Dahlias are often found in flower beds; the Merry Guys variety is one of the most popular. The plant does not require any specific care. Even a beginner can easily grow flowers in their summer cottage. As a result, the flower garden will sparkle with bright colors and will help lift the gardener’s mood.
Cheerful guys are a popular dahlia variety. Colorful flowers attract special attention. One has only to look at the flowerbed and the variety of colors will give you a good mood.
Characteristics of the variety
Flowers are annual plants.
A dwarf variety that needs to be pruned for the winter. He will not be able to endure the cold season. Flowers reach a height of up to 70 cm. The stem is strong, the leaves are large. The bud has a diameter of up to 10 cm. During the flowering period, the petals have a bright color that immediately catches the eye. Please note that dahlias are available in different colors.
These are red, lilac, white, pink colors. Despite the variety of shades, they all belong to the same variety. Dahlias are used to decorate flower beds. They are used to create borders. Cheerful guys look interesting in single plantings. In addition, they can be in the neighborhood with other plants. Dahlias go well with sage, petunia, and asters. The variety is suitable for creating flower arrangements.
Description of the variety and its features
The inflorescences of this variety are basket-shaped, about 10 cm in diameter. The color of the petals is bright, attracting attention. The most common examples are these shades:
- white;
- red;
- pink;
- lilac;
- burgundy;
- yellow.
The variety is not frost-resistant. “Guys” love warmth and sunlight, easily tolerate drought and are able to germinate in almost any soil.
Important! It is not recommended to plant dahlias in a shady area: the sprouts will be fragile and the flowers will be dull and lifeless.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Cheerful guys are in great demand among flower growers. Experienced gardeners claim that flowers have a number of advantages over other plants. The main ones are the following:
- resistance to drought;
- the growing technology is quite simple;
- lush flowering;
- flowers look harmonious with other plants.
Although the Dahlia Jolly Guys have many positive characteristics, there are also some disadvantages.
Florists pay attention to the following:
- The variety is not resistant to pests. Therefore, the issue of plant protection should be approached responsibly;
- fungal diseases often affect crops. When damaged, brown spots appear on the leaves.
History of selection
The variety has been included in the state register of selection achievements since 2009. The applicant of the annual dahlias “Veselye guys” is the Krasnodar farm “Capris” (Ust-Labinsk). The crop is recommended for cultivation in all regions for decorating prefabricated and monoculture flower beds, flower beds, edgings, and mixborders. The originator of the dahlia variety Merry Guys declares the main advantages of the ornamental plant: drought resistance, resistance to sunlight, heat-lovingness.
Currently the official originator of the Merry Guys variety
Requirements for soil composition
You need to choose soil for plants carefully. Dahlias will delight you with long-term flowering only if they grow on fertile soil. Particular attention should be paid to acidity; the soil should not be acidic.
To simplify the task, soil can be purchased at a specialized store. If you want to prepare the soil yourself, you need to mix fertile soil, sand, and peat. Each component must be taken in equal quantities.
Features of the variety
Most varieties of dahlias are perennials. The “Jolly Guys” species was bred as an annual plant, adapted for the middle zone. The brightness of the flowers, low growth, and the ability not to store the tubers until the next season make them favorites in garden beds and flower beds.
The dwarf bush “Jolly Guys” reaches a height of 69-72 cm. If it is picked in a timely manner, the dahlia grows in width and stops at the highest point at around 25 cm. Experienced gardeners divide them into double and simple. There are several subspecies that have an intermediate appearance and are called semi-double: they are not as thick as double ones, but the petals have the same carved shape.
Terry dahlias have a more elegant appearance (for example, as in the photo) and are the most popular for planting. The height of flowers depends on proper nutrition, care, daylight hours, and also on the composition of the soil.
The stem of this herbaceous plant has a green color with a brown tint, and is dense and strong in structure. The very middle of the multi-colored inflorescences is the same: yellow in the form of small long tubes; the tongue-shaped petals, growing in a circle, form a small ball reaching a diameter of about 9 cm.
The most common shades of colors: white, lilac, pink and red. You can find many beautiful photos of “Jolly Fellows” dahlias, and they are always pleasing to the eye. The first buds appear by July, and the peak of flowering occurs in August and the first half of September. Dahlias bloom for a long time, almost until the first frost.
Landing rules
Before planting, you should choose a suitable place for the flowers. The bed should be well lit, protected from drafts, and the soil should be thoroughly loosened.
Growing “Jolly Fellows” dahlias is not difficult at all. Plants are unpretentious in care and watering. But despite this, experienced flower growers advise adhering to regular care for such flowers. You only need to follow a few steps to help better reveal all the beauty of the “Jolly Guys” variety in the flowerbed.
- Lighting . The plant is very light- and heat-loving, so there should be a lot of bright light and for quite a long time. Otherwise, the stems will be thin, long and fragile.
- Timing of sowing seeds . This is a cold-resistant seed, so planting seedlings is already possible at the end of March. Before you start planting and sowing the seeds, disinfect them in a light solution of potassium permanganate. This way you will provide the seeds with additional resistance to sudden temperature changes at different times of the day and increase their protective functions against infectious and fungal diseases.
- sowing
dahlia seeds directly into the soil after the frosts have passed. It should also be remembered that the seedlings are covered with plastic wrap for a week or two so that the flowers become stronger. - Organic fertilizers (manure, ash, etc.) will be required if seedlings are pre-grown. Fertilizers are applied to the hole along with the plant.
- Seedlings are grown in separate pots or wooden boxes filled with a mixture of sand, peat and an iron-containing component, like perlite. The permanent planting site should have neutral or slightly acidic soil. To do this, add lime to the soil.
It is important to note that “Jolly Fellows” dahlias, like all garden flowers, can degenerate and change, so it is best to buy seeds in stores.
Growing seedlings
To quickly get colorful blooms, you can plant seedlings in open ground. To do this, sow seeds in containers in April. After planting, the crops need to be covered with film.
The depth of planting seeds in the soil should not be more than 2 cm, the distance between sowings should be 3 cm. After which the seeds should be sprinkled with sand and peat and lightly watered.
In order for the crops to germinate, it is necessary to maintain the temperature within 25 degrees. Shoots will appear in 14 days.
As soon as the plants reach a height of 10 cm, picking is required. To do this, you need to prepare separate containers. It is advisable to use peat pots or paper bags.
Dahlias Merry fellows need to be watered sparingly. It is best to accustom them to fresh air. Already with the arrival of May, the crops need to be taken outside.
Pests and diseases
Dahlias Merry fellows show resistance to the effects of pathogens. In rare cases (mainly due to thickening of plantings and excessive moisture), plants can be affected by gray rot, white rot, and fusarium. Infected plants dry out and lose their inflorescences and foliage. Affected bushes should be destroyed to prevent the spread of infection to healthy plants.
Read more Pinching and pinching dahlias - video, photo
After removing the bush, the hole must be treated with potassium permanganate or modern fungicides
The most dangerous pests for ornamental plants are slugs and aphids. Parasites destroy not only foliage, but also inflorescences and buds. Slugs are collected by hand and the areas under the bushes are covered with sawdust.
To get rid of aphids on dahlias, you should use modern insecticides (Actellik)
How to care for flowers
Caring for dahlias is easy. It is enough to water and fertilize in a timely manner. The result will not be long in coming. Lush and colorful flowering will delight you with its splendor.
- Watering
For the first time after planting, plants need well-moistened soil. As soon as the buds appear, the number of waterings can be reduced.
On hot days, additional spraying is necessary. In August, flowers should be watered no more than once a week.
- Top dressing
Despite the fact that the plants are unpretentious, they still need fertilizer. Feeding should be carried out in 3 stages:
- 14 days after planting the seedlings in the soil. Mullein or ammonium nitrate can be used as fertilizers.
- As soon as the first buds appear. For fertilizer, you can use potassium salt or superphosphate.
- During the flowering period. It is best to fertilize using organic fertilizers.
- Weeding
When weeds appear, they must be removed immediately.
It is important that the flowering process can occur much faster if pinching is carried out. To do this, you need to leave only 3 stems of the plant.
Harvesting and storage of seeds and tubers
Seeds and tubers for propagating dahlias Merry guys can be prepared at home. After the end of the flowering period, the inflorescences are removed, leaving 2-3 pieces for collecting seeds until they are fully ripened (for 1 month). The heads of inflorescences, left “for seeds,” are wrapped in a layer of gauze, then dried in the sun and laid out in paper bags. Store seeds at room temperature for no more than 2-3 years.
To prepare material for planting, with the onset of the first cold weather, dahlia bushes are dug out of the ground. The stems are cut off and the tubers are inspected for dried or rotten areas. Dahlia root tubers are dried and placed in wooden boxes.
The tubers are stored in the cellar during the winter; in the spring, tubers with 2-3 viable buds are planted in open ground
Features of wintering tubers
In order for the tubers to be ready for planting, they must be properly stored during the winter. When the first frost occurs, you need to dig up the tubers you like. Lightly trim stems and roots.
The tubers should be immediately treated with a solution of potassium permanganate. This will protect them from fungal diseases. The tubers should dry out within a few days. They need to be left in the fresh air.
For storage you need to select wooden boxes and cover them with paper. It is important to ensure the temperature is within 10 degrees. Tubers should be checked periodically for mold. Damaged copies must be removed immediately.
Description of dahlia Cheerful guys
Dahlias Merry Guys are classified as flowering plants that are excellent for growing in the middle zone. Since the crop may die in winter due to severe frosts, it is grown as an annual plant. The height of the bushes can vary from 25 cm to 70 cm. If we consider simple species, they grow up to 40 cm in length and have a large number of flowers.
During the flowering period, small yellow inflorescences appear. In the central part of the bud there is a basket, which is surrounded by petals. Petals can be yellow, white, pink, purple or red. The diameter of the flower can reach 9-11 cm. The stems are quite powerful, the leaves are rich green. If the dahlia Jolly Guys produces flowers of a dark red hue, the leaves will be dark burgundy.
Attention! Terry varieties of dahlias exceed 40 cm in length, but they have much fewer flowers.
Growing crops from root tubers
Dahlia Tubers Merry Guys should be planted at the end of May. First you need to prepare the holes. Their size should be 3 times larger than the planting material. Rotted manure and a layer of earth should be placed at the bottom. Carefully place the root in the hole and cover with soil.
At the end, the plants need to be watered well and mulched around. A mixture of peat and sawdust can be used as mulch.
Landing dates
When determining planting dates, they are largely guided by the flowering time of the variety, so when purchasing seeds, you must carefully study the characteristics of the flowers on the label.
Advice! Regarding the timing of flowering of dahlias, one general rule applies - the taller the adult plant, the later the flowering period begins.
Dahlias Merry fellows begin to bloom in July. The flowering period continues until autumn frosts. If necessary, the moment of flowering of plants can be accelerated - to do this, you need to remove the stepsons and leave 2-3 stems. This will also help increase the size of the flowers.
When to plant dahlias Cheerful guys for seedlings
Sowing dahlia seeds of the Merry Guys variety for seedlings is done quite early - in the last days of March-April. Unlike planting seeds directly into open ground, with this method of sowing, dahlias begin flowering a little earlier.
When to plant dahlias Merry guys in open ground
Merry fellows plant dahlias directly into open ground after the threat of the last frost has passed. If you plant seeds too early, they may not germinate after the ground freezes after a sudden temperature change.
Dahlias in landscape design
Flowers are often used to decorate flower beds. Since the plants are unpretentious, they are in demand among gardeners. Dahlias are grown in flower beds, garden beds, and on the lawn.
Flowers look interesting in single plantings. Bright inflorescences catch the eye and delight with their long flowering.
In addition, dahlias harmonize perfectly with other plants. Many gardeners make flower arrangements using asters, marigolds, and sage. Good neighbors for dahlias, which make the flower bed more attractive and bright.
What to do with the plant in the fall
About the benefits of vegetative mass
Summer residents have noted that the stems and leaves of the annual dahlia are an excellent covering material for perennials that remain in the garden over the winter. So, in September-November, the greenery of the Merry Guys, cut to fit the stump, with wilted but not fallen leaves is laid out over rose bushes, clematis, over lilies and other flowering crops.
Under such a “feather bed”, perennials do not freeze, and most importantly, they do not get sick. In spring, dahlias are much easier to remove than the same autumn leaves.
About tubers
Having considered the popular methods of planting dahlias “Jolly Fellows” from seeds, as well as the basics of caring for the plant and the possibility of using greenery in the fall, I would like to say a few words about the root system of the crop.
Some experienced flower growers convince us that growing annual plants with tubers is quite possible.
Thus, roots with clearly defined tuberous cones dug up during the frost period are not cleaned from the soil clod. Moreover, they are additionally “dry” in clay. This measure will retain moisture in the roots and prevent them from drying out.
Next, the tubers are removed to a dark, cold place (for example, a basement).
In May, planting material is taken out of the shelter, dead areas are removed using a knife, and healthy parts are treated with charcoal powder or phytosporin.
Plant the roots into the ground, leaving the root collar on the surface. Then the plant is cared for as usual, discussed earlier.
It is noteworthy that reviews regarding this method of growing dahlias are quite contradictory. Some flower growers claim that Merry Guys retain the varietal characteristics inherent in the plant, while others claim the opposite.
Without disputing the opinions of the opposing sides, I would like to focus attention on one circumstance - after the three-year cycle of the dahlia tubers, the Jolly Fellows degenerate. It is not recommended to propagate the plant in this way beyond the specified period.
There is only one way out - to return to the seed method of propagating your favorite flowers.
Reproduction
The dahlia variety “Jolly Fellows” propagates reluctantly. Most often, gardeners use ripened first-generation seeds or small tuber roots. The former completely retain the properties and characteristics of the subspecies, but do not tolerate wintering well.
Store them in a cool, dark place along with a dug up lump of earth, having previously been disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate or soda. The ideal temperature for long-term storage is 8°.
About planting and caring for dahlias, as well as more photos showing beautiful “guys” - watch our video.
