Dahlia ‘Crazy Love’ is a popular and visually captivating dahlia variety, celebrated for its unique blend of colors and elegant bloom form. Gardeners often seek this cultivar to transform garden spaces and floral arrangements with its distinct aesthetic, offering a refined beauty.
Understanding Dahlia Crazy Love
‘Dahlia Crazy Love’ produces impressive blooms, typically 4 to 8 inches across, making them a focal point. Petals showcase a delicate spectrum, starting with a creamy white base that subtly transitions to soft lavender-pink or violet at the tips. Some blooms may also feature a faint yellow or lime green glow at their center. These flowers exhibit a decorative form, often described as informal decorative or semi-cactus, characterized by full, double blooms with pointed or intricately layered petal structures.
The plant typically reaches 2 to 4 feet tall, providing a substantial presence in garden beds. Its strong, upright stems support the generous blooms, though taller specimens may benefit from additional support. ‘Dahlia Crazy Love’ boasts a long bloom season, consistently producing flowers from mid-summer until the first hard frost of autumn.
Planting Dahlia Crazy Love
Successful cultivation of ‘Dahlia Crazy Love’ begins with selecting an appropriate planting site. This dahlia thrives in full sun, requiring at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. The soil should be well-drained and fertile, ideally enriched with organic matter. While adaptable to various soil types including acidic, clay, loamy, or sandy, good drainage is paramount to prevent tuber rot.
Planting should occur in late spring, after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has begun to warm. Tubers are typically planted 4 to 6 inches deep, with the “eye” or growth point facing upwards. Spacing tubers approximately 18 to 24 inches apart allows ample room for the plants to mature. After planting, initial watering should be light until shoots emerge, then consistent moisture can be maintained.
Ongoing Care for Dahlia Crazy Love
Consistent moisture is important for ‘Dahlia Crazy Love’ throughout its active growth period. While the soil should remain evenly moist, avoid overwatering, which can lead to tuber rot. During dry spells, a thorough soaking once or twice a week is generally sufficient. Applying a balanced fertilizer, or specifically one high in potassium and phosphorus, can encourage robust bloom production. This can be done periodically once the plants begin to bloom, such as every two weeks for container-grown dahlias.
As ‘Dahlia Crazy Love’ plants grow, especially the taller varieties, staking them early in the season helps support the heavy blooms and prevents stems from breaking. Inserting stakes at planting time avoids potential damage to the tubers later on. Regularly removing spent blooms, a practice known as deadheading, is beneficial as it diverts the plant’s energy from seed production back into creating more flowers, thereby prolonging the blooming season.
Overwintering Dahlia Crazy Love Tubers
In climates where winter temperatures drop below freezing (USDA Zones 3-8), ‘Dahlia Crazy Love’ tubers generally need to be lifted from the ground to survive. This process should begin after the first hard frost has caused the foliage to blacken, signaling that the plant has entered dormancy. Carefully dig up the tubers, taking care not to damage them, and gently remove any excess soil.
After digging, allow the tubers to dry for a few days in a cool, well-ventilated area, preferably outdoors if conditions permit. Once dry, store them in a cool, dark, and frost-free location, such as a basement or unheated garage. Packing them in a medium like dry peat moss, wood shavings, or vermiculite helps maintain appropriate humidity and prevents desiccation during storage. This ensures the tubers remain viable for replanting the following spring.
Enjoying Your Dahlia Crazy Love Blooms
To fully enjoy the beauty of ‘Dahlia Crazy Love’ in cut arrangements, timing the harvest is important. Blooms are best cut in the early morning or late evening when the plant is most hydrated. Using sharp, clean pruners allows for a clean cut, helping to prevent stem damage. When cutting, aim for long stems, ensuring at least two sets of leaves remain on the plant to encourage new growth and subsequent blooms.
Once cut, immediately place stems into a bucket of fresh water to prevent air embolisms that can reduce vase life. Before arranging, remove any foliage that would fall below the water line in the vase to prevent bacterial growth. Regularly changing the water and re-cutting the stems every few days helps to prolong freshness and vibrancy.