",,,,,,,,whether or not to divide out my first year seedlings that I saved, or just plant them as clumps.. ,,"
The first thing we do at digging time is to dig and divide the first year seedlings. We are dahlia breeders first and the most important thing to us is the first year seedlings and there is only one of each when they are clumps. The best of the second year seedlings almost all have multiple plants. They are dug after first year seedlings. So we dig and divide the first year plants and I always divide even a very small clump into two parts so that if one dies the other still exists. Yes, second year seedlings are heavily culled but the best of the second year seedlings have multiple plants and that gives you a year head start on multiplying stock. We always take some cuttings of the best of the first year clumps(confusing as they are second year now). Our best first year seedling made several tubers this year and we will probably grow about 15 plants of it next year. The "run of the mill" first year seedlings often turn out to be the best ones (you cannot be sure when evaluating first year plants) and they end up being almost a year behind in tuber production. Many of our best introductions were not identified as "best" the first year.
2006 seedling
