Hi I've never tried growing dahlia from seed am I too late?
I got some bedding from the GC last year wonderful sherbet colours, when I was clearing the borders and pots I found lots of small tubers and I hope to get a show from them this year.
If I can get some seeds do you think I will need to bring them on in a propagator.?
I did this two years ago, with hugely satisfying results and managed to grow much better plants than I got from simultaneously-bought dahlia tubers.
None of them survived in the ground the following winter, however, so I'm having to start again from scratch. And the garden centre is no longer selling the seeds I liked so much - Bishop's Children - so I'm having to find those elsewhere, too.
Sarah, ordinary multi-purpose compost will be fine. Yes, they are perennial, but like all dahlias they are tender perennials, so you should move the pots inside to somewhere frost-free over winter, or lift the tubers (if planted in the ground) and store them in dry compost or wrapped in newspaper etc over the winter. Sometimes dahlias will survive in the ground over winter. All of the ones I've ever grown from seed have developed a sizeable tuber by the time the first frost comes.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Yes, C J W P, but dahlias cross-pollinate readily and there is no guarantee that plants grown from the collected seeds will be like the parent plant although there will probably be a resemblance. This is how new cultivars are created and it is fun seeing what you get. Any really nice ones can be propagated by taking cuttings which will produce more plants but this time identical.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Thanks Bob The Gardener I have in the past taken seeds and grown from bedding dahlias successfully so I'm going to give the big ones ago should I go about saving seed in the same way?? Every year I find space in my very small garden to qrow some dinner plate size verities so for interst sake I will give them a try As for another intrest this year going to grow potatoe seed (TPS); Even at 83 years still a lot to learn
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Hi
I've never tried growing dahlia from seed am I too late?
I got some bedding from the GC last year wonderful sherbet colours, when I was clearing the borders and pots I found lots of small tubers and I hope to get a show from them this year.
If I can get some seeds do you think I will need to bring them on in a propagator.?
Thanks Charlie I'll have a go
None of them survived in the ground the following winter, however, so I'm having to start again from scratch. And the garden centre is no longer selling the seeds I liked so much - Bishop's Children - so I'm having to find those elsewhere, too.
Sarah, ordinary multi-purpose compost will be fine. Yes, they are perennial, but like all dahlias they are tender perennials, so you should move the pots inside to somewhere frost-free over winter, or lift the tubers (if planted in the ground) and store them in dry compost or wrapped in newspaper etc over the winter. Sometimes dahlias will survive in the ground over winter. All of the ones I've ever grown from seed have developed a sizeable tuber by the time the first frost comes.
Yes, C J W P, but dahlias cross-pollinate readily and there is no guarantee that plants grown from the collected seeds will be like the parent plant although there will probably be a resemblance. This is how new cultivars are created and it is fun seeing what you get. Any really nice ones can be propagated by taking cuttings which will produce more plants but this time identical.
Thanks Bob The Gardener I have in the past taken seeds and grown from bedding dahlias successfully so I'm going to give the big ones ago should I go about saving seed in the same way?? Every year I find space in my very small garden to qrow some dinner plate size verities so for interst sake I will give them a try As for another intrest this year going to grow potatoe seed (TPS); Even at 83 years still a lot to learn