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  • Dahlia Seedling Pictures - 2023

Does it have too many petals for a waterlily? 7 rows of mature petals? The flower in the picture meets that criterion. Will the second and third flowers ? Posting a picture of the first flower on a first year seedling only proves the plant had one nice flower. Posting the first flower of the year of a second year seedling is 10 times better and the first flower of third year flower is proof of the pudding. Remember however, pretty pictures are a dime dozen while really nice dahlias are rare. Lots of things are unknown but it is about 4 feet tall right now. Does it make tubers? Does it catch virus? Will the flowers all look like this or will they go solid or some combination of solid or variegated? Worst case: will a gopher eat it before we dig it? Did we put the marking tape on the wrong stalk? Posting pictures of first year seedlings is something we do occasionally but when they make it to the second year, I may bombard you with pictures.

    Teddahlia I need much more of these learning lessons you (and other pros) offer so as to understand the whole process of growing and hybridizing dahlias. Thank you.

    Have you attended a "Dahlia 101" presentation by your fellow California dahlia grower Debbie Dietz? I watched her do it for the second time and am amazed how much information she conveys in the presentation. And even experienced growers will learn something new.

      The local newspaper called Debbie Dietz the "Dahlia Diva" and she had tough time getting used to the name. I have known her for over 15 years and she used to have some family connections here in Oregon. She is very active at the Dahlia Dell in Golden Gate Park where she has volunteered for many years. At her presentation at the ADS National show here in Portland , there was standing room only in a very large room.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxZYbW9XzD8
      Link to an older presentation that I have not watched.

        Teddahlia Plus 1 on Ms Dietz. An absolutely captivating speaker, I learned so much from her seminar at the ADS National Show! I also had the pleasure of sitting at her table for dinner during the awards show and she was a charm to get to know a bit better.

        Teddahlia Oh, Ted... that variegated waterlily or decorative makes me swoon! Gorgeous form and coloring.

        Teddahlia - seedling 20-150 is glorious! I'm glad that is a keeper. I adore this one.

        20-150 may go to trial gardens next year.

        4 days later

        My Seedlings are bonkers, over the top this year! I think the garden is making up for that awful year when they froze after baking in the heat domes. Here are two I am in love with.

        The first one is a 3" flower with tiny lavender speckles, and a center that shows no sign of giving out on its second day in a vase. It also has a long strong stem. The 2nd one is about 5" and may come from Salish Cranberry.. but it is more burgundy red violet .I will have to check on that to be sure. They both have great centers. And beautiful colors. And are looking great after 2 days in a vase in an 80 degree plus room. Darn but I wish it would cool down and act like September!

          calico20hill And look at that little pink and yellow one below it on the right! Unfortunatley it is open centered but what colors!

          calico20hill Oh that first one looks like a confetti’d celebration, you are certainly getting some beautiful seedling this year!

          I aam, Krista! I can see now that the years of work are cumulative. First I established a base of ones I liked that made seed and now the seeds from those are showing a different palette that is special to my tastes.I can see now that it is a process, not just an occasional happy co-incidence. And I am amused by the distant litany playing on the background of my mind...of an autioneer talking about a dairy cow for sale,,,,Right out of my childhood on a daisy farm...."And here we have Daisy, daughter of Rose who won the top prize for high butterfat content in 1954..... and was Guernsey cow of the yaer for Lewis COunty......"

          Margaret and I have started to do our annual cruise though the flowers where I get to crawl on my knees and pull out plant tags and she writes down some data on the flowers. We then tie flagging tape with the same data on it to the plant. My handwriting stinks. The gophers and moles bury tags. We did 25 feet of the 50 foot row and it got too dark to see the tags. Marked some nice second year seedlings. Only 850 feet of row to go. The first year seedlings just get flagging tape tied to them when we decide to keep it. We marked a few of those before doing the cruise. Here is a typical first year seedling picture . "A" sized seedling but the center is bit weak. It gets another year as there are very few "big ones" in the seedlings.

          I didn't have any fabulous seedlings this year, but the steps I took before collecting last season definitely improved my outcome over previous years. I learned a lot by keeping track of seed parents for the first time. I'm now evaluating not only the seedlings that resulted from those seed parents, but also my decision on what other dahlias I allowed to be present in the area while the bees were at work. Last year I culled open centered dahlias before choosing which blooms to let mature and save but that was it. This year I am also covering blooms on plants I like but don't have qualities I want passed on. Is it weird to be excited for next year's seedlings before even saving any seed pods?
          Here's an AC White Rabbit seedling that isn't a keeper but is defying odds in a vase on my table. Day 4 and the awful centers still haven't blown. 😄


          I posted this picture of one of our waterlily seedlings to our club's Facebook site. I do not remember which one it is but will research it and make sure we keep it over.


          I have a lovely late season surprise of a seedling. The larger creamy bloom is the seedling and the light pink blush is a bloom I call Bermuda Pink. The creamy bloom is something I never expected from the seed parent (seedling of mine). The bloom is twice as large as the seed parent (and honestly any available pollen parent). I started the seeds really late as an experiment. This is the first bloom. I'm crossing my fingers for good storable tubers.

          calico20hill My Seedlings are bonkers, over the top this year! I think the garden is making up for that awful year when they froze after baking in the heat domes. Here are two I am in love with.

          Good for you! You are going to be very busy growing seedlings next year. Is the (stellar?) at the bottom right a first year seedling?

          That one is 2nd year now, Steve. IT is one of the ones my daughter won blue on at Common Ground Fair. Most of my dahlias have gone open centered this week including that one.