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jaym1818_gw

growing dahlias from seed - will post more as they bloom

jaym1818
9 years ago

I have about 15 dahlias growing that i started from seed in raised beds, one has just bloomed and i'm very happy with it, can't wait to see what the others look like, the first is peachy with pink tips, i will take a better picture soon, just thought i'd show some off and see what people think, maybe others would like to share pics of their seed grown dahlias. I've read a bunch of seed grown dahlia discussions and it seems like most of what you get are fairly boring and people are disappointed with most, I only had one plant survive last year (only started a few indoors & a newbie) and it was a small red single with a yellow center, nice but nothing to jump for joy over, but this year I got a bunch of seed and started more plants and i'm looking forward to see what i'm gifted with.

Comments (24)

  • tomlinson04
    9 years ago

    Beautiful!! I am going to grow a bed of seeds next year on top of my several dozen named varieties and hope they turn out this gorgeous!! Well done!

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    this is another new this year seed dahlia that just bloomed, a little smaller than the first one, but a nice double flower, white with a bit of yellow in the center.

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    This is a small single dahlia that just bloomed from a tuber I saved from last year, which I also grew originally from seed.

  • CCvacation
    9 years ago

    It's lots of fun to look through your seedlings... Thanks for sharing here!

    "I've read a bunch of seed grown dahlia discussions and it seems like most of what you get are fairly boring and people are disappointed with most,"

    Well, that depends on if you are just growing seeds for garden beauty OR hybridizing specific varieties in an ongoing attempt to breed new varieties to sell for show (meeting exacting judging requirements) or to the cut flower market (must have long stems, popular colors/shape, indestructible tubers,etc.).

    Obviously, showing or selling is not your criteria for saving them. You just enjoy what you get, and that is great! I know several gardeners that treat dahlias grown from seed as annuals, enjoying a new crop of surprises every year.

    But you never know... A great one may find its way into your seedling patch that can blow its competition out of the water on the show floor... :-)

    Cheers!
    CC

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    9 years ago

    These are awesome!

    I like growing Harlequin from seed. Show dahlia? No. Very pretty accents of a nice small size in the garden? Absolutely!

    It's always a fun surprise to see what particular color that Harlequin turns out to be. They vary very widely.

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    another new bloom today!

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hey CC, yeah its fun and exciting looking forward to the surprise blooms, I wish I had grown more, have a ton of seed but I filled a few of my beds with zinnia seed saved from last year, 85% of which never germinated (I was told perhaps they were not pollinated ;( ) and by the time I gave up on all of them I figured it was too late to try starting more dahlia seeds, next year though I'll fill a few additional beds with dahlia seeds. I would have a hard time treating any dahlia as an annual, wouldn't like to let go of anything I grow, kinda get attached to them, maybe when I can't find another square foot of garden area but as long as I have the space why let them die. Good hearing from you, thanks for the comment

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    and here's another new surprise seed grown dahlia that just opened today!

  • john3
    9 years ago

    jaym, did you buy a packet, collect from tuber planted flowers, obtain the seeds as gifts? Curious what cultivar(s) it is, if you purchased through seed packet(s).

  • Prettypetals_GA_7-8
    9 years ago

    Seed growing sounds like fun. I wish I had more room to do that. I have all I can take care of for now. Love all your dahlias!! Fun fun hobby! Please keep sharing!! Judy

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hey john3, I collected these from a lady who plants dahlias all around a restaurant nearby, they are very nice, not sure of any names, etc, but every year she plants tubers in gardens and pots all around this restaurant, when she pulls them in the fall she just cuts all the stems and leaves them lying in the garden area, I stopped by last fall and asked if I could grab the seeds and was given the go ahead and ended up with a huge collection of seeds. Plan on growing a whole lot more next year!

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Judy, thanks, glad you are enjoying them, wish I had grown more this year, its pretty exciting waiting to see the mysterious blooms. Will definitely be growing much more next year!

  • Prettypetals_GA_7-8
    9 years ago

    So how do you do it? Would love to play around a little!

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi prettypetals, this year I direct planted the seeds outdoors in raised beds around the 1st of may, just like you'd plant zinnia or any other annual seeds. I did a few in pots and put them in the garden once they were established. You can start them indoors under lights a few months before your last frost date to get a jump start on them. I collected the seeds myself as explained in a previous post. Heat mats will greatly help your germination time and success indoors, I just bought 3 cell tray/dome/heat mat kits on ebay for under $30. each which I'll be using in february to start some perennials like echinacea cheyenne spirit seeds and more dahlias.

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi Judy, this year I direct planted the seeds outdoors in raised beds around the 1st of may, just like you'd plant zinnia or any other annual seeds. I did a few in pots and put them in the garden once they were established. You can start them indoors under lights a few months before your last frost date to get a jump start on them. I collected the seeds myself as explained in a previous post. Heat mats will greatly help your germination time and success indoors, I just bought 3 cell tray/dome/heat mat kits on ebay for under $30. each which I'll be using in february to start some perennials like echinacea cheyenne spirit seeds and more dahlias.

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    9 years ago

    >>You can start them indoors under lights a few months before your last frost date to get a jump start on them.

    I do this and it works out very well. I started my Harlequin dahlia on (checking notes) March 29, so they were reasonably well-developed by the time they went out for hardening and planting in early to mid May.

    Next year, I'll start both Harlequin and Figaro dahlia this way.

  • Prettypetals_GA_7-8
    9 years ago

    That's sounds pretty cool. I may have to try a few. Thanks y'all!!

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    new dahlia opened up this morning...

  • Prettypetals_GA_7-8
    9 years ago

    Sooooo pretty!!!

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    still have a couple more plants that are budding and should open up any day now, one did just that today, here it is...

  • jaym1818
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    heres another new dahlia that just opened up, nice yellow one, this is amongst a big group of plants where a whole bunch of seeds germinated and i never thinned them out so they're kind of crowded, flower is a little on the smaller side as of right now, maybe following blooms will be larger or this one will open up more shortly, but the plants being too close could be limiting its growth...

  • teddahlia
    9 years ago

    It is interesting what you all post for seedling pictures. We are dahlia breeders and are looking for nicely formed fully double dahlias with tight centers. Even though we only collect seeds from nicely formed dahlias, a large percentage of the seedlings do have open centers. Picture of an incurved cactus seedling in nice shade of lavender purple.

  • linda_6
    9 years ago

    You're dahlias are absolute beautiful. I bought a flat of dahlias 2 years ago from a local greenhouse. I'm in Zone 5 so I have to dig them up every fall. So far this year the tubers I planted have almost doubled in size. I think I'm going to try to save some seeds to see if I come up with some different ones next year.

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