Join me in person for an enriching experience and dig deeper into dahlia growing this Spring.
You’ll be empowered with knowledge to set yourself up for a successful season, and given tools to strategise against whatever challenges arise. Our focus will be on finding what works for your specific growing situation, and aligning with your personal goals.
We’ll discuss optimal growing conditions and and techniques and the common pests & diseases, propagation and hybridisation. I’ll also guide you through detailed reflection on where dahlias fit into your life – whether that be personal self care, a creative outlet, or for those interested an income producing “hustle with heart”.
Held in a beautiful venue on Tamborine Mountain, we’ll share a light lunch together and have the opportunity to connect with other like minded growers. You will also have exclusive access to a Serenade “pop-up shop” with Serenade tubers, books & seeds available for purchase.
On top of all this learning, you’ll leave with tools to continue the journey, including a beautiful full-colour resource workbook, and a new-release Serenade dahlia tuber to bloom into your new season.
Your Spring Retreat booking includes:
*Retreat attendance 10am-3pm
*Light Lunch and tea&coffee
*Full colour dahlia workbook
*New release Serenade tuber to take home
*Chance to win other exclusive Serenade prizes through the day.
EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Saturday 31st October
Time: 9:30am registration for 10am-3pm
Venue: “The Glasshouse” at Hampton Estate – 52 Bartle Rd, Tamborine Mountain
Nurture your curiosity. Cultivate your craft. Bloom with joy this season.
Learn how to germinate dahlia seeds with this easy guide:
Temperature
Ideal range 18-22°C (65-72°F)
Light & Dark
Light not needed to germinate, but strong light once sprouted, full sun fine. Plant 5-10mm deep if direct sowing
Moisture & Air
Consistently damp NOT soggy medium. Seeds need oxygen to avoid rot & damping off
Day Length
12hr+ days encourage feeder root growth
Supplement lighting if germinating before Spring Equinox
No nutrition needed until true leaves emerge. If starting in sterile mix, weak foliar feed each week until transplanted
Choose the best seed germination method for your conditions:
DIRECT SOW
- Prepare loose, weed-free soil
- Sow 5–10mm deep
- Keep evenly moist until emergence
INDIVIDUAL CELLS OR POTS
- Sow 1 seed per cell of moist mix
- Cover with mix or vermiculite
SCATTER INTO FLATS
- Scatter seed across moist seed mix
- Cover with mix or vermiculite
- Prick out after first true leaves appear
PAPER TOWEL PRE-SPROUTING
- Place seeds in moist paper towel 18-22℃
- Check daily for sprouting
- Transfer to cells when roots emerge
| Method | Best For | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct sow in garden beds | Own seed and optimal climates | Fast and easy | Slugs, heavy rain, uneven germination |
| Scatter sow in trays/flats | Growing many seedlings | Efficient use of space | Requires pricking out |
| Individual cells/pots | Beginners wanting simplicity | Minimal root disturbance | Uses more space |
| Paper towel pre-sprouting | Valuable seed & controlling timing | Lets you monitor viability | Delicate handling required |
Germinating seeds at Serenade Farm
Because dahlias are day-length sensitive (known as photoperiodism), the optimal conditions for feeder root development are 12hours or more a day, which happens as we reach the Spring Equinox. There is nothing magical about this date, and it doesn’t have to be exact, but aligning with natural cues can optimise growth of the plants. Whilst dahlia seed doesn’t need light to germinate, once sprouted it will benefit from bright light and lengthening days. As happens naturally, allowing seeds to emerge directly into full sun is fine as long as temperature and moisture are optimal.
Even though here at Serenade Farm (Tamborine Mountain, Australia – elevated subtropics) we were well past any chance of frost in our climate by Spring Equinox, nights did still get cooler than the optimal 18-22℃ for germination. I choose to sprout seeds in my warmer growroom on damp paper towels, and as each seed sends out that tiny radicle (first root) and cotyledon leaves, I transfer into 72-cell trays which I position outside in the sun. The small plants are given a half strength organic fish emulsion and seaweed solution once a week when true leaves appear.
Raising them in full sun and natural conditions from the outset also negates any need for hardening off, and as the garden beds are cleared, mulched and ready to go, so no need to pot up into anything larger. Within 4-6 weeks, when the first of the plants are up with several sets of leaves and a small but established root system, I begin the process of planting directly into the beds.
It is a workflow and timing that works really well for me personally. However, this is not prescriptive and it’s really important to consider your own specific conditions and a method that works for you.