You bet they do.

Whether dahlias like cooler overcast or cloudless skies and hot-cooker-days really comes down to one very important element…the “soil.”

We farm here in Maryland and we are just starting our “dog days of Summer,” and the dahlias are unfazed by the heat. They are lush, stretching up their green mittens (flower buds) like cheerleaders.

All up and down the rows they are saying,”Yes! Yes! Yes!” (You do know plants talk to us with their health: Right?)

The thermometer has been swaying up in the 90’s and the humidity in the 80’s and we are drenched in perspiration just opening the door, but the dahlias…The dahlias are happy campers because their tubers are rooted in healthy soil.

There is that saying, “Bottoms up,” usually referring to bottles, mugs and beverages but it really applies to successful dahlia growing.

Start with the soil and build up with it. Feed it and nurture it. Not with store bought chemicals but with the real deal. Organic matter.

Until tomorrow…Think about starting a compost pile.