bareroot hedging plants to gardeners, farmers and town planners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying hedging plants online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.

Shade	Full Sun
Soil	Good, Well Drained
Colour	Multicoloured
Type	Tuber
Also Good	Repeat Flowering, Vase Life
Flowering	Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov

	Buy 3 or more plants and save

SIZES	1-2	3+
Tuber	Out of Stock - Ordering Now £3.84	Out of Stock - Ordering Now£3.19
	Prices include VAT

Checkers Dahlia Tubers

Dahlia Checkers (Decorative)

Checkers: Decorative Dahlia Tubers

Features

Growing Checkers Dahlias

Planting Companions for Checkers

Did You Know?

Bareroot planting is best done between October and April
Bareroot and potted - what's the difference?

Why I love hazelnuts. Or should that be cobnuts?

LATEST VIDEO

Sign up!

Checkers Dahlia Tubers

Dahlia Checkers (Decorative)

Checkers: Decorative Dahlia Tubers

Features

Growing Checkers Dahlias

Planting Companions for Checkers

Did You Know?

Bareroot planting is best done between October and April Bareroot and potted - what's the difference?

Why I love hazelnuts. Or should that be cobnuts?

LATEST VIDEO

Sign up!

Bareroot planting is best done between October and April
Bareroot and potted - what's the difference?