Did you know you can grow dahlias from seed? It’s not the same as growing a dahlia from a tuber because each dahlia seed makes a unique dahlia. Dahlias have 8 sets of chromosomes, which means they have some marvelous genetic diversity. The seeds from one “mother” seed pod might make flowers which all look dramatically different from each other depending on their pollen “fathers.” That means it’s always an adventure to grow dahlias from seeds because you never know what you’ll end up with.

We save our own dahlia seeds each year, then plant them the next season to develop new dahlias.

We start our seeds in late winter in the greenhouse, 1 seed per 4” pot. We only plant 1 seed per pot because we want to keep each new hybrid’s tubers separated from others at harvest time. After about 30 days of growth, we have beautiful seedlings with nice feeder roots. And after 65-70 days of growth, the seedlings begin to produce baby tubers. It’s the most magical thing!!! Each seed is a unique hybrid, different than any other dahlia in the world. ????

We plant in the field after frosty nights are done for the summer, then enjoy a bounty of new, unique blooms all summer!

If we want to save a first-year seedling to grow again next season, we dig and store the tuber clumps that form. It’s such a wonderful adventure, year after year. ✨