Kitchen Garden Forum

I bought some seeds of these on offer; 300 seeds for a silly price, but good until 2025 from Premier Direct. My thinking was I do like Dahlia's as they are so pretty & cheerful & these could fill the gaps around the plot & at home as I lost quite a few this year & actually wasn't aware there were dwarf varieties. I received them but no growing instructions on the packet!

I know the big ones take a couple of years from seeds, but will these being dwarf? When do you sow them & how do you keep them? Do you plant them outside where they will live or leave in pots? I have only ever grown them from tubers, so any advice welcomed.

Cheers

Evening Westi, they really need sowing early Spring, this then gives them time to get flowering by late July, early August.
Some of the very dwarf ones make very little tuber, and are best treated as half hardy annuals.
The seeds of larger varities should flower the first year and will make a small tuber that can be kept for the next year.

Just a couple of my giant dahlias, Westi…

Blimey they are well huge OH, I now think I have Dahlia envy! Were these from seed or tubers?

These were from some new tubers, this year, Westi.

Dear Westi, my dad grows giant dahlias. They usually flower from tiny tubers the first year. My mum sows the dwarf variety seeds, and these also flower the first year and she will keep the tubers along with the giant ones and they have 2 chances!