All seeds grown in the high wind prairie, Midwest, in macro-climate zone 5(ish). Average dewpoint in summer is around 60. Soil is a loamy clay. Although my preference is organic, I have used commercial fertilizers from time to time. Growing days are approximately 135.
Midnight moon is a dahlia I grew in year two of dahlia growing. I was going to gift it, yet the person mentioned they had no room for any other plants. I took the hint, gifted something completely different, and grew this beauty myself.
The Midnight moon plant grew to about 3 and a half feet tall. It bloomed mid-season, no worries wondering if I would see a bloom here in zone 5. The tuber was planted in ground early May. Average bloom production. My dahlia garden is in partial shade to ensure my blooms have a deep rich color. I sacrifice speed of bloom, yet my blooms don’t sun-fade as soon or as harshly as they would in full sun. Dahlias like a bit of shade. My best blooms get 5-8 hours of sun a day.
Not a fan of the color purple and tend to avoid it in my garden. Yet this dahlia looked so charming, my resistance was nowhere to be found. This dahlia, Midnight Moon, was one of the first dahlias to bloom and was the last to bloom before frost, a full season show. It was the only dahlia that survived at least five nights below 32 degrees. The plant is very prolific.
