The ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlia is a popular tuberous perennial known for its striking, vivid red blooms. These captivating flowers offer a spectacular display of color and form, making them a favored choice for gardeners. Consistent flowering adds significant visual appeal, transforming garden spaces with rich hues.
Meet the ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlia
The ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlia is known for its truly red, ball-shaped flowers. These fully double blooms feature tightly inrolled petals that form a neat, flattened globe, typically measuring 4 to 5 inches across. This specific flower form, a ball dahlia, is characterized by its perfectly rounded appearance.
The plant generally reaches 3 to 4.5 feet tall. Its upright, bushy, and clump-forming habit, with mid-green leaves, provides a robust backdrop for abundant red blossoms. This dahlia adds bold color and a distinct structural element to garden beds, borders, and containers, making it a versatile choice.
Planting Your ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlias
Plant ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlias after the last spring frost when the soil has warmed, protecting tubers from freezing temperatures. Choose a site with full sun, meaning at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily, for robust growth and prolific blooming. Ensure well-draining soil rich in organic matter. Incorporate compost or aged manure into the planting area to improve fertility and drainage.
Plant tubers about 1 inch deep with the “eye” facing up. Space individual tubers approximately 18 inches apart; this allows for adequate air circulation and supports healthy plant development.
Essential Care for Thriving Blooms
Light Requirements
Dahlias need at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. A south or west-facing location maximizes sun exposure, promoting strong stems and abundant blooms. Insufficient light leads to weaker plants and fewer flowers.
Watering Needs
Consistent moisture is important for dahlias, especially during dry weather or active growth. The soil should remain evenly moist but never waterlogged, as excessive wetness can lead to tuber rot. Deep watering, rather than frequent shallow watering, encourages roots to grow deeper, enhancing drought tolerance. Monitoring soil moisture regularly helps determine when watering is needed.
Soil Preferences
Maintaining well-draining, fertile soil is beneficial for ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlias throughout their growing season. A soil pH that is neutral to slightly acidic or alkaline is generally suitable. Amending the soil with organic matter annually helps maintain its structure and nutrient content, supporting healthy plant vigor. Proper soil conditions contribute to strong root systems, which in turn support vigorous top growth and abundant flowering.
Fertilizing for Abundance
For continuous blooms, use a low-nitrogen fertilizer once plants are established. Formulations like 5-10-10 or 10-20-20, rich in phosphorus and potassium, are recommended. Apply every three to four weeks during the blooming season.
Staking and Support
Due to their height (up to 4.5 feet) and large blooms, ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlias often need staking. This prevents toppling in wind or rain. Install stakes early to avoid root damage. Secure main stems to the support with twine or soft ties as the plant grows.
Deadheading for Continuous Blooms
Deadheading, or removing spent flowers, encourages more blooms. When a flower fades, the plant uses energy to produce seeds. Removing faded flowers redirects this energy to new buds. Regularly pinch or cut off old blooms above a leaf node or new side shoot for continuous flowering through summer and autumn.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Pests and Diseases
Dahlias may encounter common garden pests and diseases.
Aphids: These cluster on new growth and can be dislodged with a strong spray of water or treated with insecticidal soap.
Spider mites: Thriving in dry conditions, they cause stippling on leaves; increasing humidity or using horticultural oil can help manage them.
Slugs: They often chew holes in leaves and can be deterred with traps or barriers.
Powdery mildew, a fungal disease, may appear as a white powdery coating on leaves, particularly in humid or dry conditions. It can be mitigated by ensuring good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering.
Lack of Blooms
If ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlias are not blooming as expected, several factors could be at play. Insufficient sunlight, meaning less than six hours daily, is a common cause; ensure plants receive adequate sun. Improper fertilization, particularly too much nitrogen, can lead to lush foliage at the expense of flowers; adjust to a low-nitrogen fertilizer. Additionally, inconsistent watering, either too much or too little, can hinder blooming; ensure consistent moisture for flower production.
Leggy Growth
Leggy growth, characterized by tall, stretched stems with sparse foliage, often results from insufficient light, as plants reach for available sun. To encourage bushier, more compact growth, ensure dahlias are in a location with full sun exposure. Pinching out the central growing tip when the plant is about 12 inches tall can also promote side branching, leading to a fuller plant with more flowering stems.
Overwintering ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlia Tubers
In colder climates where winter temperatures drop below freezing, ‘Boom Boom Red’ Dahlia tubers cannot remain in the ground and must be dug up and stored. This process typically begins after the first hard frost has blackened the foliage.
Carefully dig around the plant, lifting the entire clump of tubers without causing damage.
Gently shake off excess soil and allow the tubers to air dry for a few days in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
Once dry, clean the tubers by removing any remaining soil and trimming the stems back to about 4-6 inches.
Store the tubers in a cool, dark, and dry location where temperatures remain consistently between 40-50°F (4-10°C).
Placing them in a breathable medium like peat moss, vermiculite, or wood shavings in a cardboard box or mesh bag helps prevent desiccation and rot.
Regularly check the stored tubers throughout the winter for any signs of shriveling or mold, adjusting storage conditions as needed to maintain their viability until spring planting.