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Post by Moonlight on Apr 9, 2016 13:39:48 GMT
Anyone else going to try and raise some dahlia seedlings from seed collected from last year (+the year before)?
This is my 3rd year of sowing my dahlia seed. I thought it would be nice to share experiences and encourage each other along.
Currently I am planning on leaving it this weekend but maybe next week.
You never know our experiences might pique other people to try next year. 
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Post by Cat on Apr 9, 2016 19:52:40 GMT
I would like to follow this thread as it is an area I am thinking of trying in the future. Nothing serious but it would give Che another facet to his learning curve. Looking forward to hearing how you get on Moonlight  |
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Post by Raymond on Apr 18, 2016 22:37:19 GMT
Not got any seed Moonlight but I have my second year tubers growing ! Do they count hehe !Will be interesting to see how they do this year and if form has improved or gotten worse. . I really liked what Jack gott does with his pollinating was on gardeners world. Here is a seedling the growth is very vigorous on most of them. Started potting them on now into 5 litre pots I think I will grow them in pots again this year they will go into 15 litre come end of May. Might put into top border .  |
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Post by Moonlight on Apr 22, 2016 9:37:57 GMT
Pleased to let you know that I have finally sowed my dahlia seeds I collected. 26 varieties   but ranging from 1 Sir Alf and 2 Kenora Valentine seeds to 40ish (+a bit more). Most were seeds collected from last year but with 2 exceptions. I had a few Edwin's Sunset - I limited the number I sowed last year because I didn't know if I would like them. Ended up with 4 - 1 of which I liked. So I sowed all that I had left.
Last year my Nuland's Josephine produced a lot of seed and a lot of my other seedlings looked like they had been crossed with Nuland's Josephine, some of which were quite pretty but not good enough to keep but a lot of them were daisy eyed. So I took rather drastic measures, even though it produces a lot of show able blooms I removed the heads of the blooms (and I am not growing it again this year). We think that some of the crosses were with decs.
I haven't sown any pom seeds that I had left because the Willo's Violet seedlings were rubbish - daisy eyed but worse than the Nuland's Jo. 
Marston George produced a lot of seed this year and last year I ended up collecting it in 2 batches. I only sowed the 1st batch last year, I made the decision to sow a few of my 2015 seeds and a few of packet 2 of 2014. It is interesting how different the condition of the seeds my Edwin's Sunset looked aged and a lot drier but the Marston George batch 2 still looked quite plump. As they were collected later in the season it may mean that if any grow they might have a different range of dna pollen mix and look a lot different to my Bill - Marston George.
Now if any do germinate from either the Edwin's Sunset or Marston George batch 2 should I give them this years name or call them Bill.
hmmmmmm
Well what whatever happens I just hope that some germinate in the 1st place.
I will wait and see before I tell anyone my name for 2016 - I'll look a bit stupid otherwise.
2013 = 'Fred prefix seedlings'; 2014 - Bill prefix seedlings and 2015 = ? 
p.s. No guessing what it is. (please)
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Post by Moonlight on Apr 22, 2016 9:39:01 GMT
Anyone else with a seedling update?
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Post by Cat on Apr 22, 2016 15:44:11 GMT
Hi Moonlight that was a great read, glad all is moving for you. Could you tell me what you mean by daisy eyed? TY |
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Post by Moonlight on Apr 22, 2016 22:53:49 GMT
Hi Moonlight that was a great read, glad all is moving for you. Could you tell me what you mean by daisy eyed? TY
The centre doesn't fully close.
Ok if you want to grow a regular garden dahlia but the seedlings that I want to keep must have fully closed centres.
But then there are ones like these that are really pretty but the centre never quite closes up.
I only want to keep the seedlings that look pretty but have good 'form'. Not easy to stick to my guns on it - pretty petals are pretty petals but I want something good enough to exhibit.
If I don't I'll end up keeping 100s.
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Post by Cat on Apr 23, 2016 16:16:58 GMT
Moonlight thank you so much for putting up pictures that really helps understanding. I fully appreciate your choices for selection and it can't be easy - pretty is pretty, quality is another matter!!
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Post by Moonlight on Apr 23, 2016 19:57:13 GMT
Moonlight thank you so much for putting up pictures that really helps understanding. I fully appreciate your choices for selection and it can't be easy - pretty is pretty, quality is another matter!!
My Husband has pointed this out a few times, he can't see what is wrong with some of my seedlings when you can buy them like that in the shops. It's just what I grew up with. That's always the goal. I grow dahlias for me but I would love it if I could one day raise a seedling that is 'Special'. Think that that must be it, I like pretty (and don't want to get rid of pretty) but I am looking for Special.
Last year I grew my seedlings in large pots, the previous year black buckets that were a bit larger. When they flowered any that didn't have something Special about it was brought up to our front garden. Very colourful. Who knows if I am going to get any this year - I should but that doesn't mean I will get any. If I do I might try and do the same thing. If they aren't good enough to save by moving them to the front they can't pollinate the others.
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Post by SueA on Apr 23, 2016 21:08:40 GMT
I really like that idea Moonlight, it upsets me when someone puts a photo of a lovely dahlia on here which may not be a 'prizewinner' & someone will put the comment 'compost' even jokingly, much nicer to put any pretty ones in the front garden/separate plot/friend's garden or whatever as you have. I could never 'grow to show' I'm far too soft & would have a plot full of wonky cross bred oddities!  |
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Post by Moonlight on Apr 23, 2016 21:57:32 GMT
I really like that idea Moonlight , it upsets me when someone puts a photo of a lovely dahlia on here which may not be a 'prizewinner' & someone will put the comment 'compost' even jokingly, much nicer to put any pretty ones in the front garden/separate plot/friend's garden or whatever as you have. I could never 'grow to show' I'm far too soft & would have a plot full of wonky cross bred oddities!
Hay hoe, if I can get sorted I have a few photos I can add, showing what I do / did when I sowed them.
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Post by daisy on Apr 23, 2016 22:04:09 GMT
Moonlight I like the last one best, but they're all pretty
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Post by Moonlight on Apr 23, 2016 22:46:05 GMT
Hay hoe, if I can get sorted I have a few photos I can add, showing what I do / did when I sowed them.
When I collected the seeds I got confused with the seeds from Ryecroft Zoe, Greenways Zoe, Oakwood Goldcrest and Cherwell Goldcrest - so I put them in the same envelope and labeled them 'Zoe Crest'. Not being an expert I would describe Ruskin Myra and Ryecroft Zoe as similar (yellowy/peachy small semi/cactus). Last year I collected seed from both Ryecroft Zoe and Ruskin Myra and because they looked similar to me and I decided to just go for the Zoe because I thought that slightly darker shade of orange looked nicer than the Myra. I didn't grow it at all this year - I gave the tuber to my Dad. I decided to sow my 2014 Myra seed; if you look at it I think that the seeds look drier / older than the 2015 Zoe Crest seeds. 
Decided to sow all of the seeds in each packet. As the Myra seeds are a year older there will be a lower possible chance of germination anyway and I couldn't be bothered to leave a packet of 3 seeds and another with 11. So rather than limit myself to 30, I just did them all. (Whether or not this was a good idea - I will find out).
So there you go Zoe Crest and Ruskin Myra - ready to be tucked up in bed.
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Post by Moonlight on Apr 23, 2016 23:00:29 GMT
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Post by Moonlight on Apr 24, 2016 0:10:49 GMT
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