Dahlia ‘Diablo Dwarf’
These are mostly black-leafed types with the full range of flower colours. Eye-catching and easy to grow, it's worth noting that all dahlia flowers and tubers are edible. The flavours and textures can vary greatly depending on the soil and conditions in which they were grown. Flavours range from water chestnut through to a spicy apple or even carrot!
Germination
Our favorite way of growing these is to sow in early spring or even late winter and transplant the seedlings out in the garden after the last frost. Sowing 5-6 seeds per pot gives good results and while the colours will be mixed, the seedlings grow better when with others in the same container. Great as a border and if you have well drained soils they can be left in the ground over winter with many, if not most surviving. Or you can dig them in autumn as for other dahlias.
Approximate minimum seed count per pack
50 seeds/packet CHAFFED
Recipe
In the spring when we divide tubers, save the larger tubers without a visible eye for making dahlia bread. You'll want to grind the peeled tubers just before you add them to the bread mixture, some recommend using a grater and others suggested blending them. Dahlia bread stores well in the freezer.
Ingredients:
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2 eggs
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1 cup of sugar (1 cup natvia or equal etc for sugar free)
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1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
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1/2 cup cooking oil.
Mix well then add
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1 1/2 cups unsifted flour
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1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
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1/2 tsp. Salt
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1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
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1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon.
Mix well then fold in;
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1 cup ground dahlia tubers (peel first)
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1/2 cup chopped nut
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1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips.
Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 180 degrees for about 1 hour or less for large loaf pan. It is done when toothpick comes out clean. Small pans may be used instead and bake in 40-45 minutes.
This amount of batter makes 2 or 3 small loaves.
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