When to Sow Medal Dahlias
Main text introduction: This is an introduction to when to sow medal dahlias, as well as the planting methods and timing of green plants and flowers. It's some very good knowledge and tips, recommended for collection!
Introduction: Chrysanthemums have always been a highly respected flower variety in Chinese traditional culture, especially favored by ancient scholars and literati. In today's circle of flower cultivation, chrysanthemums also occupy a very important position. As one of the most exquisite and beautiful varieties of chrysanthemums, medal dahlias are also favored by many flower enthusiasts. The center of the petals of medal dahlias has a distinct dark flower heart, which contrasts sharply with the petal color, resembling a medal, hence the name. However, in Africa, medal dahlias are also called African sunflowers. The main propagation methods of medal dahlias include sowing, cutting, and dividing, among which sowing is the most suitable for home use.
The sowing process of medal dahlias is relatively simple, and the survival rate is relatively high. Generally, seedlings can emerge within three days, and flowers can start to bloom after three months. Flowers can bloom in the same year they are planted, which is the biggest advantage of sowing medal dahlias. Today, Ayong will tell you about the detailed steps of sowing medal dahlias, focusing on six key points for fast germination and high survival rate.
Sowing Time for Medal Dahlias
Medal dahlias can be sown in spring, summer, and autumn, but to improve the germination rate of the seeds and considering the limitations of home care for medal dahlias, it is usually best to sow when the temperature is around 20 degrees.
If we are using a constant temperature box for planting, then the sowing time can be more flexible. However, if we are sowing medal dahlias in a normal home environment, we should try to choose April in spring or September in autumn, with April being the most recommended by Ayong. Sowing at this time allows the medal dahlias to start flowering around July. If sown in September, flowering will have to wait until the following year. In any case, we should sow medal dahlias when the temperature is stable at around 20 degrees.
Selecting Seeds to Improve Germination Rate
The size of medal dahlia seeds can vary depending on their source. If the seeds are self-harvested, there are about 500 to 600 seeds per gram, which are quite small. If purchased online, the seeds are relatively larger due to an outer coating, but because of this coating, we cannot directly see the seeds, making it impossible to accurately judge the seed quality. Therefore, today's focus will be on the sowing method for self-harvested medal dahlia seeds.
Before sowing, a rough selection of the seeds should be done, choosing those that are plump and removing any dry, damaged, dull, or hollow seeds, especially the hollow ones, as they have lost the embryonic structure necessary for germination, so they should be discarded.
Tip: When selecting medal dahlia seeds, you can gently blow on the seeds. Hollow seeds, being lighter, will be blown away first. However, be careful not to blow too hard at once; increase the force gradually to filter out the hollow seeds.
When to Sow Medal Dahlias
Prepare Well-Drained Acidic Soil and Choose the Right Pot
Soil: The germination process of medal dahlias is relatively fast, so their dependency on soil is not very strong. We just need to provide a bedding environment for them. At this stage, the soil can be mainly particle soil mixed with a small amount of nutrient-rich soil, such as peat soil and coarse river sand in equal proportions. When it's time to repot the medal dahlias, the soil should be reconstituted.
Pot: The root growth of medal dahlias is relatively strong, and their growth rate is relatively fast. Therefore, when sowing medal dahlias, we cannot use pots that are too shallow or too small. However, pots that are too large may lead to waterlogging in the soil. So, we should choose the size of the pot based on the number of seeds we are sowing, maintaining an average growing area of about 5 square centimeters per seedling, with the pot depth between 5 to 10 centimeters. The material of the pot should be water-permeable and breathable, and the bottom should have drainage holes.
Sow in Moist Soil and Lightly Cover with Soil
Medal dahlias germinate quickly, so soil disinfection can be done or not. Of course, if conditions permit, it's best to disinfect the soil roughly to make the root growth environment cleaner and the roots stronger, simplifying later care.
1. Before sowing medal dahlias, wet the soil with a spray bottle. The humidity can be a bit higher, but be sure to maintain uniform soil moisture. You can also water the soil thoroughly and then let it dry for 1 to 2 hours before sowing.
2. When sowing medal dahlias, be careful not to spread the seeds too densely. Each sowing position can have 1 to 2 seeds, with a distance of about 5 centimeters between each position.
3. After sowing, cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil. However, because the seeds of medal dahlias are quite small, if the soil layer is too thick, it will severely hinder seed germination. On the other hand, if there is no soil cover, the seeds can easily dehydrate and dry out, also affecting root efficiency. Therefore, the soil cover should be maintained at about 0.5 to 1 centimeter.