🌸 When to Plant Dahlias

🌸 Flower
Warm Season

Plant tubers after last frost; dig up and store in fall (zones 7 and below)

📅 Planting Calendar by USDA Zone

Select your zone to highlight your exact planting dates. Dates are calculated from each zone's average frost dates.

Find my zone
Zone Last Frost Start Indoors Transplant Direct Sow
Zone 2A May 30 May 2 Jun 6
Zone 3B May 15 Apr 17 May 22
Zone 4A May 8 Apr 10 May 15
Zone 4B May 1 Apr 3 May 8
Zone 5A Apr 25 Mar 28 May 2
Zone 5B Apr 18 Mar 21 Apr 25
Zone 6A Apr 21 Mar 24 Apr 28
Zone 6B Apr 10 Mar 13 Apr 17
Zone 7A Apr 5 Mar 8 Apr 12
Zone 7B Mar 28 Feb 28 Apr 4
Zone 8A Mar 20 Feb 20 Mar 27
Zone 8B Mar 12 Feb 12 Mar 19
Zone 9A Feb 28 Jan 31 Mar 7
Zone 9B Feb 15 Jan 18 Feb 22
Zone 10A Feb 1 Jan 4 Feb 8
Zone 10B Jan 15 Dec 18 Jan 22
Zone 11A Jan 1 Dec 4 Jan 8

Dahlias are showstopping flowers with endless variety in size, shape, and color. Worth every bit of effort.

Top Growing Tips

  • Plant tubers after last frost when soil reaches 60°F
  • Pinch the center shoot for bushier plants and more flowers
  • Stake tall varieties — dinner plate types get heavy
  • Dig up tubers after first frost in zones 7 and colder; store in peat moss
  • In zones 8+, tubers can overwinter in the ground with mulch

Companion Planting

Good companions: vegetables (attract pollinators), herbs

Avoid planting near: none in particular

Harvest Timeline

Flowering in 70-120 days from tuber planting; cut in the morning