Mixed Dahlia seeds, unique mixed colours, sizes
15 SEEDS
This is a mixture of all different open-pollinated dahlias from my garden this year, so each should be an interesting and unique surprise. This is a combination of fluffy multi-petalled and single-petalled open-faced varieties in varied pretty colours of yellows, pinks, peach, reds, and whites. Makes for some lovely bouquets.
Each seed will end up as a bunch of dahlia tubers you can dig up, store, and replant year after year.
Seeds from dahlias are always a combination of both the parents genes, just like us, so you never really know what you’re going to get. This is also the way new varieties are discovered. When you divide tubers or get cuttings, those are clones of the mother plant, and this is how famous varieties are reproduced.
Starting Seeds:
Seeds should be started at least 6 to 8 weeks before you want to plant them out. Dahlia seeds germinate sporadically, so be patient—they will come up, but it can take up to two weeks. Direct-seeding into the garden isn’t recommended.
While dahlia seeds benefit from additional warmth to help them germinate, they prefer slightly cooler temperatures than other summer bloomers, so a regular home temperature is fine.
Dahlias do best in rich, heavily amended soil. Prepare planting beds with a generous dose of compost or manure, and mulch to help hold moisture if the area is dry.
Although they can handle the heat of summer, it’s recommended to provide some afternoon shade in extremely hot climates.
Space plants 12 in (30 cm) apart and water deeply twice a week. (Dahlia seedlings can be grown much closer together, with as little as 4 in [10 cm] between plants. This method will produce a jungle of towering stems and is how most professional breeders increase the number of seedlings they can grow in a season.)
Plants inevitably grow tall and heavy and may require sturdy staking, which should be placed before they grow too large and topple over from the weight of their showy blossoms.
If you’re growing dahlias in garden beds, you can pound individual stakes next to each seedling at planting time and tie them up as they grow.
