TOW Dahlia species

320083817243-0001@t-online.de 320083817243-0001@t-online.de
Tue, 15 Jul 2003 15:20:19 PDT
Dear All,

Thank you for all these interesting responses to my introduction! It is very 
interesting to read the very different experience on flowering time and size of 
Dahlia imperialis. Are there perhaps shorter and taller forms? The difference 
in size seems to be considerable! Are the shorter forms themselves perhaps 
hybrids?

If Dahlia imperialis flowers in summer in Argentina, is it perhaps just the 
fact that the plant needs a certain minimum size to flower at all and only 
being able to reach this in mild  winter climate that does not kill the current 
year's growth. (or greenhouse coultivation?) For how long does one shoot last? 
More than one year?

Very interesting also the news about propagating tree Dahlias from stem 
cuttings: does this mean just pieces (sections) of stem without leaves? Or tip 
cuttings of the growth tips?
None of you have mentioned the point whether these Dahlias set seed. Does 
Dahlia excelsa set seed at all? The semi-double white one?
I agree with the hybridisation problem. So far my Dahlia coccinea var palmeri 
always is the first Dahlia to flower and the flowers are hand pollinated in 
between three different clones which I maintain by root division. As I collect 
a lot of seed also from later flowers that have flowerd simultaneously with 
other Dahlias, there may be a certain mix of hybrids in it but I think the 
majority of seed should be pure. If there is a request for guaranteed pure seed 
I can select this but then only in small amounts, please do not hesitate 
to contact me privately in that case.

Does anybody grow Cosmos seemannii?

good bye for now, Uli


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