How to Hand Pollinate Dahlias

Select the two parent plants you wish to combine. Choose your donors from healthy plants that exhibit uniform growth and are free from disease and pests. Prune a blossom from one of the parent plants as soon as it fully opens. Include enough of the stem to hold the blossom upright in a vase of water. This blossom will serve as the male donor by providing the pollen for fertilization.

Pull the petals off the cut dahlia blossom. Put the blossom in a vase of fresh water. Set the vase in a sunny, indoor location that is cool and free of drafts. Check the flower daily to observe the development of pollen on the anthers. The blossom is ready for hand-pollination as soon as the tips of the anthers appear covered with yellow powder.

Select a blossom from the plant you wish to use as a female donor. Choose one that is just about to open and unfurl its petals. Leave this blossom on the plant, rather than cutting it off. Pull off the petals around the inner center of the blossom to reveal the stigmas. Lightly cover the bare blossom head with a piece of nylon stocking. Watch for the stigmas to open fully. Hand-pollinate as soon as the stigmas open.

Remove the male donor flower from the vase gently rub the centers of the two flowers together, making direct contact between the stigmas and the anthers. Return the male donor blossom to the vase and place the nylon back over the growing flower. Repeat this process once each day until you notice the stigmas on the growing flower beginning to turn brownish in color. Allow the seed head to form over the following weeks.

Snip the seed head off the plant as soon as the seeds appear. Place the blossom in a dry area until the seeds become dry and brittle. Remove the seeds from the seed head and place them in an envelope until you are ready to plant them.