Parrella Dahlias Known and Grown the World Over! Why Not? 
HOW TO GROW DAHLIA FROM SEED 
There are many ways that dahlia seeds are started, and grown, on account of the 
different climatic conditions, and the length of the growing season, here in New York 
City, I have been getting wonderful results as follows: About April Ist, I select an 
open sunny location in my garden and spade this to a depth of about 8 inches and 
rake the soil until it is finely broken, and not lumpy, then with a hoe make trenches 
about 4 inches in depth and about 12 inches apart. 
Then place a seed about every 2 inches apart in these trenches and cover with 
about one half inch of soil, water lightly and cover with about 2 or 3 inches of peat 
moss, as a protection against a slight frost or cold. About May Ist carefully remove 
the peat moss and in another week or two you will see the young dahlia plants breaking 
through the ground, add a little more soil to the trench and around the plants that are 
showing above ground, so that they will get better and stronger root formation. About 
June Ist many of these plants will be about 4 or 5 inches above the ground, showing 
two to three sets of leaves and the stems will be about the thickness of an ordinary 
match. They are then about the right size for transplanting. 
In colder climates and where the growing season is not so long, is to start the 
seeds in boxes or flats about 20 inches long, 12 inches wide and 4 inches deep. Make 
8 or 4 trenches about 2 inehes deep and plant the seed about every 2 inches apart in 
these trenches and cover with about a half inch of soil. These seeds should be p!anted 
about 2 months before it is reasonably safe to transplant the young plants out into the 
open. 
The box should be kept in a warm room and near a window that faces a sunny 
location, About 2 or 3 weeks later, they will be breaking out of the ground and when 
they are about 3 or 4 inches high, they should be removed from the box and transplanted 
into 3 inch flower pots, and on warm, sunny days, should be left out into the open to 
gradually harden, and when you believe that the time is right for their permanent 
transplanting as described above, then plant them as directed, and they will grow into 
strong, healthy plants, as good if not better than plants grown from tubers. 
Of course if you have a greenhouse or a cold frame facilities, it will simplify 
matters by starting your seeds about March 15th and using the above last two paragraph 
princlples. 
ALBERT PARELLA 
PARRELLA DAHLIA GARDENS PAGE 35 
