b'Hybridization Goalsin BloomWith hybridization down, Albrecht has been form-ing breeding goals every year of specific forms and colors shed like to achieve in her garden. However, just like other crops or flowers, dahlia breeding can take a long time. Theres a multitude of traits youre looking for, she says. One of the difficulties is dahlias have eight strands of DNA. Even if you bred to one that was supposed to be a formal decorative, you could end up with a cactus, she says. Most plants are diploids, so with dahlias, the DNA makes hybridization more difficult.In addition to color and form, which are top-of-mind for Albrecht, breeders look for vigor, health and the number of tubers it produces. Not only that, but tubers need to overwinter well for a variety to survive. Albrecht has lost certain varieties forever due to challenges, such as her Fallen Angels variety. The first year [of breeding] all the dahlias are grown from seed, she says. What youre hoping is that they grow to be full plants that produce beautiful flowers and tubers underground. Unfortunately, some dont produce tubers at all.While Albrecht says its rare, thats one way that shes lost varieties. In addition, if tubers dont store well or produce good eyes, the variety can be lost or reduced. This year, we had a late rain, and a lot of tubers got a fungus from the soil, which makes the tubers less likely do store well, sprout and stay healthy the next year, she says. When hybrid-Kristine Albrecht has used plenty of different techniques forizing, youre hoping the traits youre going for produce a strong, breeding her hybridsone in particular shes found successful ishealthy tuber. Thats the future of your variety.hand pollination followed by open pollination.PHOTO CREDIT: BRION SPRINSOCK For her own breeding goals, Albrecht is working on a small sized burgundy bloom dahliaaround the size of a cosmos. Burgundy tends to not pump out a lot of blooms, but thats her? Hand pollination. After diving in and hand pollinating herwhat Ive been hybridizing for, she says. Im four or five years dahlias, Albrecht found success.into working on them. I found one that checked almost all the The first year I did hand pollination, I got a bloom called KAsboxes; however, the stem was weak.Cloud, which won an award for the ADS, she says. Its also veryAlbrecht says stem strength is another trait to look for, popular with florists and designers because its a large white withbecause while that variety produced beautiful blooms, the stem a blush center. would typically fall over. In addition to hand pollination, Albrecht started cutting downThats a good look, but not for a wedding, because a bridal singles, colors or forms that she wasnt looking for. Out of 1,000bouquet could look rather wilted, Albrecht says. plants, she would make sure everything that she didnt wantTypically, on a good year, Albrecht says she keeps about 2% the bees to spread pollen from were cutwhich allowed her toto 5% of her varieties and throws out somewhere from 95% to have open pollination as well.98%. She jokes that its important to make sure you dont get too A lot of flowers I liked really came from the open pollination,attached to certain blooms while breeding for certain traits. with the bees and insects doing most of the work, AlbrechtIn her long-term goals, Albrecht says she hopes to achieve a says.brown colored dahlia. 14/ SEEDWORLD.COMFEBRUARY 2022'