Dahlia Flower Color Loss

The prime requirements will be a number of sheets of the chosen material, approximately 18 in. by 36 in., which should be trimmed into half circles based on the long side of the material, plus a number of lengths of stout galvanised wire some 36 in. long.

The methods of shading are numerous, ranging from the complicated cloth houses beloved of the American dahlia grower to the use of brown paper cones or even large cardboard boxes.

Light canes should then be driven into the ground on either side of the bloom to be shaded, long enough to come well above the height of the bloom.

The shade is secured into position by lashing one of the wire short tails to each of the canes, while the bloom is fixed under the shade by tying the stem to a short cane lashed into position between the two uprights, to form an H.

Any bloom shaded in this fashion is almost completely safe, because, although the whole framework may sway in high winds, unless the canes break there is no independent movement of either shade or bloom.

Many growers use large cardboard boxes for the purpose. Although a very cheap and simple method, this has the grave disadvantage of increasing colour loss on sensitive varieties, but this can be partially offset by shading at a later stage in bloom development or by placing the box high in early stages, lowering it as the bloom nears perfection. In any case not all varieties are affected.