Blooms for bees - Dahlia trial

[Jay-ell]

Hey Hey, my seeds arrived today so I'll sow them out later on.

In the planting instructions it says I can plant 3 plants in a 10 litre container - does that mean I can put them into MFBs - one for each colour?

The app is available now. I've just downloaded it from Android Play Store. It has a handy bumble bee identification section - although it doesn't seem to name the ones I remember from a kid (Red A**e, White A**e and Ginger A**e).

Now Hands up everyone who thinks sticking your face into a flower border full of bees is going to be fun.

[Jay-ell]

dahlias are up after 4 days

[cheops]

Great stuff Jay-ell - everyone's seeds seem to have germinated within days. Yes - three plants to a bucket pot or ground - keeping the same colours together. As a footnote- my white dahlias germination was visibly poorer than the other two colours [though I have more than three white ones growing]. Anyone else find the white dahlia germination was not as good as the other two colours?

[sparrow100]

I had white and red as less enthusiastic than purple. I still have at least 8 of each though, which is plenty. The albino red seedling has carked it. But all the others are showing true leaves in the greenhouse. Which reminds me, must jog on over to the plot and open the door!

[Jay-ell]

By the way, the Blooms for Bees app isn't just for these dahlias, you can use it to log bees and any of your plants as it has entries for loads of species of flowers, fruit and veg (so if your onions bolt don't worry, you can count the bumble bees visiting them instead) - although I don't think I'm going to count the flowers on my blackcurrants

[Muddy_Boots]

Just checked my seeds and no sign yet although they are in an unheated greenhouse so the nippy evenings may be making them think twice about emerging.

Saying that I bet tonight they will all be out and winking at me when I get home as its another decent day and this weekend its suppose to be really warm.

[veggiechicken]

The results are in

Dahlia trial results | Blooms for Bees

[Jungle Jane]

I wonder why they didn't use yellow dahlias,bees being attracted to yellows & blues like they are,I think yellow would have won,they do in my garden

[bramble]

Interesting article.
I grow loads of dahlias and lots of yellows.
Because they are all mixed in together its hard to say if the bees prefer one colour over another.