GROWING DAHLIAS FROM SEED

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIII, Issue 12, 22 September 1909, Page 39

GROWING DAHLIAS FROM SEED

Growing dahlias from seed is a most fascinating work, as tire results cannot be foretold. Start the seeds during September in shallow boxes. Plants may be thinned out, or transplanted, into another box when large enough to stand four inches apart. Plants from seeds should not be set outdoors until the end of October, or early in Novem her, and the further culture is the same as for tuber*. (an von for oik* moment Jmagin • vour anxiety to see the first flowers of each plant develop- to sec what I lie re suit is? One thing is essential, and that is not to buy cheap dahlia seeds; for nothing is more disappointing than to raise a seed, watch it. care for it, develop it, and then get miserable re suits. The very highest-priced seeds and the most carefully selected seeds are not always quite satisfactory, but you may at least expect a small per ■ventage of pleasant surprises. The bees work incessantly on the dahlia flowers, and, therefore, it is impossible to gather seeds from a certain type and ex|K‘et a fair reproduction of it. This refers more especially- to Cactus varieties; single rinds and the Paeony flowered come true from seed.