Bodacious Dahlia Tubers

Bodacious: Decorative Dahlia Tubers

Could any variety sum up what dahlias mean to most people than the dinnerplate-sized Bodacious Dahlia (or indeed live up to its name so well)? This giant decorative bears flowers at least 25cm wide with split and twisted petals in intense red with pale yellow tips.
Browse our other Decorative Dahlias or our full range of Dahlias here.

It's not just the two-tone colours or the size that is so eye-catching - the twisted and split petals - more than 50 on one bloom - give it a slightly shaggy look, which is appealing to those who don't care for the formal perfection of other types of dahlia. Grow it on the allotment or in a cut flower bed for massive blooms for flower arranging.

Features

• Colour: Red with yellow tips on petals
• Foliage: Green
• Flower Size: 25cm
• Type: Giant Decorative Dahlia
• Cutting: Yes
• Height/Spread: From 1.2m x 75cm
• Flowering: July to November
• Outdoor Planting Months: March to July

Growing Bodacious 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 Bodacious

It makes a good focal point in a bed with grasses and other red-flowered annuals. It also associates well with exotics like cannas, bananas, gladioli and crocosmia.

Did You Know?

It won the 2001 Derrill W. Hart Award from the American Dahlia Society for the highest scoring AA and A size dahlias for new hybrids sent to the North American Trial Gardens that year.

It is a great exhibition dahlia, as its colouring is so unusual and flower heads are so big.

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.