How To Grow
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Dahlia from seed is one of the easiest ways of growing plants.
And Dahlia are one of the most popular summer flowering gardening plants and are grown in most gardens.
With so many different species and types you can be sure to find many that will grow well in your garden.
They are ideal for mixed beds and borders and should be gown in large groups among other gardening plants.
They have one of the longest flowering periods of most gardening plants, from summer right through to the first frosts.
And propagating plants does not come any eaiser than Dahlia from seed…..
GROWING DAHLIA FROM SEED
SOWING TIME: - Indoors March to April.
EQUIPMENT FOR GROWING DAHLIA FROM SEED:
*USE ONLY CLEAN EQUIPMENT *(BY DOING THIS IT WILL INCREASE YOUR PROPAGATION SUCESS RATE)
- Plug pots (preferred), 7.5cm (3inch) plant pots, full or half size seed tray/s, (plus inserts - if you are using them), (depending on how many seeds you are sowing).
- A thermostatically controlled propagator would be ideal, but it is not essential. You can make do without one.
- Clear seed tray cover, cling film, glass (with ground edges - to prevent cut fingers - size depends on tray or pot you are using) or rigid plastic (with filed edges - to prevent cut fingers - size depending on tray or pot you are using).
- Plant Label and indelible pencil or pen.
TOOLS FOR GROWING DAHLIA FROM SEED:
AS WITH ANY TOOLS - CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WITH THEIR USE - BE SAFE!
- Potting bench or potting tidy/caddy.
- Sieve.
- Tamper.
- Mist Sprayer.
COMPOST:
- Use any good quality commercially available multi-purpose compost, or seed and cutting compost. A peat free type compost is ideal.
Filling Your Trays or Pots with Compost
Now this is the time to decide if you want to sow your seeds in plug pots (preferred) or pots, trays or inserts.
It is also time to calculate how many plug pots (preferred) 7.5cm (3inch) pots, trays or inserts you will need to sow the number of seeds you are going to sow.
You can sow one dahlia seed in each plug pot (preferred) or as a rule of thumb, you can easily sow up to 5 dahlia seeds in a 7.5mm (3 inch) pot.
Or up to 20 seeds in a half size seed tray.
50 in a full size seed tray and any combinations in between.
Sieve enough compost, on to your potting bench, or potting tidy/caddy, to fill all your plug pots (preferred), pots or trays.
Don't discard the sieved out lumps and bits.
These can be used in the bottom of larger patio pots when planting them up with your own home grown plants.
(Save the lumps and bits in an old compost bag until needed).
Fill your plug pots (preferred), pots or seed tray/s with compost to about 5mm below the rim (this does not need to be exact - about 5mm will do).
Lift the tray or pot to a height of about 15cm (6 inches) and gently tap it on the bench. Do this about three times. This will settle the compost into the pot or tray to about the correct level.
The compost should now be about 10mm (1/2 inch) from the top of the pot or tray. This does not have to be exact so don't worry if it is a couple of mm higher or lower. It will make no difference to the end result.
Take your correct size tamper and gently level the surface of the compost. DON'T push the tamper with any force. All we want to do here is level off the surface of the compost, NOT compact it.
*This gives an ideal surface to sow the seed on. *(Doing this correctly will increase your propagation success rate)
That's it. You have now successfully filled your first tray or pot with compost.
Now Fill the rest of your trays or pots in the same way.
SOWING YOUR SEEDS
This is the fun part, sowing the seeds.
Dahlia seeds are large enough to handle individually quite easy.
Place one dahlia seed on the surface of the compost and in the centre of each plug pot (preferred).
Or if using 7.5cm (3inch) pots, half size or full size seed trays place the number of seeds detailed above on the surface of the compost.
Place them evenly on the surface of the compost. Do not bunch them up in the centre or to one side of your pots.
When you have placed all your dahlia seeds on the surface of the compost all that is needed is to cover the seeds with a very light "dusting" of sieved compost. Just enough to cover the seeds and no more.
Don't forget to label your plug pots (preferred), pots or seed trays with plant name and date of sowing.
Watering
Water your trays or pots with great care.
With your mist sprayer, set at it's finest spray, filled with tepid water and held at about 100mm (4 inch) from the pot or tray, lightly spray the surface of the compost. Don't get to close, or overdo it here, you will disturb the compost and seeds which is exactly what you don't want to do!
The idea is to settle the surface of the compost with the fine mist from your sprayer. This helps to settle the compost around the seeds.
Now fill a container, large enough to put the tray or pot in, with tepid water *(preferably water that has been standing in a warm place for about twenty-four hours) and definitely NOT rainwater, use good old tap water!
Stand the tray or pot in the container of water and leave it until you see the surface just becoming moist.
This usually happens fairly quickly so don't be tempted to go off and do something else.
*Do not overdo the watering process, you don't want the compost saturated, or your seeds may rot and not germinate.
*(By doing this correctly you will greatly increase your chance of success).
Germination
Cover your trays or pots with glass or clear plastic (or preferably, for ease of use, place in a propagator - unheated will do).
Keep your tray or pot in the light, (not direct sunlight) and maintain a temperature of 15C to 20C (59F to 68F).
After Germination
If you used plug pots (preferred) to sow your dahlia seeds in and when your seeds have germinated and are large enough to handle plant them individually directly into 7.5cm (3inch) pots still in their plug pots.
If you used 7.5cm (3inch) pots or seed trays to sow your dahlia seeds in transplant them individually in to 7.5cm (3inch) pots.
Be very careful handling the seedlings. Do not handle them by their stems as this will cause irreversible damage resulting in the seedling collapsing.
Handle the seedlings very gently and only by their leaves.
Tease the seedlings roots out with great care ensuring not too many roots are damaged. Time and care taken hear will really pay dividends giving your seedlings the best possible chance of growing on successfully.
Use a good quality potting compost for transplanting your seedlings. A sieved peat based or peat alternative compost will be fine.
When you have transplanted all your seedlings don't forget to label them with plant name, sowing date and transplanting date.
Water your trays or pots with great care.
Fill a container, that is large enough to put your seed tray in, with tepid water *(preferably water that has been standing in a warm place for about twenty-four hours) and definitely NOT rainwater, use good old tap water!
Stand the tray of seedlings in the container of water and leave it until you see the surface just becoming moist.
This usually happens fairly quickly so don't think about going of and doing something else.
*Do not overdo the watering process, you don't want the compost saturated, or your seedlings will rot and die.
*(By doing this correctly you will greatly increase your chance of success).
Keep the transplanted seedlings in good light (not direct sunlight) until they are large enough to be hardened off.
Nice healthy Dahlia seedlings from seed in a square pot. This is an ideal way of growing plants such as dahlia from seed.
These seedlings are just the right size for transplanting into single pots.
Grown in square pots
or cell trays is a highly recommended way of growing plants such as
dahlia from seed and is much preferred to sowing in trays or half trays.
Remember this when you come to sow your dahlia seeds. It will increase your chance of success!
Aftercare
Young Dahlia from seed plants should be gradually hardened off by placing them outside, in a sheltered position, during the day.
A cold frame with the lid open is ideal for this. If it is very cold during the day close the lid, but watch out for excess condensation.
If there is excess condensation prop the cold frame lid open slightly until the condensation disappears.
Bring them in at night to avoid severe frosts.
Now how easy is growing Dahlia from seed?
If you want any further
information on propagating Dahlia from seed or how to propagate and grow any of
your favourite gardening plants please feel free to
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