It will produce different dahlias. Tubers or cuttings is the only way to be fairly certain of what the flower will look like... even then, the genetic material might occasionally sport into a different bloom.

Thank you cici! I didn’t want to plant all of these seeds if they’re all going to produce the exact same flower. Thanks again.

You "kept it and dried it out", does that mean you let it mature while attached to the mother, or you picked a flower and dried it out? The latter won't work.

Yea I let it mature on the bush.

Dahlias are relatively easy from seeds, though it may take all season before you see blooms (quite late). Though in GA, you should have a long enough season for it.

Thank ya. I can’t wait. Just thought I’d be fun. Thought about starting them under my grow lights around Jan and go from there. Always fun to try.

I've even directly sown them and got blooms...but not many.

Ok great. If I don’t get these started earlier I will do that dvarron. Thanks a bunch!

Careful about starting them too early, Judy... Unless you have the monster grow lights used by pot growers, the inexpensive grow lights can make the stems elongated and weak, which gets worse over time and can collapse after finally being set out. It's best to time them so they're no more then 6 inches before planting out.

Of course, in January, its fun to get your fingers dirty while waiting for the weather outside to cooperate. I used to start things too early all the time, just for sanity's sake. Things tend to grow better later on if I wait, though.

A well-known dahlia hybridizer assisted me in putting the following guidelines a few years back. Hope it helps someone.

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Here is a general guideline for pre-starting dahlias in the spring, from seed, tuber or cutting:

Seeds- 5-6 weeks prior to planting
Tubers for cuttings- 8-10 weeks prior to planting
Take cuttings- 6-8 weeks prior to planting
Tubers for plants- 4-6 weeks for most varieties, 6-8 for giant varieties

Planting differs depending on your location, but a good rule of thumb is
when you would plant tomatoes... When the ground is warm, and the last
frost is behind you. Too early will set back the plants even without the
frost, as they won't continue root growth in cold soil.

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That’s good to know cici. I do get antsy right after Christmas but now thinking I should wait. Thanks for the tips. My brain try’s to tell me it’s spring as soon as all the Christmas gets cleaned up and packed away and I reeeeeally have to slow myself down. Lol. Thanks again.