General Dahlia Chat - 2025

Justafewdahlias · 11 Jan

Teddahlia I can imagine the data collection being tedious and gruesome to keep on top of, much more demanding then what can be expected from volunteers of a trial garden.

I have seen a decent amount of different cut flower trials (dahlias and other flowers) by agriculture departments of universities. But these are usually trying to gather data for a specific question vs just “trialing” a new cultivar. I think the cut flower growers data collection is realistically the best way to get all the information.

For big sellers of bulbs like Lilly bulbs or tulip bulbs they have such specific instructions, trials & data, for the grower. It’s insanely detailed! How to grow this variety in soil, in a pot; for forcing, with growth regulators, hydroponically, etc. I have found the days for forcing; and blooms per stem for each bulb size provided by wholesaler to be spot on accurate.

It makes sense to run all these trials and have all this information. It’s in the wholesale bulb grower’s best interest for the cut flower grower purchasing the bulb to know all the relevant information about the bloom they are about to buy. If you buy 5000 Lilly bulbs and can’t grow them you probably aren’t going to buy them again. But If you buy 5000 Lilly bulbs and use all the information given to you and grow them well who knows next year you might order 8000 bulbs! It’s good to know what to expect when there are many unexpected things like weather when it comes to gardening

Justafewdahlias · 11 Jan

I am feeling a new sense of empathy for the surgeons I work with! Realistically I’m just gonna chop this in half or 1/3 and hope for the best! I am new at this and my other tuber clumps felt a lot more tidy and simple to divide compared to this one. It’s a cutting from this season I am just now attempting to divide

Juliarugula · 11 Jan

Justafewdahlias I bet that clump will make a lot more sense after trimming all the tails and extra roots off! Its amazing how much that can clarify how to proceed with dividing.

Teddahlia · 11 Jan

Cut flower Evaluation Proposal:
On the subject of flower sellers doing the evaluation for cut flower qualities , perhaps a two or three step process would be better than requiring the busy cut flower seller to measure, color classify and count tubers and fill out a long questionnaire:
Step one: stock of the subject flower given to cut a flower person and it is only identified by the ADS classification(loosely applied is OK). The cut flower grower would place the new one near similar dahlias and grow it. The appraisal would be a simple yes or no. Yes it could be good cut flower or no (I did not like it in my garden) . All the no verdicts would be anonymous.
Step Two: Cut flower sellers who don' t mind more paper work would grow the "yes" flowers and fill out a brief questionnaire and perhaps give it a "score" .
Step three: A trial(cut flower garden or a designated garden, like a trial garden.) in where awards are given for the flowers for the best flowers from steps one and two.
I would propose the that step one for the "losers" would be done in secret. Step two results would be published but only to the extent that the flowers are going to step three.
Three years to get to a conclusion? A two stop process may work but having all "winners" in one place for a grand finale and awards would encourage more people to breed good cut flowers.

Dutch painting

KKrista · 11 Jan

Juliarugula This is the best advice, I find this to be the case 100% of the time!

KitCMC · 11 Jan

Justafewdahlias

Juliarugula

Krista
Agree! After cleaning it up I look for the clearest path to cut the clump in half and go from there.

blown_dry · 11 Jan

KitCMC This. I would be looking to split the stem and see what happens.

KitCMC · 19 Jan

Has anyone grown, or is familiar with, a BB/Miniature IC that is white tinged with lavender or a cool purple? Josudi Andromeda is close, but I’d love one that has the incurved characteristic.

Teddahlia · 19 Jan

Taratahi Lilac is an oldie but goodie.

KitCMC · 19 Jan

Thanks, Ted. She’s a beaut! That’s exactly what I was imagining.

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mary_on_flickr/

KKrista · 19 Jan

KitCMC I grew Larrisa last year but never saw a bloom. She may fit the bill? ADS classifies her as 3410 BB IC LB LV2/WH2, but based on the photo in the database, I’m not sure this I what you’re looking for: https://www.dahlia.org/guide/images/LARRISA.jpg

KitCMC · 19 Jan

Krista pretty! Yes - I was imagining that shape & size would be a nice textural contrast in arrangements with balls or small IDs.

bloomhjelm · 27 Jan

I packed up several bags of dahlias for the PSDA sale. I thought I followed all instructions: label tubers with name AND grower number, add note inside bag with name and grower number and quantity, fill out and email form with all names and descriptions and quantities and notes. However when I pulled up I had forgotten to also print the list to put in the donation pile. Oops. Too many directions. But I'm very happy this time of year has rolled around again.

Bessie · 30 Jan

Just want to say... I read most every post, and really enjoy hearing everyone's growing techniques and stories . Thank you all, and especially thank you to Amanda ( @blown_dry and @mr_blown_dry ) who put in so much energy to keep this forum running perfectly. Time is going so fast, and it's amazing to think that the forum is now going into it's 3rd year!

MissyWeitzel · 4 Feb

Have any of you grown Gregory Stephen?

I took a picture of it at a show this summer and was going to try to order it. I only see it available at one place and the form looks the same but the coloring is way different. I'm curious how it appeared in your garden?

I realize the streaky coloring in the one I saw this summer is less desirable from an exhibition standpoint, but it's more beautiful than the mostly red version IMO.

(2nd Pic from Harvest Thyme website)

KKrista · 5 Feb

MissyWeitzel I haven’t grown this one but it looks like Swan Island provided the photo of it to the National Gardening Association’s plant database - I wonder if you could reach out to them with questions about it. Their photo looks kind of right in between both of the images you shared. Maybe if planted in hot, direct sun it fades to the bloom you prefer?

Sharing the photo here:

blown_dry · 5 Feb

MissyWeitzel What a gorgeous bloom. I would want it too! I suspect it fades in a very attractive way.

SSteveM · 5 Feb

MissyWeitzel There is a particular type of nice, clean red that fades rapidly and to an extreme in our high UV-index climate. The fade is so complete that it can resemble a bicolor with the demarcation and the bloom can be quite attractive. Gregory Stephan might be that particular "red"?

Kkatyaker · 12 Feb

Teddahlia University of Portland is my alma mater also! Something else besides dahlias we have in common. Have you been on campus lately? After almost 40 years I hardly recognized it. There are so many new buildings. The son of one of my classmates is attending UoP now. Makes me feel old. It is exciting to hear they are doing research on dahlias there. Go Pilots!

Teddahlia · 12 Feb

I have only been on the U of Portland campus for a few basketball games and last was about 5 years ago. When I attended in pre-historic times, there were still some buildings re-located from the flooded city of Vanport. They were WWII buildings and were very basic and could be compared to the "portable classrooms" seen at some schools. The library was the newest building and I used to do my homework there. There were Kwanzan cherry trees planted in front of the library and they bloomed like crazy in the Spring.