Dahlias produce simply outstanding blooms, but if you have grown them before you will know that these blooms can bring problems, problems that require support. So when looking for ways to support your dahlias you have obviously pondered whether you can use tomato cages? Let’s have a look and find out.
Will tomato cages work for Dahlias?
Why Support Dahlias?
The simple answer is that without support dahlia flower heads can flop to the floor. This obviously ruins the display but it can also sometimes snap the flower head clean off.
Once a dahlia stem has bent it is very hard to get it back into a correct position, for this reason, I strongly advise you to support your dahlias before they look like they could tumble.
What Tomato Cage to Use
Well, any that you have lying around is the best answer. They will work well but more importantly, they will be free, and all gardeners love a bargain!
If you don’t have any tomato cages to hand then here is one of my recommendations.
Other support ideas
What else works for supporting dahlias? Well, anything you can think of really that you can tie your plant into. Old garden furniture can work well as a recyclable idea.
The classic bamboo cane also works great along with wooden stakes. Sticks can also work well and you can even build your own cages out of wood like hazel.
These half-round cages are great value and the metal construction means they will be more than strong enough to hold up your dahlias.
More on Dahlias
Dahlias are simply stunning summer flowers, the pop pop head produces amazing displays. The plant is a member of the Asteraceae family along with daises, asters and marigolds.
Usually grown from a tuber but they can also be grown from seed. The tubers require special care over winter here in the UK and many growers end up with an almost fanatical devotion to their dahlias.
Despite not being able to survive winter outdoors in most of the UK they actually thrive in our summer conditions. The moderate but wet climate we have is absolutely perfect for them.
Dahlias make the perfect container flower and are commonly grown this way. Growing them in containers also makes preserving the tuber over winter a lot easier.