New Prize winning Dahlias for 2011

Each year dahlia originators send their prize seedlings to American Dahlia Society Trial Gardens. These gardens are located in all parts of the country. These seedlings must be at least 4 years old to be sure they are "set". Once planted and grown carefully they are score by ADS Senior Judges. The score card is use to point score desirable attributes such as form, color, stem, foliage and other. As a ADS senior judge I always enjoy judging these new beauties. The highest avarage scoring dahlia in each size and form is awarded a D.Hart medal. Over the next few weeks I will post pictures of these winners from this year and past years. I suggest you visit the American Dahlia Society web site for further info www.dahlia.org.

Stay warm Spring will Come
Steve

Here is a picture of this years ADS Border/Container dahlia of the year HEATWAVE. Grows about 28" does not require a stake. Loads of bright red 4.5" blooms all season long. Can be used in a border or as focus plant in a container. A heavy bloomer in all parts of the country.
Steve

Great. Am looking forward to future posts. I grow and have dabbled in propagating dahlias. Will take a look at the url you posted. Thanks.
Mary

Beautiful, Steve.

Mary - how exciting to try with hybridizing them. Please post some photos as they bloom.

I just went to the dahlia url and found tons of great information. A lot I already knew, but there was a lot I didn't know or was not clear on. thanks so much.

A few pictures to show dahlias growing in March and ready to bloom in 2 weeks! These both were selected as American Dahlia Society Border/Container dahlias of the year in 2006. Both were grown from plug cuttings in 6" pots in the greenhouse they were planted Feb 8 set to bloom in 9 weeks. Both will be 24-28" and will not require support.
Will send pictures in bloom last year in next message. Contact me for further info at SNdahlia@cs.com
Steve

Very nice Steve!

I love the dark foliage. I had Bishop of Aukland last summer. I only started rooting cuttings March 5 so no where near getting roots yet to move to a bigger pot. But I have five cuttings from one tuber and two more nice growths to snip. I propagated the mother plant last summer, so this is really great. The other tubers I have set in about 3" of dirt and they are sprouting. Will propagate from cuttings on them also. It is amazing that you can go from cuttings to flowers in, what? 2 months?

Not to worry these cuttings were already rooted. Here is a picture of Melody Harmony from last year. Note the dark foliage--plant is 24" with a 5" bloom.
Steve_D

Really nice. I have some more dark foliage dahlias coming also.