Urban Dahlia Farming: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Three Daughters Dahlias

Dahlias are a favorite among gardeners and flower enthusiasts alike, prized for their stunning blooms and vibrant colors. At Three Daughters Dahlias in Mission, British Columbia, an urban flower farm grows these beauties right in the heart of a residential neighborhood. Jason from Fraser Valley Rose Farm caught up with Kama, the farmer behind this unique operation, for an inside look at how she grows, harvests, and stores her dahlias for the winter. This article captures the highlights of their tour, offering practical insights into urban flower farming and dahlia care.

Challenges of Urban Dahlia Farming

Operating a flower farm in a residential space presents its own set of challenges. Kama shared how limited space requires her to be selective about which varieties she grows. Productivity and performance are her top criteria—plants must yield plenty of blooms, work well in bouquets, and have colors she loves.

Another hurdle is the physical layout. Raised beds, planters, and tight planting arrangements make digging and harvesting tubers more challenging. Despite these limitations, Kama finds that farming in an urban environment has its advantages, particularly the connection it fosters with the local community. Many neighbors stop by to pick up bouquets or tubers, creating a sense of camaraderie.

Selling Dahlias: Bouquets and Tubers

Three Daughters Dahlias offers both cut flower bouquets and tubers for sale. While the front yard location provides excellent visibility, Kama shared that she rarely sells bouquets directly from her property. Instead, orders are arranged ahead of time to ensure customers receive high-quality flowers. She avoids leaving bouquets outside for fear of exposure to excessive heat, rain, or the occasional opportunistic passerby.

For tuber sales spring is the busiest time. Many customers return year after year to pick up their favorite varieties, and the farm has built a loyal following among local gardeners.

Tools of the Trade

Maintaining a healthy dahlia crop requires meticulous care and the right tools. Kama shared her go-to equipment:

• Pruners and Scissors: For cutting flowers and dividing tubers, Kama prefers scissor-style pruners for their precision and ease of use. She also uses multi-tools, like a Dremel, for breaking apart large clumps.
• Sterilization Supplies: Tools are cleaned between each plant to prevent the spread of diseases. A simple solution of 10% bleach and water works well, though vinegar is also helpful for removing rust from tools.
• Protective Gear: After a mishap last year, Kama now uses chain mail-like gloves to protect her hands while working with sharp tools.

Overwintering Dahlia Tubers

As the growing season winds down, lifting, dividing, and storing tubers becomes the priority. Kama shared her process, emphasizing the importance of timing. In the wet climate of British Columbia, waiting too long to dig up tubers can lead to rot caused by excessive moisture.

Here’s how she handles the process:

1. Digging: Tubers are carefully lifted to avoid damaging their necks, which could render them unusable. Removing heavy soil reduces the risk of breakage.
2. Cleaning: After digging, Kama hoses off the clumps in the same spot where they were grown to prevent spreading bacteria or disease.
3. Dividing: Each tuber is separated, ensuring it has a body, neck, and crown. These are essential for the tuber to sprout the following year.
4. Drying and Storage: Cleaned tubers are air-dried for 24 hours before being stored in fine vermiculite. They’re layered in totes, ensuring no tubers touch to prevent rot from spreading.

Kama stores her tubers in a garage with a thermostatically controlled heater, maintaining a temperature of about 5°C (41°F). This ensures they remain dormant without freezing.

Spotting and Managing Disease

A critical part of dahlia care is monitoring for diseases like leafy gall and crown gall, which can devastate plants. Kama demonstrated how to identify these issues, pointing out suspicious growths on tubers. Once discovered, affected plants and soil are removed entirely to prevent further spread.

Despite following best practices for sterilization and cleanliness, disease can still appear. Kama emphasized the importance of inspecting plants regularly and maintaining good records of where each variety is planted, which allows for quick action if a problem arises.

Advice for Dahlia Growers

For those new to dahlias, Kama offered a few valuable tips:

• Label Everything: Before frost hits, ensure all plants are tagged with their variety names. This makes it easier to identify them after the foliage dies back.
• Handle Tubers Carefully: Avoid storing tubers on concrete, as it can draw out moisture and ruin them.
• Monitor Humidity: Ideal humidity for storage is around 75–85%. In drier weather, running a humidifier in the storage area can help maintain the right balance.

Community Connections Through Dahlias

Beyond the technical aspects of growing and selling dahlias, Kama shared what she loves most about urban flower farming: the people. Running Three Daughters Dahlias has helped her form connections with her neighbors and the broader gardening community. These relationships make the hard work of maintaining the farm even more rewarding.

Conclusion

Dahlias are a labor of love, requiring care, precision, and attention to detail. At Three Daughters Dahlias, Kama demonstrates how even a small urban space can produce stunning results with the right techniques. Her tips for digging, dividing, and storing tubers are invaluable for gardeners looking to make the most of their own dahlia collections.

To learn more about dahlia care and urban flower farming, visit Fraser Valley Rose Farm’s website or explore Jason’s YouTube channel. If you have questions or want to share your experiences with dahlias, leave a comment—both Jason and Kama would love to hear from you!