That’s a great comparison Janell - thanks! What a lovely flower too!
SteveM Sep 1, 2022 12:44 PM PDT
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
My HH Donnatella have decided to take a path less wandered.
blown_dry Sep 1, 2022 12:51 PM PDT
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
oooh!
Juliarugula Sep 1, 2022 2:20 PM PDT
Name: Julia NW Indiana
That is awesome Steve! Are all the flowers like that or just one stem?
edewitt Sep 1, 2022 3:00 PM PDT
Name: Eric DeWitt Mountainair, NM
Now if you were going to try to root that sport would you cut it at the node and apply a bit of rooting hormone?
SteveM Sep 1, 2022 4:11 PM PDT
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
Juliarugula wrote:That is awesome Steve! Are all the flowers like that or just one stem?
The first three cuttings (taken from the same HH Donnatella tuber) were planted in the field. So far, two of these plants have produced only variegated blooms with the exception of one bloom that was half variegated and half non-variegated. The third plant has produced mostly solid red blooms, with a few blooms 1/2 red and 1/2 variegated.
teddahlia Sep 1, 2022 4:19 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Anthocyanin pigment(there are several versions with different traits) is not all that stable can fade away .
Variegated Donnatella looks really good.
SteveM Sep 1, 2022 4:25 PM PDT
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
edewitt wrote:Now if you were going to try to root that sport would you cut it at the node and apply a bit of rooting hormone?
Eric, I would first try to determine where the mutation occurred by letting the top most laterals (closest to the sport) grow out and bloom. If these laterals were also sports I would know the mutation occurred below that point so I would let the laterals that are growing below the sported lateral grow out to cutting size and take cuttings from these laterals. (clear as mud?)
In this case the mutation seems to have occurred at the cutting level so the tubers should produce variegated progeny. But you never can be sure with sports... I have spent a lot of time chasing variegations and bi-colors in the past. Kind of like my Kat chasing her tail.
AndreaB Sep 1, 2022 4:40 PM PDT
Name: Andrea SE Michigan
Your variegated Donnatella looks just like HH Dragonfire.
teddahlia Sep 1, 2022 4:41 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Steve Meggos and I have observed that preserving bi color sports is impossible. They revert the next year or if you are lucky, the second year. His bicolor Spartacus was really nice in the picture but it went away. . He also had bicolor HH Big Pink that lasted just the one year.
SteveM Sep 1, 2022 5:12 PM PDT
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
AndreaB wrote:Your variegated Donnatella looks just like HH Dragonfire.
Good eye! It is very similar and I wouldn't completely rule out it being HH Dragonfire. It appears to have form closer to HH Donnatella (more incurved and not a straight cactus) but the color matches HH Dragonfire. I have never grown HH Dragonfire but might have to now.
AndreaB Sep 1, 2022 5:24 PM PDT
Name: Andrea SE Michigan
HH Dragonfire was a workhorse last year. Still waiting for blooms, but hoping they’re abundant once they get going.
KitCMC Sep 1, 2022 7:49 PM PDT
Name: Cate Wisconsin
Ivanetti
Amanda & Janell, those are gorgeous! Can’t get Hollyhill Serenity or Jupiter out of my mind
edewitt Sep 2, 2022 11:41 AM PDT
Name: Eric DeWitt Mountainair, NM
SteveM wrote:
Eric, I would first try to determine where the mutation occurred by letting the top most laterals (closest to the sport) grow out and bloom. If these laterals were also sports I would know the mutation occurred below that point so I would let the laterals that are growing below the sported lateral grow out to cutting size and take cuttings from these laterals. (clear as mud?)
In this case the mutation seems to have occurred at the cutting level so the tubers should produce variegated progeny. But you never can be sure with sports... I have spent a lot of time chasing variegations and bi-colors in the past. Kind of like my Kat chasing her tail.
Well I might not be able to soak all that in but it makes it a bit clearer. Thank you!
Coincidentally Ted spoke of Steve Meggos and here's my first bloom from the plant of the same name last night at sunset.
teddahlia Sep 2, 2022 12:38 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
Steve Meggos named one of the Spartacus sports from his garden after himself. Does that imply that the both of them are genetic mutations?
Steve is known for using artificial means to encourage sports in dahlias. His exact methods are secret.
JS Jenny looks just like Steve Meggos and I grow it with some success. It is a sport captured by Jerry Schoenhauer and I believe it came from Harvey Koop.
edewitt Sep 2, 2022 2:59 PM PDT
Name: Eric DeWitt Mountainair, NM
I do enjoy the lore of Steve Meggos "irradiating" a tuber to get a different color. I wish he'd let us in on his secret.
I made one little section in the garden just plants with the Spartacus form as my girlfriend is a fan of JS Butterscotch. Unfortunately that tuber died in the "deep freeze" when my girlfriend left out workshop doors open when it was 17 degrees back in March. I did plant Vassio Meggos, AC Casper (Louis Meggos substitute), Edna C, Steve Meggos and Spartacus all in the same spot. Hopefully I can get a nice shot once they all have blooms.
teddahlia Sep 3, 2022 12:58 PM PDT
Name: Ted Oregon We enjoy breeding new dahlias!
This hand crossed seedling of Pam Howden is still one of Margaret's favorites. She especially like to use it in her water arrangements.
Picture taken a few days go and is the first bloom on the plant.
SteveM Sep 3, 2022 2:46 PM PDT
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
HH Leda is one I'm anxious to try. I missed out last year. Maybe I should write down my "must haves" instead of just committing them to memory.
