A Detailed Guide to Buying Dahlia Seeds and Growing Seedlings

The dahlia can be said to be the sister of the garden dahlia; its plant form is short and small, its blooms are large, its flower colors are diverse, and its ornamental value is extremely high. When sown in early autumn, the dahlia blooms around New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, very festive and eye-catching. So if you want to grow dahlias, where are seeds sold? What seedling methods are there? Let's learn about them below.

Where are dahlia seeds sold?

There are many channels for buying dahlia seeds. Generally, they can be bought at flower markets, from seed sellers and online, but if you want the seed quality to be more guaranteed, then you should choose regular and reliable merchants, and it is best to buy from local regular manufacturers, where you can see the actual product, ensure seed quality, and if there are problems you can also ask the merchant to solve them. Although online shopping is convenient, you cannot know the true quality of the seeds in advance, so the risk is greater; of course, flagship stores and the official websites of seed companies are still trustworthy. The price of dahlia seeds is about 170 to 190 yuan per jin; the price is relatively stable, but it is also affected by some factors and will fluctuate, for example, seed quality, purchase quantity and market conditions will all cause price changes. When buying, it is best to shop around, for more reliability and better quality.

What seedling methods are there for dahlias?

1. Pot cultivation

The potting soil for dahlias is prepared with 5 parts garden soil, 3 parts fine sand or cinder, and 2 parts composted manure, and broken tiles should be added to the bottom of the pot as a drainage layer. Use a 10 cm pot for young seedlings; after the seedlings have recovered, water once with dilute cake fertilizer water, and before the seedlings reach 20 cm in height and before flower buds appear, repot 2 times, each time adding new leaf mold to fill the edges of the pot.

2. Light

Dahlias like sunlight; sufficient light is beneficial to the growth of dahlias. Ensure 6 to 10 hours of light every day. If shaded for a long time and with insufficient light, growth will be poor, with few flowers and susceptibility to disease.

3. Temperature

Dahlias like cold and fear heat. In the northern regions of China, the temperature is more suitable, and they will bloom from summer to autumn, while in the Yangtze River basin, with high summer temperatures, they are in a semi-dormant state, so leaf shading must be carried out and water sprayed to lower the temperature.

4. Watering

Dahlias have luxuriant branches and leaves and consume a lot of water. If there is a lack of water combined with strong light, at best the leaf edges will scorch and wither, and at worst the leaves will drop. If there is too much water, the tuberous roots rot easily, so the potting soil should be neither dry nor wet. During the flowering period, watering should be more in summer and less in spring and autumn. On cloudy and rainy days, prevent water accumulation by raising the flowerpot. Before harvesting the tubers in early autumn, water less or not at all.

5. Fertilizing

Dahlias like fertilizer. In addition to applying enough base fertilizer, during the growing period, except in midsummer, apply 10% cake fertilizer water every 10 to 15 days, and after flower buds appear apply 1% to 3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate to promote bright flower colors.

6. Pruning and training

When cultivating a single-stem dahlia, remove the side buds and keep the main branch. For pot cultivation, control the height, remove all axillary buds starting from the base, picking them off as they grow, leaving only one flower on the terminal bud. When cultivating a four-branch dahlia, when the seedlings are 10 to 15 cm tall, pinch off the growing tip leaving 2 nodes at the base so that 4 side branches form; each side branch keeps only one terminal bud, and 4 flowers can bloom.

7. Pruning

If you want dahlias to bloom at National Day, you can carry out renewal pruning after flowering in early July. First twist and break the branches you want to cut, leaving a height of about 20 cm, and cut after they have wilted. After cutting, control water appropriately and pinch off growing tips according to the cultivation requirements. Generally, with careful cultivation for 2 months, they can bloom at National Day.

Dahlia plants are low and short, with colorful flowers and a long flowering period. The flowers can remain open for 4 to 5 months, and under suitable temperatures they can bloom all year round. Because the flowers are brightly colored during the full bloom period, the flower shapes vary greatly, and several flowers can open at the same time, they are deeply welcomed by flower lovers.

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