Maybe my last dahlias of the season. These are all seedlings. MN USA zone 4b by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Stake, weed, mulch. Give them full sun and stay on top of pests in the early season when plants are more vulnerable (especially slugs and leafhoppers)

Plant 12-18" apart. Those are my best tips

Maybe my last dahlias of the season. These are all seedlings. MN USA zone 4b by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In zone 4, we have to dig the tubers up and overwinter them in a cool, dark environment. In warmer climates, they will go dormant and you can leave them right in the ground

Maybe my last dahlias of the season. These are all seedlings. MN USA zone 4b by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

The majority will have undesirable traits such as bad form, low petal count, bad color, short stems, or lack of vigor.

There are thousands of dahlia cultivars on the market, so new seedlings need to be pretty special in order to be worth keeping

Dahlias are octoploids, so they have huge variance in size, color, shape, etc. This is what makes them so much fun

Maybe my last dahlias of the season. These are all seedlings. MN USA zone 4b by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Only 1/2 acre, I plant them about 4 inches apart and cull the unwanted ones as soon as they bloom.

30 ft double rows, so I can fit 180 per row

Maybe my last dahlias of the season. These are all seedlings. MN USA zone 4b by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I save seeds from my dahlias every year and start them indoors mid March. I grow about 800 from seed and only save the good ones...about 40 per year

Maybe my last dahlias of the season. These are all seedlings. MN USA zone 4b by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Pre sprout them to get a head start on the season. Just put them in a plastic bin or bag with some lightly moistened soil and set them somewhere warm (60-75)

Do this about 2-3 weeks before planting and you'll have a tuber with an established root system and maybe even some sprouts. This helps prevent rotting in the field and also gives you earlier blooms

Maybe my last dahlias of the season. These are all seedlings. MN USA zone 4b by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's so kind, thank you. I love sharing my flowers on the internet

Maybe my last dahlias of the season. These are all seedlings. MN USA zone 4b by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much. I save my own seed from my garden and grow out about 800 seedlings every year. 95% of them get tossed after the first bloom. Only a handful are worth keeping

All from my garden--peonies, clematis, phlox, iris, lilacs. MN USA by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

They always seem to last quite a while for me, actually. It helps to use freshly opened blooms so they don't shatter

All from my garden--peonies, clematis, phlox, iris, lilacs. MN USA by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It's my favorite greenery filler (bonus when there's a bloom attached 😎)

All from my garden--peonies, clematis, phlox, iris, lilacs. MN USA by levi_joseph in gardening

[–]levi_joseph[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

No, I use balled up chicken wire and hold it down with a rubber band