a dahlia as big as my head

[Greensage45]

Wooo-Hoo! Dahlias are taking over! LOL

Don't you worry about a thing HiD, you can start a thread anytime and come back later, I am sure 'Chatter-box' Ron will fill it up LOL

Crystal, LOL, I am so happy I do not have an Ebay Account. I would be a mess!

Wow Steve, any closer pics? I love how thick that area is covered in blooms!

I think with gathering Dahlia seeds it is best to let the seed head dry completely on the plant. Otherwise it is too filled with moisture and can make a mess trying to locate them and dry them. I always just wait until Winter cleanup, but then usually just break the seed heads out across the flower beds. I should be more in control I would get so many more that way.

The woman who reportedly 'Hybridizes Tubers' would first have to do a controlled pollination between two plants, and then produce seed. Then she would have to grow that seed to a full plant and greet the new color. If a new and fun color, then she can divide that color by way of 'propagating tubers' by dividing the eyes. None of which is impossible unless you are trying to cross one tuber with another as the term hybrid tuber implies LOL That would be an act of God Herself! LOL

Ron

 

[injunjoe]

Ok I was able to find one kind of dahlia seeds.

Have you ever heard of it? Unwin's Dwarf, Mixed colors.

Joe.

 

[Greensage45]

According to this article, the Unwins is a mixed variety that carries all the traits from all the different Dahlias. So in essence this is from a field of Dahlias! LOL Unwin's article (link)

How fun is that! Every one will be a surprise and an Unknown color!

Where did you 'find' these seeds? In a drawer ? They do last for many many years as seed!

Good find, now plant and nurture and if not first-year blooms, then definitely second season explosion! row

Google Images for Unwins Dwarf (link)

Stunning!

Ron :bouquet

 

[injunjoe]

They were $1.25 at Home depot. I needed more clay pots, for Epi cuttings.

Joe

 

[Greensage45]

They are easier than 4 o'clocks! If that helps?

Ron

What did the package look like? ...was there a seed company?

 

[injunjoe]

This would mean that my Mom could even grow them! LOL
(Sorry Mom) She can kill a Snake Plant!

Joe

 

[journey11]

Ok, this is what I bought on eBay (and yes, Ron, you can get easily out of control on there! )

Unwin's mix
Giant mixed hybrid cactus types
Dahlia coccinea Victoriana Mixed
Mixed giant formal decorative types
Collarette Dahlia (this one is stunning! see pic)
And another batch of giant mixed cactus types

Also picked up some Epi's -- 3 potted 'Queen of the Night'
(and one I am still bidding on! called 'Oriental Dancer')

And tossed in some mixed dwarf asters just because.


I just bought myself a couple Christmas presents!
All that, about 250 seeds, for $23 (incl. shipping)...not counting the one I am still bidding on. row

 

[digitS']

. . . Wow Steve, any closer pics? I love how thick that area is covered in blooms!
. . .

Oh yes sir!! click here! - -Show 'n' Tell - - click here!

Now, you can believe that I'm not the guy that once took a photograph, dropped his camera, and stepped on it . . . The camera "lost its memory" - or at least, lost its connection to its memory card for weeks until I figured out how to reload it :/.

(I do grow lots of Show 'n' Tells.)

Here's something that I swiped from the Unwins' website. I grew these pompon dahlias from seed and then saved the tubers. There are still a few in my garden:

Storing healthy tubers until spring wasn't possible for me with dwarfs. I tried that once and the tubers were just too small to last in peat moss for the 6 months required of them here.

Steve

 

[HiDelight]

I love how this filled up how beautiful the dahlias are

I have to say Ron (hoping you will read this if not I will follow you around to let you know) I tried to find seeds by shredding the older dahlias and did not find a single seed in any of them

maybe I need to borrow your bee :bee

I had bees resting in them but they just did not make any seeds for me ..I searched and searched amidst the shreds and nadda

one of our patients puts a mark on her stakes each year then on the third year she digs them up and splits the tubers ..I like that idea! and will try it if ever I get that organized!

they are slowing down a bit now but I found a couple of surpises I did not know I had ..that is why I love buying the "assortment" bag off our plant sale table each year I get something new

 

[HiDelight]

PS these two growers are wonderful to deal with and have a HUGE selection of dahlias

http://www.dahlias.com

http://www.lynchcreekdahlias.com/lynch-creek-farm-dahlias.html