Harvesting Dahila Seeds

 This is my second year growing Dahlias and I have learned so much, especially this year. After purchasing my first Dahlia tubers in spring of 2023, I knew very little about this flower. This is now my second season growing them so after learning so much about them I decided that I would try harvesting my own seeds from the Dahlias seed pods that I collected this current season 2024. 

Over this two year period I have read so many of other people’s experiences and watched so many “how to’s” that I finally am feeling like I’m getting it, and also getting hooked too. 

When I first started growing these flowers it seemed very complicated but in just one year I feel like the knowledge I have now has made me feel so much more confident as a grower. 

I am most excited to try growing some new varieties and hopefully develop some really beautiful new flowers of my own. This summer I was really surprised by the dahlias that I grew from seed last year 2023. When I saw how beautiful they were, I suddenly had a new respect and love for this flower because of the unique opportunity to produce something new and one of a kind.

Here you can see that I have harvested some bundles of seed pods but since I am so new to this process I wasn’t sure if these were ripe or not. I did put them into a vase with water as I read that is what I should do when they are still green. 

I saw others that had harvested green pods too and the process from here was to wait and allow them to dry and then separate the seeds. It took several days of allowing the seed heads to dry before I began breaking them open to allow to air dry with fans. 

While harvesting the pods I was also picking the last of the flowers to enjoy since the days were getting shorter and the weather had begun to change making its way for winter and the first frost.

 

Because I am working really fast while it’s still light out, here I have placed some of the pods on paper plates and with a marker labeled them with the flower variety so that later I can stay more organized as they dry out. I feel like this whole process is a blur and things happen so quickly that it’s easy to lose track of what flowers the pods are collected from. 

In the years past it probably wouldn't have mattered as much to me but since I am discovering more about this flower and becoming more involved I want to make sure and keep track of the pollen parent.

After drying out the seeds I spent several days separating the seeds in the evenings after work and allowing them to dry out even more. From here I put them into their own individual bags and labeled them with the date of collection and the pollen parent. The real fun will start in the spring, when I see just how many of these will germinate. The big question that I am asking myself is where do I plan on growing all of these? And I am avoiding the answer and just going to do it and worry about that when the time comes :)

I have found that when it comes to new flowers, I will figure out a way to get them into the garden! 

Just like Luna is changing my life for the better, this garden that I’ve created is also changing my life in a way I never imagined  💕❤️🌸

It’s been a beautiful journey of discovery and learning about myself and what I am capable of creating. In the beginning I set out to make this property a brighter and more livable place for my friend and it’s now a major part of my everyday life. There is no other place that I’d rather be than in the garden among the flowers! And of course hiking and exploring with Luna. I would not have to any other way.