Hello!

What are your favorite and/or current watering practices for dahlias? I typically set up an irrigation system, but I haven't been able to do that yet, and we have a dry heat wave coming. I have 25 + plants.

This got me thinking about everyone's watering practices. What kind of climate do you have, and what do you do for watering? Irrigation drip? Hand watering schedule? Big drink or regular small drinks?

Our irrigation system goes on four times a week, 45 minutes each zone. I don't give them any supplemental watering and they all do fine. The climate here in zone 7, Long Island, is a bit milder than yours but very few days over 90 degrees (thankfully).

In zone 5-6 SE Michigan I rely on Mother Nature.

For a couple of years I installed soaker hose. Did not seem to make a difference and I did not need to turn it on very often, so I stopped. I have 1000 feet of soaker hose stashed in the garage.

Sometimes I water new plants for the first year... not dahlias.

I tried soaker hoses, but I am on hard well water, and the hoses clogged up within 2 years from all of the minerals in the water.

Here in zone 4 WI, we almost always have a rainy June, so I rarely water at all in June. I do water the rest of the summer as needed. but just one by one with a hose (which can take a long time), or occasionally with an overhead lawn sprinkler if I dont have the time.

As they get large, they do love water. I am under the impression that short waterings more often is best for them, they dont have extensive deep root systems (like tomatoes etc) so deep watering is a waste on them.