The Juanita Dahlia can be a stunning addition to any and all homes that have a suitable environment for it to thrive. Even though this plant is pretty commonly known, it does have a few more particular preferences that you may not have known. So, here is everything you need to know about the Juanita Dahlia and how to care for it.
| Botanical Name | Dahlia ‘Juanita’ |
| Common Name | Heirloom or cactus dahlia |
| Plant Type | Perennial |
| Flower Color | Varying shades of red and burgundy |
| Size When Mature | Approximately 6 to 8 inches in height |
| Bloom Time | Between early summer and early fall |
| Sun Requirements | Prefers full exposure to sunlight but might tolerate partial shade |
| USDA Hardiness Zones | 8 to 11 |
| Soil PH Range | 4.5 to 8 |
| Soil Type | Moist but well draining |
| Water Needs | High |
| Native Area | UK |
What you Need to Know About Juanita Dahlia
The Juanita Dahlia is a beautiful and vibrant plant that has been known to be one of the most popular types of dahlias across six different continents.
How to Care for Juanita Dahlia
Here’s everything you need to know about growing and caring for a thriving Juanita Dahlia
Light
It is recommended that you provide the Juanita Dahlia with full exposure to the sunlight. This is because it needs at least six hours of continuous, direct sunlight in order to grow and function properly. That being said, it might be capable of tolerating partial shade as long as it’s only on occasion and isn’t happening for a prolonged period of time.
Water and Soil Needs
Juanita Dahlias prefer to be grown on soils that are moist but well draining. Furthermore, if you place these plants in waterlogged soil they will not be able to grow properly and may even rot. In addition to this, they do best if the soil is also rich and fertile enough to encourage them to continue to thrive and flourish.
To add to this, Juanita Dahlias are pretty thirsty plants. This means that they have a pretty high water intake requirement. It is best to deeply water them a couple of times a week. As well as this, they require additional watering during more dry and hot weather and while they’re going through their growing season.
Temperature Requirements
The Juanita Dahlia is perfectly capable of surviving and thriving in USDA hardiness zones 8 to 11. Moreover, this plant loves the warmth and sun so as long as temperatures and extremely high they should be just fine. That being said, Juanita Dahlias do best in temperatures ranging from 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. As well as this, they cannot handle temperatures below 32 degrees fahrenheit as they are only capable of tolerating a light freeze.
Fertilizer
The best fertilizer to use on a Juanita Dahlia is a 5-5-5 fertilizer. This is because it is recommended that you treat and fertilize the Juanita Dahlia in the same way you would treat and fertilize a tomato plant. This means using a 5-5-5 fertilizer when they begin to bloom and feeding them with a low nitrogen liquid fertilizer a couple of times a month.
Common Diseases
The Juanita Dahlia plant, like most other perennial plants, could be affected by a few different diseases. Some of these include:
- Verticillium wilt – causes the plant’s leaf margins to appear brown or scorched, may also cause the stems to turn yellow or start to form brown or black streaks. In some cases it may even cause the stems to wilt.
- Powdery mildew – forms quite visible fuzzy gray mold on the Juanita Dahlia’s buns and can darken them, eventually it infects the plant’s stems and causes it to die.
- Bacterial stem rot – causes the plant’s stems to become soft and dark, after a while the whole plant will crumple
- Insects can also eat dahlia leaves
Juanita Dahlia Care – Final thoughts:
Overall, the Juanita Dahlia is an amazing if not somewhat particular and picky plant to take care of. This already gorgeous piece of greenery is likely to continue to thrive and flourish for quite a long time if you are able to take all of the motioned recommendations and guiding steps into consideration!