Purple Gem Dahlia Plant

Purple Gem Dahlia enchants your garden with its striking 4-6 inch blooms, featuring rich purple petals that twist and roll into a spiky, cactus-like form. This vibrant variety blooms steadily from midsummer to frost, adding a bold splash of color to borders, containers, and cut arrangements, set against lush green foliage on sturdy burgundy stems.

And this gem keeps the show glowing. It pumps out those vivid, quilled blooms all season with relentless flair, thriving with just a sunny spot and a bit of care. Heat? It stands tall like a pro. Pests and deer? They spot this purple beauty and dart off, outshone by its radiant charm.

Planting Instructions:

• - Plant tubers when soil reaches 60°F. Space them 4-6 inches deep with crown up and roots down

Soil Preparation:

• - Prefers well-drained, fertile soil

Watering Specifics:

• - Wait until green sprouts emerge from the soil before watering
• - Then water deeply 2-3 times per week, and daily if plants are in containers

Fertilizer Type:

• - Use fertilizers with a lower nitrogen count; half the amount of nitrogen relative to phosphorus and potassium (lower N on NPK ratio)
• - Fertilize every 2-3 weeks for containers and every 3-4 weeks for soil grown plants

Pruning and Training:

• - Pinch back the main shoot to encourage branching and more flowers
• - Deadhead spent blooms to encourage continuous flowering

Additional Pest Management:

• - Inspect regularly for pests like aphids, slugs, and snails

Temperature Tolerance:

• - Protect plants from early frosts with mulch or fleece covers to extend the flowering season

Overwintering:

• - After frost has turned the foliage brown, dig up tubers and store them over the winter
• - Clean tubers and let them dry for a few days in a frost-free location, then store in cool, dry place in slightly moist peat moss or sand