This article is from the 1983 issue of Dahlias of Today that is now out of print, but having asked Puget Sound Dahlia Association, the people who published it back then, and getting there consent I am able to show everyone in the world what these great men decided was all important in producing new dahlias, most breeders would agree things haven't changed much in all those years. Enjoy.

                       A WORLD WIDE COMPARISON   by Harold Miller

Three internationally known seedling growers were asked to respond to a set of questions concerning hybridization and seedling culture. Jack Almand from California; J. Arthur Kieffer from New York; and Dr. K. R. W. Hammett from New Zealand consented to share their experiences and opinions on the topic.

                      HOW DO YOU SELECT A SEED PARENT?

Jack Almand: When I first started to grow seedlings twenty years ago, I really had no idea what was considered a good parent. Now, I think background is very important for any good seed parent. If I am going for a red seedling, the first thing I do is use a parent plant with good, stable colour. For example, the parent of ROILYN is a seedling with a background I have used over the years.

J. Arthur Kieffer: We select what is needed in the dahlia world and try to develop a flower for that need. Sometimes it takes more than one year to produce good new strains.

K. R. W. Hammett: I select a parent for testing initially by analyzing the characters which it possesses. I may be looking for a specific characteristic. Preferably, a potential parent should be observed growing several years before test crosses are made. After hybridization, the progeny is analyzed. There is a difference between the performance of a cultivar as a plant and as a parent.

     DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC VARIETY FROM WHICH YOU TAKE SEED? IF SO, PLEASE NAME IT?

Almand: I take seed from all sizes; however, I do plant more of the larger types. I get mostly larger seedlings, but also get some small ones; I will name a few parent plants: Envy produced Alfred C. and Dr. Les in the same row about 18 inches apart during the same year. Linda Carol produced Clara Almand

Kieffer: We use our own seedlings.

Hammett: By progeny testing, a number of superior parents can be identified and used in subsequent combinations.

                                                                        HOW DO YOU POLLINATE?

Almand: I plant all A-size dahlias together with the same type next to each other and follow this pattern throughout the garden. I have ten hives of bees and just let them do the crossing.


Kieffer: We let the bees do all the pollinating, but we also keep the like sizes, and types planted adjacent to each other.

Hammett: I arrange cross-pollination by planting pairings and combinations of parents in isolation horn of other dahlias. Insects carry out the cross-pollination during the flowering season and, as a result, I obtain a high seed yield. Bumble bees are important dahlia pollinators in New Zealand.

           DO YOU REMOVE THE SEED FROM THE POD BEFORE THE POD IS COMPLETELY DRY?

Almand: Most pods in the field will spoil if you wait for them to dry completely. When the pod starts to turn brown, cut it and put its stem into a water-filled contain. Bring it inside the house for about a week and then hang it upside down to dry.

Kieffer: Yes, because otherwise it will rot.

Hammett: No. I harvest the pods when they change from green to straw-collared, but are not yet dry. I dry them artificially at 110°F. The seed is removed from the pod after drying. If left to dry on the plant, seed is lost by the scattering wind, and by the birds.

                          HOW DO YOU PLANT YOUR SEED

 IN A TRAY, INDIVIDUAL CUPS, DIRECTLY IN THE GARDEN, OR BY USING SOME OTHER METHOD?

Almand: Most of the time, I plant them in a flat about one inch apart.

Kieffer: We plan our seed in trays with heat coils.

Hammett: Seed is sown in a tray and seedlings are picked out individually and placed into seedling pots. From there, they are planted into beds.

                         DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MONTH IN WHICH YOU START YOUR SEED?

Almand: I plant them about February 1 which is the same time I start taking cuttings. You have to wait with planting them outside until the danger of frost has passed.

Kieffer: We normally start our seeds on the first of March.

Hammett: Because I grow about 2,500 seedlings each year, sowing is planned so that I can handle a number of seedlings each week, and thus spread the load. My time is very limited. I sow between August and early November for planting between November and January. (Seasons are reversed in the Southern Hemisphere.)

                                                         HOW SELECTIVE ARE YOU THE FIRST YEAR?

Almand: Over the years, I have realized that I have not been selective enough; therefore I save fewer every year.

Kieffer: We grow 150 seedlings every year and select up to ten.

Hammett: I am very selective. I do not expect to keep more than 3 - 40 from the original 2,500.

         DO YOU BREED FOR A SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE, SUCH AS SMALL DECORATIVE OR GIANTS?

Almand: I plant more A (large) size than any other, but I plant some of all sizes just for the thrill of expecting something new and maybe something we need.

Kieffer: We prefer miniatures.

Hammett: Yes, of course! If you do not have clearly defined objectives, you are not breeding, you are only playing.

                                DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO WOULD-BE SEEDLING GROWERS?

Almand: You will find this the most fulfilling of all your dahlia growing-the excitement of a good bud with a small pin hole, with just a touch of colour, and a good stem. Be prepared for some disappointments along the way, because they are like people, a long way from being perfect. Just remember, you have to rely on someone to pass judgment. Hopefully, this person is honest and well-grounded in the values we look for in a new variety.

Kieffer: The objective of planting seeds is to raise new dahlias. That seed should fulfil its duty and produce seed well.

Hammett: Gain experience as an exhibitor first. Train to become a judge. After this, you will have gained some idea of the basic requirements, and you will have started to learn how to observe the plants you grow. Read some of the basic texts on plant breeding, but do not get too hung up on the academic side. Breeding is at least as much an art or craft as it is a science. Define obtainable goals. Remember, breeders attempt to combine existing characteristics in the most desirable combinations. They are not gods; they do not create new characteristics. You must be able to observe the desirable characteristics in the parents, or at least have some evidence that the parents carry those characteristics. Make sure that your motives are honest. Breed dahlias to create something of beauty-to make a contribution to horticulture. Do not set out to breed just to make a quick buck or to gain a "name." Do not be fooled by awards. Learn to know the true value of what you have achieved. Enjoy breeding for itself not just for the results. The best part of breeding is the anticipation.

 

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