Dahlia Seedling Pictures - 2024

Bessie · 2024-05-25T17:40:24+00:00

First to bloom seedlings May 21st to May 25th. I don't think there are any keepers here, but I'll wait and observe for a while. I do like the ruffled petals...

Bessie

First bloom of 24116 (5.5") picked today:

24914 (3.5-4.5" ) has bloomed like crazy, with the first bloom on May 28th. It ages well in the vase, with a vase life of 5-7 days. Color varies from white with a creamy center to a pale pink blush over white.

Teddahlia

Tricolor that Margaret likes. Second year seedling.

MissyWeitzel

I only saved 2 seedlings from last year. This is a 2nd year Kelgai Ann seedling. It has poor form for ADS standards, right?

It has so many good qualities and I'm not far enough into my dahlia breeding journey to make myself cull it. Pros: It is early to bloom, is a great cut flower, the plant habit is very nice, it makes more flowers than 98% of named varieties I've grown and it has the dahlia shimmer. I actually really like dahlias with blooms that are always a bit different.

Tell it to me straight. 😊
Kelgai Ann seed parent on left, seedlings on right

Krista

MissyWeitzel No pro here, just giving my two cents - I like dahlias varieties that produce unique blooms from the same plant too and I think this one is very pretty!

Bessie

MissyWeitzel I have a terrible time making decisions and I'm sure not an expert, however, a few weeks ago I decided on my ultimate criteria (for now) for keeping MY seedlings. The criteria is closely aligned with my breeding goals. 1) Would I like to have it growing in my garden to use for either yard decor or bouquets? 2) Is it "easy" to grow ( which is deliberately vague and a relative term). 3) Do I get a little bit of excitement when I'm cutting blooms? 4) Do I admire it when it's in the vase/yard? 5) Does the flower(s) look nice as a stand alone bouquet, or mix nicely with other bouquet flowers?
Whether it will be a good tuber keeper and propagate nicely is a whole other discussion, but related.
An example of a hard decision... I have decided to keep an open centered 3" yellow Dahlia. It's just so cheerful, at this point, I think I want to keep it around.

Bessie

Today's harvest, photos are a few hours after picking.
24126, 6" , 45 degree facing blooms
Cafe au Lait seed parent

24602, 4" , 75 degree facing blooms
Ferncliff Copper seed parent

24217, 3.5-4" , mixed 45 -90 degree facing blooms
Hollyhill Daydream seed parent

24546, 3.5" , 45-52 degree facing blooms
Snoho Sonia seed parent

24600, 5.5", 75 degree facing bloom
Ferncliff Copper seed parent

MissyWeitzel

Bessie they're beautiful and your pictures are great!

Juliarugula

Bessie I especially like 24546.

SteveM

Bessie My favorite is also 24546. Pink is a popular color at the market this year.

blown_dry

Bessie 24602, 4" , 75 degree facing blooms
Ferncliff Copper seed parent

I like this one.

Bessie

MissyWeitzel thank you. I really admire all the Dahlia growers and hybridizers. Dahlias are very high maintenance!

SteveM

MissyWeitzel Question: is there a specific point in a bloom's maturity when a grower can tell whether the petals will roll in the orchid/orchette form? I haven't paid close attention...

Good question, I haven't paid close attention either but I always thought the roll was obvious as soon as the bloom was open.

Here is another thing you might watch for if you are breeding orchids. Both photos are of BQ Frank S. The plant produced only single blooms early in the season but produced rolled blooms later in the season. I assume this is environmental and probably related to the daylength. (roll more pronounced as the daylength increases) although it could be other variables (night temp, fertilizer, etc.)

MissyWeitzel

SteveM thank you! Here is the second bloom of that seedlings. It has a few little petaloids now too. Maybe by the end of the season I'll have a full orchette! 😆

Teddahlia

Orchid judging: As a judge they are easy to evaluate as there are so few petals. Since there are so few, each floret need to be nearly perfect. One of the most common orchid faults is the failure of one or more florets to close up properly. The gaps between the florets needs be the same and when one is too big we say this blooms has gap(s). The florets need to be in the same flat plane and your bloom is good.

Teddahlia

This one has a name now and I will share it eventually. It has been nice in years 1, 2, and 3.

MIDahlias

Teddahlia I think a lot of my collarettes and Orchettes are good bloomers. I have some tgat might have some wonky petals, but I have plants I feel all the blooms are beautiful. I feel I've become a little snobbish when it comes to collarettes. People gush over them with short petaloids... I dont understand that.

I also love the look of the puckery cultivars, but understand those are not show quality. I love when I see a collarettes or single with all the petals flat on plane to the degree it looks like a line from a side view.

Teddahlia

Lobaughs Dahlias has bred some really nice orchids and orchettes and they are very pretty too. I believe they use the moniker of Raeanne's for the ones his daughter breeds. I am judging at the trial garden on August 1st and have been told I will be judging open center entries. I am generally pretty tough on open center entries as they need to be really good to compete.

Bessie

Teddahlia I would love to hear more about the trial garden (s). Please consider starting a new thread topic and educating us.

MIDahlias

Bessie HI Bessie, are you an ADS member? If you're not, I highly recommend becoming a member. The judging modules are spectacular. (You need to be a member to access the modules) You don't have to want to become a judge to go through the modules. Without looking, I think there are sixteen and they take less than ten minutes each to complete.

Bessie

MIDahlias , yes I joined in May. I'll check out the judging modules you recommend. I'm not as interested in the judging as I'm interested in the care the trial gardens get. Do they take better care of them(pest control, watering, fertilizer) than I do in my own garden 😃?

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