Valley Dahlias

11/09/2026

Various causes of tuber rot -
I had posted this previously but in that post a message got sent to me intstead of sending you to the link. So here you go - link to the article without the 'send message' button :)

Learn why dahlia tubers rot and how to prevent it. Discover expert tips on soil drainage, storage moisture, and easy solutions to save your dahlias.

10/09/2026

What are the chances of getting 2 seedlings that look alike? On the left is a seedling from a Wizard of Oz seed while on the right is a seedling from a Night Butterfly seed. Both from last season... Nature is amazing isn't it 🙂🙂🙂

At the far back of the second pic you will see the first collarette as a blur 🙂

10/09/2026

Seedling flashback - some of my seedlings from the 2024 season & 2025 season. Excited about what beauties will come up this season :)

21/08/2026

So, this teeny tiny fella broke off when I was hosing my clump. Dabbed some rooting hormone, popped him into cutting mix and put a dome on top. Let's see if this little fella turns into a cutting 😊

21/08/2026

Oh shoot... Someone (Rebecca's World) wants to get going early, not something I would expect in Wellington 😊

20/08/2026

Exciting to see that a few dahlia seeds have germinated 😊😊😊 Day 8 and day 6 (left and right trays). I haven't misted the soil after sowing the seeds. The closed lid on top has produced condensation creating a self watering effect. The trays are on a heat mat.

19/08/2026

Update:💙All💙El💙Paso💙tubers💙sold

𝗗𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 - 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟕
I have El Paso available for sale. Message me if you are interested in buying. I also have Elma Elizabeth available (check my sales post 6 for more details)
* Pick up from Waterloo Lower Hutt or Wellington C*D. Can post at buyer's expense.
* Happy to hold the tubers for you if you pay & combine postage if you are interested in buying any more varieties.
* Photos of tubers/clumps added for reference, so you know what you are getting

El Paso is a decorative variety with 10cm blooms on a 100cm tall plant.
1. El Paso tuber (with visible eye): $10 (1 available)
2. El Paso small clump: $12 (1 available)
3. [Both sold pending payment] El Paso medium clump: $15 (2 available)

18/08/2026

Update: RB's Hawaiian Sunset sold.
𝗗𝗮𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝘁𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲 - 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝟲
I have the following varieties available for sale. Message me if you are interested in buying.
* Pick up from Waterloo Lower Hutt or Wellington C*D. Can post at buyer's expense.
* Happy to hold the tubers for you if you pay & combine postage if you are interested in buying any more varieties.
* Photos of tubers/clumps added for reference, so you know what you are getting
1. Elma Elizabeth tuber: $10 each (7 available)
2. Elma Elizabeth clump: $20 each (2 available) pick up preferred. Can possibly be split into 2.
3. SOLD - RB's Hawaiian Sunset clump 1: $18
4. SOLD - RB's Hawaiian Sunset clump 2: $15

RB's Hawaiian Sunset is a 2024 Sebastian seedling grown by me - 115cm tall with 9cm blooms.

Elma Elizabeth is about 100-110cm tall with 16cm blooms

11/08/2026

The first batch of dahlia seeds ready to go on top of a heat mat 😊😊

10/08/2026

It is that time of the season - yes!!! It is time for me to start sowing my dahlia seeds. For those interested, I have put together a how-to from last year. I am based in Wellington where it takes more time to get warmed up after winter. Note that the photos are from last season.
1) Photo 1: Use the mini greenhouse kits from Bunnings for germinating the seeds. Each cell had 2-3 seeds per variety sown in seed raising mix. The greenhouse was misted, the dome put on it & then kept on top of a heatmat for providing warmth to enable germination. People also use the damp paper towel method, but that never worked for me. Also, you have to move the tiny germinated seed into a growing medium from the paper towel.
2) Photo 2: Once germinated & when easier to handle, each tiny germinated seedling was moved into a clear plastic cup. You can see that a big saucer tray holds many such cups & the cups can be bottom watered.
3) Photo 3: Once the seedlings became big for the cup, they were moved into bigger pots or moved into a temporary dahlia bed outside.
4) Photo 4: Just an idea of seed germination time (I love numbers) :)