Saving Dahlia Seeds
This Blog Post is not complete, more info is coming! Check back soon…
****Are you completely new to dahlias? I would suggest starting here, with the Dahlias 101 blog
Dahlias grow from a root underground called a tuber. Every plant that grows from those tubers will look exactly like the mother plant (the plant that grew from the tuber before.)
So, how do we end up seeing brand new, never before seen dahlias introduced every year??
Dahlia Seeds.
Yep, dahlias can grow from seeds as well. But here’s the catch: they will NOT look the same as their parent plant,… in fact: they may not look anything like the parent at all, they may have “unstable” genetics (meaning they don’t look consistent from bloom to bloom), and they may also just be kinda ugly.
However: they may also be the most beautiful, healthy, sturdy dahlia ever seen before!
I haven’t spent much time or effort on saving my dahlia seeds in previous years, because it takes patience and time, and I tend to run short on both of those. Ha!
Cedar Flats Dahlia Seedling
But this year: I grew my very first saved-from-seed dahlia. This dahlia doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world… isn’t that so cool?
But if you’d like to see some of the most gorgeous, brand new dahlia breeds that are being created right here in Olympia, Washington, check out my friend Hailey’s glorious work at River Merle Farm (you can search for any of the types with “RM” before their name, such as “RM Baby Girl”, or you can visit the Dahlia Seedlings page, which has photos of the up-and-coming beauties she’s bred!) Go ahead, check them out. I’ll wait….
Unbelievable right???
The only way to create new dahlias is to save their seeds and grow those seedlings until they bloom, and decide whether or not that new bloom is worth keeping.
I know a lot of folks will say “But Valerie, every flower is worth keeping!”
And for the home gardener, this may be true! But if you’re hoping to increase your changes of a glorious, sturdy, never-seen-before bloom in your saved seeds, there are some special considerations to keep in mind:
Open Center
Some less-than-ideal genetic traits have been deemed as “dominant,” meaning they show up frequently in the new baby plant if the parent plant is carrying those traits. One of those traits is an “open center” (when the yellow center shows on the dahlia, vs. closed center when the petals keep it covered).
If you keep dahlias in your garden that have their polleny (not a word…) center showing, it’s likely that ANY seeds you save will carry those traits. Why? Because the pollinators will stop by those open centered dahlias, passing those genetics on to the seed pod you’re trying to save.
Unstable Genetics
If your new baby plant throws some strange looking blooms, it may be due to unstable genetics. I’ve had a dahlia seedling that had consistent coloring, but some of the blooms had a single layer of petals with an open center, while other flowers on that same plant had a completely closed center with loads of petals, and still others had some petals that were curly and ruffled looking. Although it was pretty, it was inconsistent, and therefore, not a keeper for my farm. (happy ending though: I gave it to a neighbor up our road that is a beekeeper, and his bees love it!)
Bright (obnoxious) colors
If you are hoping for a new dahlia with soft blush, peach, or cream coloring, you may want to protect them from cross pollinating with your bright red and yellow dahlias. Bright colors like this are also considered “dominant,” (or so I’ve been told) and can hinder your progress toward softer tones.
HOW TO SAVE SEEDS: INFO COMING SOON! CHECK BACK IN
