I'VE BEEN ASKED ABOUT MY SEEDLING PROGRAM How do you collect and save dahlia seed? Do you do any hand pollinizing? In the month of September some of the blooms are allowed to mature so that I can collect seeds. The larger dahlias will often need a bit of help forming seed pods because they are so dense, they are apt to rot. When these large blooms open their centers I begin to pull off some of the back petals. This loosens the flower head and allows air to circulate. I let the bees do the pollinizing; therefore I know only one of the seed parents. Our garden is laid out with various sizes and types planted in blocks. The waterlilies are in a block, the ball types in a block, the miniatures in a block, the poms in a block, etc. Since bees work methodically from bloom to bloom, the miniatures, for instance, will likely be pollinated by other miniatures. When the seed pods have closed, I start collecting seed. I collect pods by cutting from a variety like Joe K for instance, leaving the stem attached. I tie these in a bundle and mark with the variety name. Our greenhouses are empty at this time of year, so I put the bundles on the benches to dry. I continue collecting until the plants are cut prior to digging. By December most of the pods will be dry, and I move them in flats to the basement of the house to finish drying. How and when do you separate the seeds from the pods and clean them? Usually in February I shuck the seeds. I pick a day when it is not raining and set an electric fan outside. The dry pods are crushed lightly, and the stem and base of the bloom are discarded. Then the seeds with their surrounding bracts are placed in a shallow cardboard carton, a large handful at a time, and are shaken in the air stream from the fan. The bracts, being lighter than the seeds, are blown away. With a bit of experimental shaking of the carton most of the debris will be blown away, leaving the partially cleaned seeds which are then placed into a bag and marked with the variety name to await further hand cleaning and sorting. The viable seeds will be stiff and have a bit of substance. These are collected and stored in plastic bags or bottles. What do you consider when selecting varieties to plant? How and when do you start your seedlings? By using ADS classification book classes that are in short supply can be discovered. Also by judging in shows, trends in exhibiters interests can be derived, such as the renewed interest in waterlily and other types here in the Northwest in recent years. Keeping this information in mind, I select varieties from the avail- able seeds which are more likely to produce the desired types. Toward the end of March is a good time to start some seedlings. I use a couple of different methods, one conventional, the other innovative. The conventional method is to simply sow the seed in a flat full of seeding mix, cover with about a quarter of an inch of more mix and press down. Keep the mix damp and in a warm place with plenty of light. Some of the seeds will be germinating in about 4 days. The unconventional method is a variation of starting seeds on propagation paper. The problem with paper is that the roots of the sprouts stick to it, making them difficult to transfer into their growing containers without damaging them. So I invented what I call seed roll-ups. I take a piece of plastic (open up a plastic shopping bag) about 18 by 24 inches, crease it to mark the center, and spread a handful of vermiculite along the crease. The seeds are then spread along the edge of the vermiculite, and the plastic folded to the other edge. The plastic is then rolled like a jelly roll, stood on the folded end and then watered. After setting in a warm place (I place them on my propagating bench which is heated by cable) for about three days the seeds will begin to sprout. I unroll the plastic and pick out the germinated seeds and transfer them to small containers to produce "plugs". These plug flats have cavities which are about an inch and a half diameter and three inches deep. What is the advantage of producing plugs? Do you ever transplant directly from a tray of seedlings without first producing plugs? How do you prevent "leggy" seedlings? How can you use the seedlings if they do become "leggy". There are several benefits to plugs. Probably the most important is that the seedling will develop a good root system which will not be harmed in the transplanting. While the plugs are growing, one has an opportunity to observe the seedlings and eliminate any that appear weak or unhealthy. Another benefit is that the final preparation of the seed bed can take place at the last possible time, thereby providing a head start on the weeds. At the same time seedlings are being started there are lots of other essential activities in the garden, and finding time for all of them is difficult. Yes, sometimes I don't find time to produce all of the plugs I need and transplant directly from a flat of seedlings. There is more damage to the hair roots in this method, so care more care must be taken when transplanting by picking a rainy or overcast day and giving the baby plants a little boost of liquid fertilizer. Leggy seedlings are usually the result of rapid growth under low light conditions. The sturdiest seedlings are produced by simulat- ing natural conditions, cool night temperatures and good light during the day. I have experimented by starting a flat of seedlings on the warm benches, then moving them outside after they had sprouted. This produced sturdy, compact plants about 5" tall in about 6 weeks. Of course I had to be on guard for frost, but the reward was superior plants. Dahlia seedlings are like tomato plants, both will tolerate having their stems buried. So if your seedlings are too "leggy" simply pull off the lower leaves and plant them with just the top leaves out of the soil. A side benefit to this ploy is that the plant will often form tubers at the buried leaf nodes. How much space do you allow each seedling? When do you transplant the seedlings? I set out seedlings around June 1. My rows are about 40 feet long and I plant 4 rows, 6 inches apart. I allow about 4 feet between these quadruple rows. When do you expect the first blooms? When do you start roguing out the inferior blooms? What do you look for when selecting seedlings to keep? By mid August there will be many of the new seedlings in bloom. I look over the seedlings every day, carrying a spading fork. The first criteria is a fully double bloom. Although dahlias have been hybridized for 200 years, many of the seedlings seem to try to return to something resembling the species from which they came--all single or semi-double. So unless I recognize potential for some open centered "other types" such as peony, orchid flowering or collarette, those with open centers are discarded immediately. Next I look at the stem and bloom position and discard those with weak stems, and the front or side facing. The next characteristics I look for are color and form, using the regu- lar judging criteria. Out of a thousand seedlings, how many do you keep? When do you dig them for storage? Do you separate them? Around mid October in the Puget Sound area, we can expect frost, so I try to have all keepers identified or out of the ground by then. I keep about 50 out of the 1000 for a second look the next year. Since we are busy harvesting the regular crop of named varieties at that time also, I generally just dig the seedling clumps and store them in large garbage bags without washing. Of course the clumps will be identified in order that interesting ones may be propagated from cuttings. These seedling clumps are not divided until just before they are replanted the next Spring. When these seedlings bloom the second year, they are scrutinized more care- fully, and I eventually end up with about 3 that I feel are worth retaining. If only three in a thousand pass muster, why do you do it? Good question! I guess I'm like the old prospector heading for the hills, always hoping for a big strike. Maybe another Zorro, Inland Dynasty, Magic Moment or Mary Jo will turn up--You'll never know unless you try. Lou Eckhoff Sea-Tac Gardens This article appeared in "DAHLIAS OF TODAY" 1995 edition, published by the Puget Sound Dahlia Association, Seattle, WA.