RE: Re; Seedling Photos

Hi, Mary, and others in the winter zones,

 

Spring is coming in Arizona.  My irises are starting their new growth.  I have about 400 seedlings that are pressing up under their row covers.  They were planted directly into the ground in mid-November and covered with seed blankets held over them by wire semi-circles.  I’ll post a picture of that one of these days.  I said I wasn’t going to peek until February.  Of course, that was a joke to anyone who knows me.  I’m certainly glad I peeked on the 2nd of January for then I discovered I was feeding a bunch of cutworms.  Off came the cover while I dusted with Bug B Gone.  I counted the number up for each of my crosses.  That’s how I know that there were close to 400 which was about 50% germination.  Now some of them are five to six inches tall, and I fear are beginning to suffer from greenhouse syndrome, becoming too tender.  Yesterday I took the cover off of two of the most vigorous crosses to start hardening them up.  We had a light frost last night, but it didn’t hurt them.  If a hard freeze is predicted one of these nights, I’ll have to drape it back over them. 

I’m so nutty over hybridizing that I think it’s fun just to watch them grow.  Too bad that I’ll have to wait to 2005 to see them bloom.  By that time they will be much overcrowded unless the intensely hot summer thins them out.  Heat in 2002 killed 4/5ths of my little seedlings.  Some of the survivors of that disaster were pretty when they bloomed last year.  In my next message, I’ll send a picture of one of them.  Now they are big two year clumps.  In about six weeks, I’ll start seeing them all bloom.  I few, I hope, could be rebloomers.  I’ll be ruthless in digging imperfect ones though.  I’ll need the ground to plant this year’s seeds.

 

Francelle Edwards  Glendale, AZ  Zone 9

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Swann-Young [mailto:MryL1@msn.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 12:55 PM
To: iris-photos
Subject: [iris-photos] Re; Seedling Photos

 

Never get enough of seedling photos, especially this time of year!  Please post any you have, even if they're not wonderful.  I learn as much from  failures as from successes.  Just, please, give the seedling # and parentage with the photo. Additional info on vigor, bud count, branching, etc.  is great, too. 

 

Watching my seeds sprouting got me this far, but it's kind of like watching paint dry.  Three more months to get through before Mulberry Echo starts the show.

 

Please post those photos!

 

Mary Lou, near Indianapolis, Z5.  6 inch snow cover (finally) -15 wind chill.

 

 



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