Hi All

I am a newbie to the site so hello to you all and a here's a bit of info about me.

I have a reasonable size plot round the back of the house and its south facing (Leeds, North England) so we get a decent amount of sun. Currently, mainly lawn with a border round much of it. We have a greenhouse and wood store in the bottom of the garden. I have helped out for a friends gardening business mainly landscaping so not afraid to get my hands dirty. I have big plans for the garden, my wife has just not told me what they are yet!

Anyway, i was watching Monty on gardeners world on friday and was taken by growing dahlias from seed rather than tubers. Now i have always steared clear of growing them from seed as i had it into my head that they were biennial from seed (not sure why or where i got the idea from), and i was not keen on having a section of the garden used for this alone. Anyway, not sure who the guy was but it sounded to me like i have been very wrong and that it is perfectly possible to grow from seed.

Does anybody have any experience of growing dahlias from seed and if so can you advise on which would be good ones to go for? My wife really likes the big pompon type blooms and i really like the idea of getting lots of seed for the same price as one tuber!

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Thanks
Brad

On Mar 28, 1:18*pm, gingerbrad
wrote:
Hi All

I am a newbie to the site so hello to you all and a here's a bit of info
about me.

I have a reasonable size plot round the back of the house and its south
facing (Leeds, North England) so we get a decent amount of sun.
Currently, mainly lawn with a border round much of it. We have a
greenhouse and wood store in the bottom of the garden. I have helped out
for a friends gardening business mainly landscaping so not afraid to get
my hands dirty. I have big plans for the garden, my wife has just not
told me what they are yet!

Anyway, i was watching Monty on gardeners world on friday and was taken
by growing dahlias from seed rather than tubers. Now i have always
steared clear of growing them from seed as i had it into my head that
they were biennial from seed (not sure why or where i got the idea
from), and i was not keen on having a section of the garden used for
this alone. Anyway, not sure who the guy was but it sounded to me like i
have been very wrong and that it is perfectly possible to grow from
seed.

Does anybody have any experience of growing dahlias from seed and if so
can you advise on which would be good ones to go for? My wife really
likes the big pompon type blooms and i really like the idea of getting
lots of seed for the same price as one tuber!

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Thanks
Brad

--
ginger

You can grow dahlias from seed but they are less likely to come true,
ie you might end up with a funnioisity. Buying tubers should
guarantee you get what it shows on the packet.
When you grow seed, tubers form which you can save (supposing it's one
you like). They are exactly the same plant.

On 28/03/2011 13:18, gingerbrad wrote:
Hi All

I am a newbie to the site so hello to you all and a here's a bit of info
about me.

I have a reasonable size plot round the back of the house and its south
facing (Leeds, North England) so we get a decent amount of sun.
Currently, mainly lawn with a border round much of it. We have a
greenhouse and wood store in the bottom of the garden. I have helped out
for a friends gardening business mainly landscaping so not afraid to get
my hands dirty. I have big plans for the garden, my wife has just not
told me what they are yet!

Anyway, i was watching Monty on gardeners world on friday and was taken
by growing dahlias from seed rather than tubers. Now i have always
steared clear of growing them from seed as i had it into my head that
they were biennial from seed (not sure why or where i got the idea
from), and i was not keen on having a section of the garden used for
this alone. Anyway, not sure who the guy was but it sounded to me like i
have been very wrong and that it is perfectly possible to grow from
seed.

Does anybody have any experience of growing dahlias from seed and if so
can you advise on which would be good ones to go for? My wife really
likes the big pompon type blooms and i really like the idea of getting
lots of seed for the same price as one tuber!

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Thanks
Brad



I found Dahlias very easy from seed. I grew D. 'The Bishop's Children'
(related to D. 'Bishop of Llandaff') and got a good selection of
colours. It's a good way of building up your Dahlia stock if you're not
too worried about named varieties. I would certainly encourage you to
have a go. Certainly try some pompom types to suit your wife :~), but
do consider trying D.'The Bishop's Children' or another single type as
they will attract bees into your garden. Double-flowered blooms offer
little to insects .. with the possible exception of the earwig:~(.
Molluscs are also a problem. It's just as well Dahlias are so easy from
seed. Enjoy.
--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On Mar 28, 1:18*pm, gingerbrad
wrote:
Hi All

I am a newbie to the site so hello to you all and a here's a bit of info
about me.

I have a reasonable size plot round the back of the house and its south
facing (Leeds, North England) so we get a decent amount of sun.
Currently, mainly lawn with a border round much of it. We have a
greenhouse and wood store in the bottom of the garden. I have helped out
for a friends gardening business mainly landscaping so not afraid to get
my hands dirty. I have big plans for the garden, my wife has just not
told me what they are yet!

Anyway, i was watching Monty on gardeners world on friday and was taken
by growing dahlias from seed rather than tubers. Now i have always
steared clear of growing them from seed as i had it into my head that
they were biennial from seed (not sure why or where i got the idea
from), and i was not keen on having a section of the garden used for
this alone. Anyway, not sure who the guy was but it sounded to me like i
have been very wrong and that it is perfectly possible to grow from
seed.

Does anybody have any experience of growing dahlias from seed and if so
can you advise on which would be good ones to go for? My wife really
likes the big pompon type blooms and i really like the idea of getting
lots of seed for the same price as one tuber!

Any help or advice is appreciated.

Thanks
Brad

--
gingerbrad

Well lets start from the begining, Dahlias come in many types and many
sizes.
You say your wife likes the big pompon types. Pompon in the UK are
under 2" whilst the Dutch (Who are responsible for most of the pre
packed dahlias also call minature Ball and Minature Decorative dahlias
Pompon)
Have a lok at this item, lower down there is an explanation of types
and sizes. http://www.dahliaworld.co.uk/dahlia.htm

Now to your question re seed / plants / tubers.
Seed is the cheapest way though the larger the dahlia the longer to
come into flower from seed, most dahlias from comercialy available
seed gives you either single or semi double flowers.
From cuttings/plants you will get much better quality flowers,
normally of named varieties, as you will from Tubers, though plants
will flower a little later than tubers, but you will get better
flowers.
With tubers you can take several cuttings and still have a plant to
put in the garden.
I was sowing dahlia seed over the weekend, around 1200 of the things,
these are from named dahlias, but what comes will still be an unknown
till they flower, I should have done this 4 weeks ago.
Decide what type of dahlias you want then it will be easier to decide
how you go about it.
I'd say try all options, seed for dwarf and singles but plants or
tubers for the good flowers.
Dahlia flowers can range in size from just over half an inch with some
of the Liliput types to over 14 inches with some of the Giant
Decorative dahlias sich as Bryn Terffal.
Do some reading, dook at pictures on line then come back with more
questions.
David Hill

Really interesting! I'm finding Dahlias fun to grow.

Can't agree more! I got good growing dahlias in my garden from the dahlia tubers I got from Lynch Creek Farm.

"rengiesuerte" wrote ...


harry;916296 Wrote:
gingerbrad wrote
You can grow dahlias from seed but they are less likely to come true,
ie you might end up with a funnioisity. Buying tubers should
guarantee you get what it shows on the packet.
When you grow seed, tubers form which you can save (supposing it's one
you like). They are exactly the same plant.

Can't agree more! I got good growing dahlias in my garden from the
dahlia tubers I got from Lynch Creek Farm.

They have a decent selection...

http://www.lynchcreekdahlias.com/

Don't deliver to the UK though.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

A wide array of decent selection...