Breeding Dahlias: Insights from Lorelie of Florelie
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In this conversation, Liz interviews Lorelie from Florelie is a small scale, specialty cut flower farm in Bungaree, Victoria, Australia, focusing on her journey in growing and breeding dahlias. Lorelie shares her experiences from starting with a few plants to growing over 10,000 dahlias. The discussion covers the intricacies of breeding, the importance of genetic diversity, and the techniques used for seed saving and tuber storage. Lorelie also explains the challenges of selling tubers within Australia due to strict quarantine regulations. In this conversation, Liz and Lorelie discuss the intricacies of breeding and evaluating dahlias and peonies, the challenges of seed exchange and customs regulations, and the importance of understanding customer preferences in flower sales. They share insights on the breeding process, the significance of maintaining a breeder prefix, and the joy of selecting flowers based on color palettes for events.

Takeaways

• Dahlias are genetically diverse, making breeding a challenge.
• Specific parent plants are chosen for breeding based on desired traits.
• The farm grows over 10,000 dahlias each season.
• Seed saving is labor-intensive and requires careful monitoring.
• Sales of tubers are restricted by quarantine laws in Australia.
• Less than 2% of seedlings are typically saved for breeding.
• Bees are relied upon for natural pollination in breeding patches.
• Record-keeping is essential for tracking seed parentage. More than 50% of dahlias are discarded in the second year.
• A four-year breeding and trial period is being considered.
• Dahlias do not require official registration in Australia.
• Breeders use prefixes to identify their varieties.
• Flower performance can deteriorate over time.
• Customer preferences dictate flower sales strategies.

Helpful Links:

Flower Farmer Forum Conference: https://www.sunnymarymeadowcoaching.com/FFFC2025)

Crop Planning for Your Flower Farm: https://www.sunnymarymeadowcoaching.com/offers/MtoFSsED/checkout)

Peddling Perishable Products: https://sunnymarymeadowcoaching.com/foundationsofPPP)

Quickbooks: https://quickbooks.partnerlinks.io/0o09r7rqoau4)

Podcast website: www.sunnymarymeadowcoaching.com)

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerfarmerforum/)

Sunny Mary Meadow Flower Farm (www.sunnymarymeadow.com)) specializes in bouquet subscriptions, stem bars, and a you-pick flower farm experience.

Podcast Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/888196709178852)