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Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
I'm still looking for a good cut variety that would fill the Coral/Salmon spot, primarily for wedding use. I thought I found it when I trialed Salmon Runner this past summer. Unfortunately, Salmon Runner began dropping back petals 2 days after cutting. I only had one plant so I will probably try it again because it was just about perfect for my needs in every way except for the shattering. I am currently using one of my old seedlings to fill the bill but she also has some problems. (mainly, she doesn't like the heat) Suggestions?
American Dawn has been a workhorse for my own personal needs and is always one of the last blooms I pull from an arrangement. Blooms early and prolifically all season, although Wisconsin is a very different growing environment than yours. I’ve not grown Salmon Runner, so I can’t give a great color comparison. A. Dawn leans warm, but is one that plays nice with cool/warm tones. Here’s a pic from my garden, and in a bouquet with Omega & (apologies :lol:) Cafe au Lait.
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
Thank you Cate, that is the color I am looking for! I need a smaller (4-5") version to use as my main cut, but I will trial American Dawn to use for the larger displays.
btw... beautiful, cheery arrangement and it smells great!
What about KA's Keltie Rose? Very pretty salmony-pink, 3 inch blooms.Too pink perhaps?
Sorry for the crummy picture, Kristine Albrecht has much better pictures on her site: https://www.santacruzdahlias.com/shop-2/kaskeltierose-51
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
Thanks Emily, the color looks perfect but the bloom is one notch too small. If I start the season out with a min size it is very, very small when I am cutting it a few months later. However, when the KAs become more readily available I will order KAs Kellie Rose to try.
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
Thanks Nathan, I will add her to my "to trial" list! You have a couple of others on your site I need to trial so I will have to try harder to catch your opening day;
KitCMC wrote:American Dawn has been a workhorse for my own personal needs and is always one of the last blooms I pull from an arrangement. Blooms early and prolifically all season, although Wisconsin is a very different growing environment than yours. I’ve not grown Salmon Runner, so I can’t give a great color comparison. A. Dawn leans warm, but is one that plays nice with cool/warm tones. Here’s a pic from my garden, and in a bouquet with Omega & (apologies :lol:) Cafe au Lait.
It’s so interesting how dahlia performance can vary by region. And you’re not that far from me, Cate. American Dawn was almost dead last for blooms in my garden, and I grow quite a few A’s and AA’s. In fact, I have to grow it again because I didn’t see enough flowers to make an honest judgement. Seems floriferous. It had many buds yet to bloom when our early frost came. It’s moved to the list of varieties to start early!
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
drewtheflorist wrote:Sylvia Craig Hunter ... just can't find my pic....is a nice coral .
Thanks Drew, I'll add it to my list. If nothing else, it looks like a great candidate to use for hybridizing. FDs are hard to find in the larger size ranges.
According to Caitlyn Mason, Sylvia Craig Hunter is very popular in Australia and has been used as a seed parent for many introduced varieties. It may be behind the Bracken varieties?
We like to place a sign on our porch that says: We are in the garden. Really, we are always in the garden.
Is Caitlin's Joy too lavender for you? She's coral enough for me. Plus you get the productivity from that plant family and good tubers. I grew SCHunter one year. Lackluster production (for field grown dahlias) and didn't survive storage. I never replaced it. However, I saw it at the National Show this fall and have to say it's a beauty. Maybe I should have tried it another year. But then again, I don't see too many cut flower farmers growing it for multiple season and that is a telling sign.
Salmon Runner has never shucked petals for me. Sorry to hear it happened in your field.
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
teddahlia wrote:According to Caitlyn Mason, Sylvia Craig Hunter is very popular in Australia and has been used as a seed parent for many introduced varieties. It may be behind the Bracken varieties?
You might be on to something. I have really liked the few "Bracken" varieties I have grown. Bracken Ballerina is/was a beautiful WL and I sold a lot of it as a cut flower. I finally lost my stock to degraded genetics or virus.
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
Cosey wrote:Is Caitlin's Joy too lavender for you? She's coral enough for me. Plus you get the productivity from that plant family and good tubers. I grew SCHunter one year. Lackluster production (for field grown dahlias) and didn't survive storage. I never replaced it. However, I saw it at the National Show this fall and have to say it's a beauty. Maybe I should have tried it another year. But then again, I don't see too many cut flower farmers growing it for multiple season and that is a telling sign.
Salmon Runner has never shucked petals for me. Sorry to hear it happened in your field.
Thanks LeeAnn, that's great info! :smily:
Caitlin Joy's color would work but the bloom size is marginal, I would prefer something a tad bit larger. It sounds like I will have to try Salmon Runner again if she doesn't shatter for you.
The low production of SCHunter might be a problem but I will likely try her and maybe use her in crosses. Tubers that don't keep well are almost a plus for me. I sell bulk cuttings to local commercial growers and the largest grower doesn't bother digging his tubers most years. It is not worth paying the labor to keep them tied up, weeded, and sprayed for a full season. It's kind of like how they raise ranunculus or tulips here. So, he really doesn't care if the tubers store well or not.
Name: Steve San Diego Commercial cut flower grower
Thanks Ted! I almost ordered River's Rosie but I was a little wary of the low petal count and what looks to be weak centers. I have found that varieties with those qualities when grown up North will result in open centered blooms most of the year when grown down here without supplemental lighting.
Oh no! Gotta learn to trust my gut. River’s Rosie was on my short list, but then I cut it for the same reason as you, Steve. Now that Ted has shared his lovely picture I want it all over again.
