How to Make the Biggest Profit from Dahlias on Your Flower Farm

Most growers have it completely backward. They grow a gazillion different flowers but rely on just one or two ways to sell them—usually mixed bouquets. What if you flipped the script? What if, instead of juggling dozens of flower varieties, you grew just one powerhouse flower and had a multitude of ways to generate revenue from it?

That’s the magic of dahlias. These stunning blooms aren’t just another pretty face in the field; they’re one of the most versatile and profitable flowers you can grow. From their first sprout to their final bloom (and even beyond), every stage of the dahlia lifecycle offers opportunities to make money.

In this article, I’ll show you how to work smarter, not harder, by leveraging dahlias to their fullest potential. If you’re ready to stop spreading yourself thin and start making the biggest profit from a single flower, keep reading. (And for even more tips on working smarter around the farm, don’t miss our 52 Ways series.)

Let’s dive into how you can make your dahlias work harder for you—and your business.

Sell dahlia tubers: The underground gold

One of the easiest ways to make extra money from dahlias is by selling tubers. When you plant a single dahlia tuber (the mother tuber), it’ll produce a bunch of new tubers during the growing season. By the time you pull up your dahlia tubers for the season, you’ll usually have between 3 and 10 new tubers growing from the mother tuber. 

This growth makes dahlias a great investment. While tubers can be quite expensive—sometimes more than $15 or $20 each—a single tuber can produce generations of new dahlias. This also means they can provide quite a bit of income, especially once you get your hands on varieties that are hard to find or that sell out quickly. 

Selling tubers is a great way to generate income during the slower winter season.

Sell dahlia cuttings: Share the love

A little further into the dahlia lifecycle, cuttings are another way to generate revenue. Dahlia cuttings are small pieces of new growth taken from the parent plant. When planted, these cuttings grow into new plants that will even produce their own tubers by the end of the season.

By potting up your tubers indoors a few months before they’re ready to be planted outside, you can take cuttings and essentially multiply your dahlia plants at minimal cost. (Check out our step-by-step guide to dahlia cuttings for detailed instructions!)

Selling cuttings is a great way to connect with a different type of customer. Many people appreciate the convenience of purchasing an established plant with roots rather than starting from a tuber. This is especially appealing for those in colder climates or areas with shorter growing seasons.

Alternatively, you can keep the cuttings for yourself, giving you more plants to grow and harvest. Cuttings allow growers to expand their dahlia production with minimal cost, making it a smart and efficient way to grow your dahlia stock.

Whether you sell them or keep them, dahlia cuttings are a great way to maximize your crop’s potential.

Sell dahlia blooms: A classic strategy

The most straightforward way to profit from dahlias is by selling the blooms themselves. Dahlias are often a customer favorite because of their showy blooms that come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. 

This popularity means they typically command a premium price. Whether you're selling to florists, wholesalers, or directly to consumers, dahlias often fetch higher prices than many other flowers.

Dahlias are also relatively easy to grow and harvest compared to some other cut flowers. Once they reach maturity, they are prolific bloomers, continuing to produce flowers until the end of the growing season. This abundance ensures you’ll have plenty to sell throughout the season.

What truly sets dahlias apart is their incredible variety. By offering unique or hard-to-find dahlia varieties, you can differentiate yourself from other local sellers and attract loyal customers. And as an added bonus, if your customers fall in love with your dahlias, they might be inspired to grow their own—creating potential buyers for your tubers or cuttings down the line.

Invite people to your flower farm: Create a memorable experience

Just because you missed the window to harvest a dahlia bloom doesn’t mean you’ve missed any opportunity to make money from it. A dahlia in full bloom is a beautiful sight to see. And a field full of them? That’s even better. 

You can make generate revenue by inviting people to visit your flower farm. At Muddy Acres, we have a steady stream of photographers who come to visit. We also have a seasonal farm club that allows our VIP customers to come hang out, relax, and soak in the beauty. And don’t forget about u-picks! This is when you allow visitors at your farm to cut their own stems and take them home. 

I’m also seeing more and more open houses, where flower farms allow the public to visit when dahlias are in full bloom. Triple Wren and Summer Dreams farms are both popular flower farms that offer this. 

While some of these strategies may require extra time and effort, it’s incredible to see how the entire lifecycle of a dahlia (or any flower for that matter) can be leveraged for sales. You don’t need to try everything at once—start with one or two approaches, experiment, and see what resonates with your customers and your farm’s needs.

The key to working smarter is focusing on growing less while creating more ways to sell and monetize those crops. Dahlias are a perfect example of how one flower can transform your revenue streams.

If you’re ready to take your dahlia business to the next level, be sure to explore Dahlias for Profit for in-depth strategies on growing dahlias, hosting successful tuber sales, and maximizing your dahlia income. And for more ways to work smarter around the farm, check out our 52 Ways to Work Smarter series.

Remember, success isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing better. Keep asking yourself how you can work smarter, and let dahlias show you the way.

Be sure to check out my other blogs, The Best Dahlias for Cut Flowers: 5 Must-Grow Varieties Your First Season and Are Dahlia Tuber Sales Worth It?, for even more insights into maximizing your dahlia revenue and deciding if tuber sales are right for your farm.