The Mero Star Dahlia is a popular and beautiful choice for gardens, captivating with its vibrant blooms. Its striking appearance makes it a favored addition, enhancing various landscape designs throughout the growing season.
Distinctive Features of Mero Star Dahlia
The Mero Star Dahlia displays visually stunning bloom characteristics. Its large, fully double flowers typically measure 6 to 8 inches, sometimes exceeding 10 inches, classifying them as dinnerplate or decorative dahlias. They showcase a captivating color palette of raspberry, strawberry, and grape hues, often highlighted by frosty white edges. Petals can be broad, flat, or slightly curled, with no visible disc. Growing to a mature height of 36 to 48 inches, Mero Star Dahlias create a dramatic focal point in garden beds and are valued as cut flowers due to their vigorous growth and long vase life.
Planting and Site Preparation
Proper planting and site preparation are crucial for Mero Star Dahlias. Plant tubers in spring after the last frost, when the soil has warmed, typically around the same time tomatoes are planted. These dahlias thrive in full sun, requiring at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily; in hotter climates, morning sun with some afternoon shade is beneficial.
Well-draining, rich, loamy soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5 provides the best growing environment. Prepare the soil by loosening it 8 to 12 inches deep and amending it with compost or aged manure to improve drainage and aeration. Plant tubers 1 to 6 inches deep, eye facing upwards, and space them 12 to 24 inches apart for proper air circulation and growth. Avoid watering tubers immediately after planting to prevent rot; wait until sprouts emerge.
Ongoing Cultivation and Maintenance
Consistent care ensures robust Mero Star Dahlia plants and abundant blooms. Once sprouts appear, provide deep watering once or twice a week, aiming for 1 to 2 inches of water, especially during dry periods. Apply water directly to the soil surface rather than overhead to prevent disease. Fertilize dahlias monthly after about a month from planting, using a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to promote flowering over excessive foliage growth.
Deadhead spent blooms regularly by snipping just above a healthy leaf or bud, which encourages continuous new flowers. Due to their height and large flowers, Mero Star Dahlias require staking. Insert stakes at planting time to avoid damaging tubers and tie stems every 12 to 18 inches as they grow. Pinching back the central stem when the plant reaches 12 to 16 inches encourages bushier growth and more blooms.
Overwintering and Tuber Storage
For gardeners in colder climates (USDA Zones 3-7), overwintering Mero Star Dahlia tubers is necessary. Wait until after the first hard frost has blackened the foliage before digging up the tubers. Carefully lift clumps, cut stems back to about 4 inches, and allow them to dry or “cure” for several days to a week in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. This drying period prevents rot during storage. Once cured, gently brush off excess soil.
Store tubers in a cool, dark, dry location where temperatures remain consistently between 40-45°F (4-7°C) and humidity is around 80-90%. Ideal storage mediums include:
Vermiculite
Coarse sand
Sawdust
Sphagnum peat moss
Wood shavings
These mediums help regulate moisture. Tubers can also be placed in cardboard boxes or plastic bags; plastic bags suit drier environments, and paper bags suit damper ones. Periodically check stored tubers throughout winter to ensure they are not shriveling from dryness or rotting from excessive moisture, discarding any showing signs of decay.
Addressing Common Challenges
Mero Star Dahlias can encounter several common challenges. Pests like slugs and snails are problematic for young shoots, while aphids, thrips, spider mites, and earwigs can damage foliage and blooms. Manual removal, garden tidiness, and organic repellents help manage these issues. Fungal diseases like powdery mildew (white, dusty coating on leaves) and botrytis (grey mold, causing buds to rot) can occur, especially in humid conditions or with poor air circulation. Adequate spacing and avoiding overhead watering mitigate these problems. Lack of blooms often stems from insufficient sunlight, over-fertilization with nitrogen, or inadequate watering, which prioritize foliage growth over flower production. Addressing these cultural practices resolves flowering issues.