I believe you pass from the acquisition stage when you lose a variety you really liked and decide not to replace it. You now limit yourself to just a few new ones each year and occasionally buy an old timer to see if what you remember was really that good.
Cut flowers sellers seem to be on quest every year to find some new ones that they just know would be very popular. Most of the new ones do not work out.
blown_dry Oct 17, 2018 2:39 PM PDT
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
I am probably getting to some sort of plateau on the acquisition stage. I am able to let things go, but look forward to the 'just a few new ones each year' stage. Each year I tell myself will be the year of wisdom and economy...
honnat Oct 17, 2018 3:11 PM PDT
St. Paul, MN
I'm probably between 3-4. There are some real advantages of growing fewer varieties and lots of each one. I would consider getting down to 30-40 varieties. I had 150 last year, around 100 this year..we'll see.
DillyDahlia Oct 17, 2018 6:57 PM PDT
Name: Tina NY Zone 5b/6a Flower Power!
I'm also at the 3-4 stage. I'm developing a more mellow approach.
teddahlia Oct 17, 2018 7:09 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Re-visiting old varieties:
R. Kris B ID W was one of our favorites 10 years ago. It grew 5 feet tall and had nice flowers that looked a lot like Edna C. and it was said to be related to Edna C. It made some seeds and one of the best seedlings we ever lost was it's seedling. I got good stock from a top show grower a couple of years ago and although it looks healthy, it just is not as vigorous as the old stock and much worse it makes no seeds. I am keeping some tubers from only the best plant and will give it one more shot.
Show N Tell is as good or better than ever and probably because the new stock is so good.
Show N Tell, now there is one I have loved and lost. It sold so well at market a few years ago! Is it one that doesn't make good tubers?
teddahlia Oct 17, 2018 7:21 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Except the fact that you need healthy stock, Show N Tell has no downside. It blooms reasonably early for very large dahlia and is an incredibly good looking bloom and makes plenty of easy keeping tubers. Oops, I have not gotten any seeds from it so it is not perfect.
So true, Ted..end of the line I guess... Mine were late blooming last year but came on just as the market desires chnged to reds and golds so they sold almost as fast as I put them out. I wonder who has good healthy stock that I could get...?I don't remember where I got the last ones..it might have been Les Connell...
CCvacation Oct 19, 2018 9:28 PM PDT
Name: CC PA
Does anyone have an image of Liza? It bloomed late, with ugly flowers, and I'm trying to decide if its worth growing again. Can't find anything online.
addicted Oct 20, 2018 5:11 AM PDT
Name: Em NY
Definitely stages 3-4 here. I am always tempted by the new ones but more realistic about what I can actually DO. I find myself still buying giants, which are a challenge for me to grow well, and don't fit in any of the bouquets I like to give away, but I love the WOW factor and the occasional wins. Show n Tell did well for me this year, and I will grow more of it next. AC Sadie was a bloom machine. Just 2 plants gave me enough to enter a basket in almost every show this season. They were so tall I couldn't see the the condition of the flowers on some until they were cut.
teddahlia Oct 20, 2018 7:44 AM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Is AC Sadie better than than AC Abby? Our Abby always got virus. Sadie looks good in a picture. The best new dahlia in our garden this year(other than our seedlings and we may be a bit biased about that) was AC MP. I will post pictures later in the depths of winter when they are more appreciated. Margaret wants more Show N Tell next year and maybe as many as 10 plants. She uses it in her show designs.
teddahlia Oct 20, 2018 2:29 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Took a bunch of pictures today as we are digging them up and they will be gone soon.
I like the yellow semi cactus seedling and it is with Sheval Megan.
blown_dry Oct 20, 2018 2:36 PM PDT
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
I looked up AC Sadie at Accent. The description says B size, but the code says BB. I emailed about it and Ken confirmed it is a BB size. Hope I have not emailed him about this already, and that I don't forget and ask next season, too.
This lovely flower bloomed at an end of a row where I don't think It got dug last year. It is most likely a B size, maybe even an A with more care and feeding. It came into first good bloom about 3 weeks ago. Anyone want to guess who it is? I am thinking it could be a Wyn's variety but it doesn't look like my 2 marked Wyn's Aspen Glows.Color could be much deeper earlier in the summer... I don't think it is Blown Dry either which is the other big golden one I am growing right now..
Ooops! This is growing in an area that doesn't get as much sun as it probably wanted...so color of variety may be much brighter then shown..
CCvacation Oct 21, 2018 9:46 PM PDT
Name: CC PA
Doesn't look familiar to me... sorry.
I found a pict of Liza, BTW. I'll be growing it again next year, if it keeps over.
addicted Oct 22, 2018 7:14 PM PDT
Name: Em NY
Wish I could get good stock of AC MP. Both last year and this year the stock I purchased was open-centered.
teddahlia Oct 22, 2018 7:28 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
For those who save seeds, AC MP made lots of seeds. Making seeds means that it has a rather large pollen center. That is OK if it stays closed most of the time and my two plants were just fine.
AC MP pictured on October 20th when it had lost some of it's purple color.
DahliaGardener Oct 23, 2018 3:15 PM PDT
Name: Cynthia BG, KY USDA Zone 6b Sanity = Dirt under your nails...
..............Windhaven Blush..........................................Hollyhill 6-in-1.............................Camano Sitka's fall oddness............
............Dragonberry...................
We didn't have a very long bloom season this year. Too hot too soon after planting out. However, we did have some nice blooms for all that!
This is growing in an area that doesn't get as much sun as it probably wanted...so color of variety may be much brighter then shown..
