You let them go to center & then let the bugs & bees do it. If you want more control than that you must be sure to cover the bloom with a bag or nylon stocking right from the start. When the bloom is far enough along you flit about in the garden, soft paint brush in hand & pretend you are a bee, taking pollen from the one you want to cross & putting it on the one you want to cross with- (the neighbors have been known to look at me in a funny way when at this passtime >:) ) You cover the seed pod at all times so you don't get the real bees & bugs getting in there & messing with your crosses.

thanks plantlady! I was trying to look at too fresh of dahlias. I peeked in one that was a little older and found what appears to be the pollen carriers, but I don't really know where to dab it. I'll just practice a bit. I have some nice decorative dahlias and Kidds Climax but they don't always seem to set seed, so I thought I'd try helping.

Hi I am new here...Regarding pollinating dahlia's..a side subject...Do Dahlia's have seed pods ? How do they look like ? How would I know if I've done it right the first time ?

Thanks...
Cyan :)

First let a bloom dry- the seed pod is under there, pull the petals off as they dry so they don't rot. Then let the pod ripen as long as possible on the bush. Then cut the pod with some stem attached & hang it upside-down out of the weather until it's really dry- usually a couple of months. Then open the pod & see if you've got any seeds. Don't expect your seedlings to look anything like the parent plants - they won't-- too many dahlia genes for that to happen. In the spring, plant the seeds in flats & then into 4" pots & then into the garden when all danger of frost is over. Then you hope that the dahlia gods are smiling & you get a good one or two & not all just junk!
You can see a lot of the process in our "Seedlings" album at this site--

Here is a link that might be useful: Wynne's Dahlia Albums

Thank you plant lady !! :)Your flowers are soooo beautiful ! I am so envious... however...I was wondering how a dahlia can look like the 9204 seedling green thang O_O...Pretty scary lol...

Another thing I'd like to touch on. I have been looking for this particular blue star dahlia. I love blue flowers especially this one but could not order it as I live in Finland and they don't ship it to me. I am hoping I find it from another website instead of Breck's.

The "Green Thang" was a scarey looking thing for sure but a lot of people loved it! Don't know if it did the same thing this year or not- will have to go out to the big garden & have a look. It was a dahlia that just gave us bracts & no petals-- maybe this year it's doing something different. If so I'll take another picture of it & put it in the album- unless Walt beat me to it & yanked it up & fed it to the cows!
Don't get your hopes up over any dahlia advertized as "Blue" anything. There aren't any blue genes in dahlias & since blue is a primary color & can't be mixed up from 2 or more other colors there won't ever be a truely blue dahlia.