|
| I've never grown dahlias, partly because I've moved so often and partly because when I'm NOT moving, it generally means I'm un- or under-employed so I can't afford things like that, LOL!
But I came across these in the Fedco catalog and I'd like to try them:
If I start these for transplant, will they bloom the first year? If so (because if they DON'T I'm unlikely to be here next year and it would be a waste) is there anything unusual I have to do like freeze the seed or scarify or anything like that, or can I sow and start like most any other plant seed? |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
- Posted by plantlady2008 (My Page) on Fri, Feb 27, 09 at 3:20
| Plant them inside towards the end of March for planting out in mid-May or whenever the threat of frost is past. If planted any sooner than that they'll be really leggy & hard to handle. They should bloom this year about July or August. You'll get a mixture of open centered dahlias from these- you may not get exactly as pictured because dahlias don't bloom true to the parents. You don't have to do anything to the seed except plant it- they don't need freezing or anything. You can pre-sprout them on a damp paper towel & then put them in a pot or you can start them in a flat of potting soil & then transplant them when they get a pair of real leaves. Don't put them out until after frost & be sure to harden them off first. |
|
| I would think that you absolutely would get them to flower the first year. But, in some ways they are the perfect flower for you because they are very easy to dig up, store and transplant somewhere else! I am not sure what Zone you are in. If you ground freezes they would need to be dug up and stored over winter. If it just gets cold, you may get away with leaving them in the ground, particularly with some extra mulch. If it is really warm, then I would look for some tips on getting them to go dorment, I am in Canada so I don't know much about warm weather places and their Dahlias! I got some seed from Thompson and Morgan. It looks very much like the white ones pictures above. It will be interesting to see how close the seed comes to being true to the picture. I planted them early, perhaps way way to early because I was excited! At the begining of February and they can't go out until mid May. But, they are underlights and doing really really well. They don't seem leggy at all. I really recommend getting a shop light for anyone that is serious about growing from seed. A sunny window just does not really cut it. Oh, and one tip for storing over winter if you only have a few, and don't have a dry cool place to keep them, is your fridge crisper, or get a large ziplock and some sort of storing medium, I really like wood shavings, the kind that they used for small animal bedding and it sold in petstores. A big bag is dirt cheap and works really really well!! |
|
- Posted by vera_eastern_wa 5b-6a (My Page) on Mon, Apr 13, 09 at 12:30
| It's my first time growing Dahlia from seed this year too :) I've never grown Dahlia before at all and can't wait to see what I will get! I sowed on 4/5 (2) different seed both received in separate trades: By 4/10 I had (4) 'Bishop's Grandchildren' seedlings and (5) 'Early Bird' with (1) more by 4/12. Not bad since I sowed only 8 seeds of each! Didn't even expect germination so quickly :) Although both germinated at the same time 'Early Bird' growth rate is ahead of 'Bishop's' and are already going on 1st true leaves while the 'Bishop's haven't even started forming yet. Happy Gardening, Vera |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Dahlia Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here
