How to Grow and Care for Bumble Rumble Dahlia
Learn to successfully cultivate the Bumble Rumble dahlia. This guide ensures vibrant, two-toned blooms and helps you enjoy this unique flower year after year.
The Bumble Rumble dahlia is a favorite among gardeners for its unique, anemone-style flower and vibrant coloration. Its appearance and appeal to pollinators make it a popular addition to summer gardens, providing continuous blooms from summer until the first frost.
Key Characteristics of Bumble Rumble Dahlia
This dahlia has an anemone-form flower, featuring one or more rows of flat outer petals that frame a dense, pincushion-like center of tubular florets. The flowers measure between three and four inches in diameter. This structure is highly accessible to bees and other pollinators, which contributes to its “Bumble Rumble” name.
The outer petals are a soft lavender-pink with a raspberry-hued overlay that doesn’t quite reach the petal tips. This contrasts with a collar of shorter, pure white petaloids that surrounds the yellow center. The plant reaches a height of 36 to 48 inches, creating a strong vertical presence in garden beds.
Planting and Care Guide
Plant the tubers in the spring after the last frost has passed and the soil has warmed. Select a location that receives at least six to eight hours of full sun daily and has rich, well-draining soil. Planting holes should be 4-6 inches deep, with tubers spaced 12-18 inches apart to allow for adequate air circulation.
Consistent moisture is important, so water the plants deeply a few times a week, ensuring the soil remains moist but not waterlogged. Overwatering can lead to rot. Due to their height, staking is recommended to support the tall stems and prevent them from breaking. A stake can be inserted at the time of planting to avoid disturbing the tuber system later.
Use a low-nitrogen fertilizer every three to four weeks during the growing season to encourage more flowers. Another technique to increase flower production is “pinching” the central stem when the plant is about 12 inches tall. This encourages the plant to branch out for a bushier habit and more blooms. Regularly deadheading, or removing spent flowers, also promotes continuous flowering.
End-of-Season Tasks
In colder climates, prepare dahlia tubers for winter storage after the first hard frost has caused the foliage to turn black. Cut the stalk down to a few inches above the ground. Carefully lift the tuber clump from the soil with a garden fork or shovel, being careful to avoid damage.
Gently clean the excess soil from the tubers and allow them to dry for a few days in a cool, frost-free location away from direct sunlight. Once cured, they are ready for storage. Place them in a ventilated box or crate with a medium like vermiculite, peat moss, or wood shavings to prevent them from drying out. Store the container in a cool, dark, and frost-free area, such as a basement, where temperatures remain between 40-50°F.