Hi I'm new to the forum and to growing Dahlias. I want to try to create a new hybrid - does anyone have any suggestions on how to do this? Thanks in advance...
hiya, peterwaters, welcome to the site..I'm growing dahlias from tubers first time this year , an expert will be along soon ;D
thanks - lots of interesting posts on this forum, which I'm just reading through now! Hope the question is not to technical, it's just something I've always wanted to do. But I can't find how to do it anywhere. ::)
Oh dear...I try to do this short way...
First you have to decide what you want to cross with what. Then you need to wait untill flowering start and you have to find suitable flower that is just about to open it's petals but not showing it's middle bits yet (opening next day perhaps) and cover it with small paper bag. Next day when it is open, take the bag off, get the pollinator flower and tranfer the pollen to the "virgin" flower, cover it back up with paper bag, label with both parents names on and wait the seed pod to develop. As soon as the the petals have dropped and the seed pod has developed take the bag off and let the plant to develop seeds. At this stage do not let many seedheads to develop...few per plant , so all energy goes to developing good seeds. Next spring sow them and hey ho..have fun..you have to grow hundreds of plants to find only few desent new cultivars...
But if that is what you fancy doing...atleast you have picked something easier to have a practice.
If either of the parent plants is double you have to pick the petals off to expose the centres to get the pollen transfered.. ;)
Thanks very much ! Thats is really helpful. Could you explain exactly how to transfer the pollen? Is it as simple as rubbing flower head against the other, or do you use a brush and do you have to remove any stamens or anything?
Lastly why is it so hard to produce a new cultivar?
I find it really exciting that maybe you can produce a new dahlia - I should have fun trying.
Thanks for your help ... Peter
The transfer of pollen could be as simple as you quote, or even transferring the pollen with a small (artists) paintbrush.
"Why is it so hard to produce a new cultivar?"
Because, when you have saved your seed from the plants you have cross pollenated, you have to grow all the seeds to flowering stage. When they flower you will need to select which flowers you like, and would like to increase stocks, and which are rubbish.
The best way to increase stocks of the flowers you like is vegitatively (ie cuttings). I am assuming you will not have the facilities to micropropogate, so it will be a long slow process.
peterwaters, believe me when I say I do not mean to put you off trying to create new cultivars. It takes patience (ie Gregor Mendel and his peas). It was one of my grandad's hobbies, and I even insisted that one of his 'hybrid' dahlias was named after me (sadly, I am now extinct).
I wish you all the best. It is a fascinating hobby.
valmarg
Thanks, that has answered all my questions. Looks like I've got a challenge ahead of me, but I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks for your help,
Peter ;)