Dahlias

[LinnetLegs]

I am going to grow dahlias from seed - mainly due to the cost of buying the tubers. But I am a complete novice and need to ask a couple of questions:

1. Will they flower in the first season?
2. Will they produce tubers that have to be lifted before the frosts as usual?


Thanks in advance

[Bugloss2009]

yes

yes

dahlias are very easy to grow from seed. Germinate very quickly too

[Squash64]

I sowed some cactus flowered dahlias last Friday and when I checked the propagator this morning they were all up!

Bugloss - do they have to be lifted because they are 'young' or do you lift all your dahlias anyway?  I leave all of mine in the ground.

[Bugloss2009]

I sowed some cactus flowered dahlias last Friday and when I checked the propagator this morning they were all up!

Bugloss - do they have to be lifted because they are 'young' or do you lift all your dahlias anyway?  I leave all of mine in the ground.

sigh, all my dahlia have died - the ones i lifted went mouldy, and the ones i left in pots in the greenhouse I think have all been frozen.

I wonder if it's the big "old" ones you should lift - a great lot of tubers - more to get rotten and spread to the rest. Not much of a flower person these days though

[LinnetLegs]

Thanks for the quick replies