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How To Grow Dahlias From Seed - Wilson Garden


Dahlias are a genus of plants in the sunflower family. They are native to Mexico and South America, and are known for their large and showy flowers. The dahlia is one of the most popular bedding plants and perennial flowers in the world.


Dahlias can be propagated from seeds or tubers. You can use either one to grow your own dahlia plants at home. They produce large flowers that can be used in many different ways throughout the year, especially in the fall and winter months.

What are dahlia seeds?

Dahlia seeds are what you get from the flower after it has bloomed and dried up. They're small, black and hard, and have a long shelf life. The seeds can be planted directly into your garden or stored for several years if kept dry in an airtight container with plenty of ventilation.


Can dahlias grow from seeds? Dahlia seeds are a great way to growing dahlias garden. They are inexpensive and easy to grow. Dahlias are one of the easiest summer-blooming annuals to grow. They come in a wide range of colors and flower forms, from single flowers to multiple blooms that resemble pompons or daisies.

dahlia seeds

What do dahlia seeds look like?

Dahlia seeds have a hard shell that protects the embryo inside. The embryo has three cotyledons that look like leaves but are not true leaves. Dahlia seeds are typically black or brown, but they can also be red, white, yellow or even pink.

What are dahlia tubers?

A dahlia tuber is a tuberous root of a dahlia plant. The tuber is actually an enlarged underground stem that looks like a potato on the outside but doesn't taste like one on the inside. You can planting dahlia tubers on the ground to grow new plants.


They look like potatoes and they are planted whole, not cut up or split open. The tubers you see at your local nursery are actually just dormant buds; they won't grow until they're planted in soil and exposed to warm temperatures of 10°C (50°F).


When they start sprouting roots, they'll put out a leafy shoot that grows up to 2 feet tall before producing its first flower bud — this process takes about 3 weeks once planted in soil.

Dahlia seeds vs tubers: which is best?

Difference between dahlia seeds and tubers: You can growing dahlias from seed or tubers. Seeds are easy to grow but require a long time to germinate, while tubers are much faster to grow, but can be difficult to find and expensive.


Seeds are inexpensive and easy to find at most nurseries. Both dahlia seeds and tubers are best suited for indoor planting, but dahlia tubers are also suitable for outdoor planting.


Seeds take longer than tubers to produce flowers. You can also growing dahlias in pots indoors if you live in an area where winters are too cold for growing dahlias outdoors all year round (eastern Canada and northern United States).


Dahlia seeds are much smaller than dahlia tubers. You can buy dahlia seeds at most nurseries or garden centers during their spring plant sale season, which usually starts sometime in March or April depending on where you live along.

dahlia tubers

When to sow dahlia seeds?

You can planting dahlia seeds in pots or seed trays. Dahlias are very sensitive to heat and cold, if you are sowing dahlias from seeds, it is important to do this at the right time. The ideal temperature for dahlia seeds germination is between 18°C (64°F) and 22°C (72°F).


Dahlia seeds should be sown in the late winter or early spring. The best time to sow dahlia seeds is 6-8 weeks prior to your last frost date, which varies depending on where you live.

How to plant dahlia seeds?

How to sow dahlia seeds? You can starting dahlias from seed in seed starting trays or individual pots filled with good quality potting mix. Fill the seedling tray or pot with the planting medium so that it is about 5 mm (0.2 inches) below the rim of the container.


Cover with a fine layer of vermiculite or fine gravel before sowing dahlia seeds. This will help maintain proper moisture levels for germination and reduce soil splashing on young plants as they grow.


Once your dahlia plants have grown large enough that their leaves touch each other on top of the soil, they are ready for transplanting into larger pots or trays.


You can planting dahlias from seed in smaller pots until you are ready for them to go into their final position in the garden - this will allow you more control over how much space you give them before planting them outside permanently.


If you are sowing more than one variety of dahlia at once, label each pot with the name of the variety planted in it. Keep all your containers warm until dahlia seed germination; then gradually reduce the temperature until they are growing actively.


If your growing conditions are cool, this may mean moving them out of doors into a sheltered place after germination and before they become too large for their containers.

How to germinate dahlia seeds?

To germinate dahlia seeds, place them in a potting mixture consisting of half peat moss and half perlite. Cover the seeds with about 1/4 inch (6 mm) of soil; then water thoroughly until water runs out of the bottom of the container.


Place the dahlia pots in a warm spot out of direct sunlight and keep moist but not soggy. Dahlia seeds germination time: sprouting should occur within a 7 to 10 day period. Once they have sprouted, move them into full sunlight, as they need at least six hours of sun each day for healthy growth.

How long does it take to grow dahlias from seed?

The dahlia seedlings should be transplanted when they are about 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) tall. After transplanting, water them regularly so that the soil stays moist at all times but does not become soggy or muddy.


It takes about 6 - 8 weeks for dahlia plants to reach maturity and flower for the first time. Dahlia from seed to flower will take about 100-120 days. You can expect your dahlias to produce flowers from mid-summer through early fall depending on where you live in the country and what type you have chosen for planting.

Will dahlia seeds flower in first year?

The answer is yes, almost all dahlias bloom in the first year. But you must pay attention to whether they are healthy, so no disease or pests at the time of sowing the seeds. Choose fresh seeds, sow them on well-drained soil and give them plenty of sunlight.


Dahlia flower season is mid-summer and thrives in full sun or partial shade. Dahlia flower seeds need to produce a strong root system before they will flower, so it’s important that you give them the right conditions during their first year in your flower bed.

dahlia seedlings

Do dahlias from seed produce tubers?

Dahlias from seed will produce tubers, but it takes time to grow a plant that produces tubers. If you plant the seeds correctly and care for them well, they could turn into beautiful dahlias with plenty of tubers.


Tubers are formed at the bottom of the original plant's roots and should be planted directly into the soil to grow more plants from those tubers. They can also be kept in cold storage until planting time if you want to start using them yourself or give them as gifts.

How to harvest dahlia seeds?

The dahlia seeds that you want to collect from should be at their peak, so start looking for them when they begin to fade and change color. Once the seeds are fully formed and ready, cut them off so that you can prepare them for drying and storing.


You can harvest with scissors or secateurs, depending on how many you have time for and what size heads you have picked. Be sure to collect the entire seed pod within each cut stem so that none are lost, then store them somewhere dry until you're ready to sow them in spring.

How to save dahlia seeds?

Saving dahlia seeds for next year is easy. First, let the flowers dry out on the plant. Once they are completely dry and have dropped from the plant, cut them off at their base and place them into a paper envelope. If you don't have an envelope handy, use some fabric or paper towels in its place.


Keep the seeds out of direct sunlight, but not in darkness - somewhere cool but not freezing cold is ideal. When you're ready to plant next spring, take them out of storage and plant them directly into well-prepared soil as soon as possible.

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