Name: ‘Joel’s Favourite’ Dahlia
Brand: Van Noort
SKU: VAN-327-406-45
Price: 13.99 CAD
Availability: InStock

Sale Sold out

Upright Joel’s Favourite dahlia clump approximately 100 cm tall among green foliage

Bulb Asteraceae

Van Noort

Dahlia pinnata

From bulb to bloom

Common nameGiant Joel’s Favourite dahlia

FamilyAsteraceae

GenusDahlia

SpeciesHybride horticole

CultivarJoel’s Favourite

Bulb typeTubercule de dahlia

Botanical nameDahlia

Quantity per pack1 tubercule

Bulb sizeNo 1

‘Joel’s Favourite’ Dahlia (Dahlia × hortensis) ‘Joel’s Favourite’ is a decorative Dinnerplate dahlia whose double flowerheads can reach 20 cm. Pale orange outer florets are washed with dark pink and touched yellow at the base, while the centre carries a heavier pink overlay, giving every bloom a lively peach gradient. The No. 1 tuber supplied by Van Noort develops an upright clump approximately 100 cm tall and 50 cm wide. Green foliage supports a generous display from midsummer until frost. This expressive variety suits sunny borders, cutting gardens, and large containers where its intricate colour transitions can be viewed closely and appreciated throughout the changing summer light.

Plant the tuber in spring after the final frost, once soil is warm, fertile, humus-rich, and freely drained. Lay it horizontally 10 cm deep with the bud facing upward, leaving 50 cm around the crown. Choose full sun and shelter from prevailing wind. Install a stake at planting before roots expand. Water sparingly until shoots emerge, then deeply at the base whenever the soil surface dries. Pinch the shoot above a leaf pair at 20 to 30 cm to encourage branching. Mature compost and moderate fertilizer, shifting toward higher potassium as buds form, support sturdy flowering stems without producing excessive soft foliage.

Place ‘Joel’s Favourite’ near the centre of a warm-toned border with blue salvias, chocolate cosmos, white gauras, purple coneflowers, and airy grasses. Its peach, dark pink, and yellow colouring changes with the light and brings depth to arrangements. Cut stems when blooms are almost fully open, early in the morning, and remove faded heads regularly. For one exceptional flower, retain the terminal bud and remove side buds; for more stems, preserve natural branching. Highly double blooms offer limited pollinator access. In Canada, lift the tuber after the first frost, dry its surface, and keep it somewhere cool, dry, dark, and frost-free until spring planting returns.

Light and life cycle

In the garden

Exposure: Full sun
Life cycle: Perennial
Hardiness: Zone 10

Planting and establishment

Planting guide

Planting & establishment

Planting depth

10 cm

Spacing / density

50 cm entre les plants

Establishment temperature

Sol réchauffé à environ 16 °C avant la plantation

Rooting time

Environ 3 semaines en pot; délai variable selon les conditions

Planting period

Printemps, après les derniers gels

Propagation

Division of tubers, each bearing a viable bud

Growing method

Plantez au soleil à 10 cm de profondeur après les derniers gels, dans un sol fertile et drainé. Espacez de 50 cm et installez un tuteur. Déterrez la souche à l’automne pour la conserver hors gel.

Soil and care

Soil & care

Soil pH

Slightly acidic to neutral

Moisture

Maintenez le sol légèrement humide pendant la croissance, sans eau stagnante.

Minimum temperature

5 °C (41 °F)

Care level

Moderate

Watering

Arrosez au pied lorsque la surface sèche, régulièrement pendant la croissance et sans eau stagnante.

Soil type

Fertile, meuble et bien drainé

Fertilization

Incorporate mature compost before planting. During early growth, use balanced fertilizer low to moderate in nitrogen, then favour higher potassium when buds appear. Follow the labelled rate and water afterward. Excess nitrogen produces soft stems, abundant leaves, and fewer flowers.

Seasonal care

In spring, inspect the tuber, remove only rotted tissue, and plant after the final frost once soil has warmed. Install support immediately. Until emergence, avoid repeated watering. In early summer, pinch the shoot at 20 or 30 cm, tie new stems, and keep soil fresh without saturation. From bud formation, feed moderately with greater potassium. Through summer, water deeply at the base during dry periods, harvest fully open blooms, and remove faded heads continuously. Monitor slugs, aphids, earwigs, spider mites, and grey mould. After the first frost, cut the stems, lift the tuber carefully, allow its surface to dry, label Joel’s Favourite, and store it in darkness somewhere cool, dry, and frost-free. Inspect it monthly throughout winter. Always water slowly at soil level, then let the upper layer breathe to balance freshness, oxygen, and free drainage around the tuber. Pale orange, dark pink, and yellow tones combine especially well with blue, white, or purple perennials and lightly textured grasses.

Growing in containers

Container growing

Recommended pot size

Deep, very stable 40 to 50 L container

Choose a stable 40 to 50 L container with many drainage holes and a rich yet airy growing mix. Plant one tuber 10 cm deep and set support into the pot before roots expand. Keep the container in full sun, sheltered from strong gusts. Water sparingly until emergence, then thoroughly whenever the upper layer dries; always empty the saucer. Apply moderate liquid feeding richer in potassium from bud formation. Rotate the pot weekly, pinch the shoot to encourage branching, and remove faded blooms. Before frost, move the container under cover or lift the tuber for cool, dry, dark, frost-free storage through winter. Always water slowly at soil level, then let the upper layer breathe to balance freshness, oxygen, and free drainage around the tuber. Pale orange, dark pink, and yellow tones combine especially well with blue, white, or purple perennials and lightly textured grasses.

Growth and flowering

Size, flowering & harvest

Mature height

Environ 100 cm, selon les conditions

Width / spread

Environ 50 cm

Flower color

Peach, dark pink, and yellow at the base

Foliage color

Green

Foliage type

Deciduous

Growth rate

Fast

Growth habit

Touffe dressée

Fragrance

Non parfumé

Bloom period

Flowering generally begins in midsummer and continues until the first frost. Pinch young shoots to encourage branching, remove faded blooms continuously, and harvest fully open stems. For an especially large 20 cm flowerhead, remove the side buds.

Harvest

July to October. Cut fully open flowers for the best vase life.

Garden companions

Garden associations

Companion plants & uses

Companion plants

Pair its peach and pink tones with blue salvias, white gauras, chocolate cosmos, purple coneflowers, violet verbenas, and airy grasses. Avoid very dense neighbours that block airflow around foliage or plants requiring constantly saturated soil.

Other recommended plants

Cosmos blancs, sauges et graminées fines adaptées au soleil.

Garden use

Place Joel’s Favourite near the centre of a border, beside a cutting-garden path, or in a large container where its complex gradient remains visible. Repeat two or three plants at 50 cm to create a peach rhythm without forming an overly dense mass. Use airy grasses behind and white gauras or blue salvias in front so stems remain visible. Discreet support prevents 20 cm flowerheads from leaning after rain. Harvest regularly for arrangements and remove faded blooms to maintain the display until frost. Keep the base accessible in autumn because the tuber must be lifted and stored away from freezing in cold Canadian regions. Always water slowly at soil level, then let the upper layer breathe to balance freshness, oxygen, and free drainage around the tuber. Pale orange, dark pink, and yellow tones combine especially well with blue, white, or purple perennials and lightly textured grasses.

Frequently asked questions

When should Joel’s Favourite dahlia be planted?

Plant the tuber in spring after the final frost once soil has warmed and no longer remains saturated. Lay it 10 cm deep with the bud upward in fertile, drained soil. Leave 50 cm around the crown and install support immediately. In cold regions, the tuber may be started in a pot four to six weeks earlier, but acclimatize the shoot gradually before moving it outdoors. Water very sparingly before emergence to avoid rot, then increase moisture only when stems and roots are actively growing. Full sun encourages sturdy stems, strong colour, and an abundant succession of flowers through the warmest part of summer.

What colour are Joel’s Favourite flowers?

Joel’s Favourite does not carry one flat peach colour. According to its official horticultural description, the outer florets are pale orange, lightly washed with dark pink, and touched yellow at the base. Inner florets carry a much stronger dark pink overlay, again with yellow near their attachment. This contrast creates a complex peach gradient that shifts with light, flower age, and growing conditions. Double flowerheads can reach approximately 20 cm. Place the plant near a path or harvest an almost open stem so the transitions from the centre toward the outer petals can be seen and appreciated clearly.

How can large flowers be produced for arrangements?

To encourage an especially large flowerhead, retain the terminal bud on each main stem and gently remove side buds while they are still small. This directs more energy toward one bloom that may approach 20 cm. Install support before roots expand and tie stems with soft material. Maintain even moisture without saturating the soil, feed moderately with higher potassium as buds form, and avoid excessive nitrogen. Cut the flower when it is almost fully open, early in the morning, because a dahlia harvested as a tight bud will not open properly. Refresh vase water daily and trim stem ends lightly to extend display life.

Can Joel’s Favourite grow in a container?

Yes. Use a stable 40 to 50 L container for one tuber. It should be deep, generously perforated, and filled with a rich mix containing coarse material for open drainage. Plant 10 cm deep and insert support before roots expand. Set the pot in full sun with shelter from strong gusts. Water sparingly before emergence, then thoroughly whenever the upper layer dries, never leaving water in a saucer. Moderate liquid feeding richer in potassium when buds appear supports flowering. Rotate the container weekly so the clump remains balanced and its intricate peach flowers can be viewed clearly from every side through summer.

How should the tuber be overwintered in Canada?

After the first frost blackens foliage, cut stems while leaving a short section for handling the crown. Lift the tuber with a fork, working far enough away to avoid injury. Gently remove excess soil, let the surface dry in a ventilated place, and label Joel’s Favourite clearly. Store it in darkness somewhere cool, dry, and frost-free, using a lightly insulating material that limits shrivelling without holding water. Inspect it monthly. Remove only sections showing active rot and improve ventilation if condensation appears. Do not return the tuber outdoors until after the final spring frost, when soil has warmed and drainage conditions are suitable again.

Wildlife and pets

Wildlife & precautions

Reported toxicity

Yes

Supporting wildlife

Highly double flowers hide almost all of their disc and offer little accessible pollen or nectar. Their value is mainly ornamental. Support wildlife by pairing this dahlia with salvias, sweet alyssum, verbenas, and other simple flowers. Avoid insecticides, provide shallow clean water, and maintain several flowering periods in the border.