Dahlia tagging and ways of keeping track of dahlia names

I will start off by saying you absolutely do not have to track the names of your dahlias, you can definitely just enjoy them for what they are in the garden, however for serious collectors, or if you wish to enter dahlia shows, or if you plan to trade or sell tubers later in the future, or if you want to make sure you don’t purchase the same plant again accidently then knowing the names of your dahlias is very handy.

A tagging system is the best way to keep track of your dahlias, because we all know once you dig them up and they are just a clump of tubers it can be tricky to remember what the were.

Firstly it is incredibly import you use the correct marker so they do not fade over the season while outdoors in the elements, I use either an Artline garden marker or a grey lead pencil to write on my white plastic plants tags.

Here are a few combinations of ways to tag and track the names of your dahlias, remember it is much easier to be proactive and tag them as you plant in Spring, than it is to try and remember what you purchased when the bloom in the Autumn.

Using a Grey lead pencil and white plastic tag

Using an artline Garden marker and plastic tag (not sponsored, honestly just the best texta to use outdoors they last years without fading in my experience)

Flagging tape and artline garden marker do not bother with permanent markers or sharpies they will fade

Metal tags with a ball point pen secured to the bottom of the plant with wire, these metal tags last years and can be reused, just make sure you secure them on with a wire that won’t rust out.

 Personally I use a combination tagging system so that I have a back up as pictured above.

I use a spreadsheet for keeping track of purchases and you can also do a colour coded placement map of your rows using a spread sheet too. This is a great way to make a plan or map of your dahlias before you start planting so you know where everything will go and exactly how they will all fit into your space, a real time saver when you are planting.

What to do when you receive your order

When you receive a dahlia order write down all the varieties you have received and next to it the supplier, this will help you if any labels go missing somehow and you need to identify a plant, you can refer to your list and narrow it down or you can contact the supplier and ask them nicely if they can possibly identify it, or if it doesn't match your purchase list (incase of mislabel or muddled up in your plantings).

 What to do when you are planting

When planting out dahlias I use a plastic tag written on with either the garden marker or grey lead that gets pushed into the ground right next to the tuber, and a google spread sheet to track my planting, the plastic tag will be my identification, the spread sheet a back up, until I can go around and confirm each plant is correct when they are all blooming and that is when I add my flagging tape or metal tags (you can choose what you prefer). Flagging tape/metal tags will stay in place around the bottom stem of the plant even when I cut back the plants at the end of the season, I will dig up my clumps leaving a clump of soil around my plants to protect tubers until I divide, the plastic tag should still be in the clump, but if it falls out I have the back up flagging tape still in place to be able to identify my clumps.  Remember the plastic tags can be reused year after year as can the metal tags so they are worth investing in, the flagging tape is really single use but is quite easy to purchase from bunnings.

Happy growing, Sam.