Bishops Children, Dahlia Seeds

Bishops Children Dahlia Seed

Dark foliage makes every jewel-toned bloom more dramatic
Seed-grown mix includes solids and lively bicolors
Bushy plants reach roughly three feet tall
Excellent for bold beds and informal cutting gardens

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Key Attributes

Botanical Name

Dahlia x hybrida

Days to maturity

90 Days

Sun

Full Sun

Packet

50 Seeds

Zones 8–10 Check your growing zone

About Bishops Children, Dahlia Seed, Dahlia Seed

A beautiful Dahlia variety that is easy to grow from seed. Bishop's Children is a vibrant-toned mix of solid and bicolor blooms in shades of red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple. This bushy Dahlia plant reaches 36" tall and about a foot wide, with leaves so dark they appear black. Dahlia is a great cut-flower or flower border plant.

Growing details

Planting

Sow Depth

1/4"

Days to Germination

7–14 days

Germination Type

A - No Pretreatment

In-row plant spacing

16-24"

Plant profile

Life Cycle

Tender Perennial

Hardiness Zone

Zones 8-10

Plant Height

36 inches

Growth Habits

Clumping, Upright

Seed & variety

Seeds Per Ounce

2,800

Color

Black, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Yellow

Seed Type

Open Pollinated

Before Planting

Prepare a sunny bed with fertile, loose, well-drained soil and good airflow. Mix in finished compost, but avoid fresh manure and excess nitrogen. Tall varieties will benefit from supports placed before roots spread through the bed.

Planting

Start dahlia seed indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost. Sow about 1/4 inch deep in warm seed-starting mix, then move seedlings into strong light as soon as they emerge. Pot up crowded plants, harden them gradually, and transplant after frost danger has passed and the soil has warmed.

Watering

Keep seedlings lightly moist without leaving the mix soggy. Once established outdoors, water deeply when the upper soil begins to dry; container plants and blooming plants may need more frequent irrigation during heat.

Fertilizer

Use a light application of low-nitrogen flower fertilizer after transplanting and again only if growth or flowering slows. Too much nitrogen produces soft leafy growth with fewer blooms.

Harvesting

Cut flowers after they have opened well, since dahlia blooms do not continue opening much after harvest. Use clean shears in the cool morning and place stems in water promptly; regular cutting encourages more buds.

Tips

Seed-grown dahlias vary in color and form and may not resemble the parent. Pinch the growing tip above several leaf pairs for branching, support tall plants early, and deadhead spent blooms. Where winters freeze, tubers that form may be lifted after frost and stored.

Pests & Diseases

Seed-grown dahlias are most vulnerable to damping-off early, then powdery mildew, Botrytis, leaf spots, and virus. Start in clean mix and discard collapsed seedlings. Later, remove plants showing mosaic, rings, or distorted growth; do not save their seed or newly formed tubers for another season.

Watch young plants for slugs, snails, cutworms, aphids, thrips, spider mites, and Japanese beetles. Inspect buds and leaf undersides, handpick larger pests, and avoid broad-spectrum sprays while pollinators are active.