Dahlia Week
Celebrate Indiana's showiest blooms. From compact container fillers to dinner-plate stunners — explore every dahlia we grow at Schlegel Greenhouse.
Why We Trust Selecta Genetics
The Selecta Difference
Every dahlia we grow is a vegetative clone — cutting-grown from Selecta's elite mother plants. That means guaranteed genetics, not seed-lottery surprises.
Vegetative vs. Tuberous
Selecta dahlias are cloned from cuttings, not grown from tubers. Every plant is a perfect DNA replica of the mother — consistent color, height, and bloom size. No surprises at the garden center.
Earlier Bloom, Longer Season
Cutting-grown dahlias bloom 2–3 weeks earlier than tuberous varieties. That means color by late May in Indiana, not mid-July. And they keep going until hard frost in October.
No Staking Required
Selecta breeds for compact, self-supporting stems. These aren’t your grandmother’s floppy dinner-plate dahlias — they stay upright in wind and rain without cages or stakes.
The High-Performance Care Guide
Dahlias are heavy feeders that reward attention. Follow this guide for blooms from May through October.
The Indiana Afternoon Hack
The 3:00 PM Indiana sun is a petal scorcher. Plant dahlias where they get morning sun but afternoon relief — the east side of your house is ideal. This keeps dark-leafed varieties like City Lights from absorbing too much heat and prevents flower bleaching.
Fertigate, Don’t Just Water
Dahlias are heavy feeders. Use a high-phosphorus “Bloom Booster” every 10–14 days. The wholesale secret: fertigate (fertilize + water at the same time). This keeps the flower factory running non-stop. Jack’s Blossom Booster (10-30-20) is the gold standard.
Where to Snip: The Deadheading Technique
Don’t just pull the petals. Snip back to the first “axil” — the joint where new leaves meet the stem. This triggers TWO new stems for every one you cut. More stems = more flowers. Do this weekly and you’ll double your bloom count by August.
The Mid-Summer Reset
If blooms slow in late July, don’t panic. Give them a light trim (2 inches off the top), hit with liquid feed, and water deeply. Within 2 weeks you’ll see a flush of new buds. By August, they’ll be blooming harder than June.
Retailer's Selection Guide
Selecta Dahlias (Dalaya, Dahlietta, City Lights) have a shorter “bench-time” — they arrive at your garden center ready to sell with buds already set. Because they're vegetative clones, every plant on the shelf is a perfect replica of the mother plant's DNA. No color surprises, no off-types, no customer complaints.
Ready to add dahlias to your garden?
Visit us during Dahlia Week, May 11–17, and our team will help you pick the perfect varieties for your containers and beds.