Re: HYB:Hybridizing Kit
- Subject: Re: [iris-talk]HYB:Hybridizing Kit
- From: p*
- Date: Tue, 02 Apr 2002 03:12:01 -0000
Last year, my first at hybridizing, I developed two techniques I've
found helpful.
First is a garment, like Dana's fishing vest, to keep everything in
pockets, which being on me, keeps it upright. I've used a military
shirt, with all those nifty pockets. The nearest thrift store is in
the town that houses the navy base on Whidbey, so I found lots to
choose from. Pockets hold tweezers, camera, small hyb notebook,
etc., including plastic sandwich bags (2nd technique), with a label
on the front and a toothpick inside. I drop each anther into a bag
and label it immediately. That way, I not only have my captured
pollen, but can keep it for several crosses if I wish. When I'm
ready to make the cross, I have only to scrape it off the clear
plastic with the toothpick and lay it on the lip of the pod parent.
I usually have enough for several crosses, and will keep it longer --
in the fridge if necessary -- to cross later-blooming cvs.
I write all info directly into the pocket-sized book, immediately,
since I will remember nothing five minutes later. My little book
recorded bloom time of each cv, pod or pollen crosses made and dates,
whether they 'took', and info all through the process of chilling,
potting, up to where and when seeds were planted. I will now
continue those records, in terms of what sprouted when, etc.
My various attempts at lasting labels (on the stalk) proved less than
adequate, so I'm happy to hear about everyone else's for this hyb
season.
Happy camper in hyb season!
Patricia Brooks
Whidbey Island, WA, zone 8
--- In iris-talk@y..., KYIrisNut@a... wrote:
> Good Easter Morning Talkers and Non-Talkers,
>
> The hybridizing season is near, for some it has arrived. Since
cross
> pollinating is the favorite subject of my garden visitors, I'm
going to
> presume the same interest among our non-hybridizing listers. If
you're
> interested in making crosses, give it a try. You don't need all
kinds of
> fancy equipment to cross an iris.
>
> I've tried many things in the past, but now I keep a
hybridizing "kit" ready
> at all times. The kit consist of tweezers, pen, small envelopes,
tags, and a
> note book in a one gallon plastic freezer bag. Since the bag is
clear, I can
> see everything at a glance.
>
> Tweezers:
> Regular tweezers work great, but you can use your fingers in
a "pinch." <g>
> I tend to maul the blooms with this technique. Better to carry the
kit even
> if you're ONLY going out to look! If you don't feel the need to
preserve it
> in place, just snap the bloom off and take it with you to the pod
parent.
> Leave it at the base of the pod parent and you'll know at a glance
what the
> cross is, for that day anyway.
>
> Pen:
> Anything will do.
>
> Envelopes:
> If you don't carry the blossom with you, you'll need to transport
the pollen,
> and your cupped hand starts cramping after a while! I use your
generic
> personal sized envelopes. If I have time, I cut them in half and
tape them
> up. They work either way. I write the name of the iris I'm
collecting pollen
> from on the front of the envelope. If the cross I have in mind
doesn't
> materialize, the pollen is safe for later. Once you have pollen in
the
> envelopes, lay the plastic bag in the shade while making your
crosses. It
> gets hot in there!
>
> Tags:
> You must tag the pod parent. Use whatever works for you. My tags
were made
> years ago from clear plastic milk jugs and bright yarn. The tags
are
> numbered and reusable. The number of the tag is written in my
notes and the
> information kept there. Some people write the information directly
on the
> tags. Either way, write the pod parent first and then the pollen
parent.
> Example: Hot Streak X Earl of Essex (= my newest rebloomers! <g>)
>
> Notebook:
> Even if you're only having fun . . . even if you only make one
cross . . .
> even if you're sure you'll remember it . . . WRITE IT DOWN!
Someone,
> sometime, will care. And it just might be you. Trust me on this
one! My
> favorite recording device is an orange (shows up well when you
forget it in
> the garden) note book that measures 9 1/2 X 6 inches available at
Wally
> World. I enter any and all pertinent information: pod parent,
pollen parent,
> date, time of day, and weather conditions. This is my FIELD book.
Not to be
> confused with my hybridizing records book which looks very much
like it, but
> is much neater with information in chronological order, etc.,
produced months
> later from information in the field book. When a cross doesn't
take, the
> page gets a big X across it--end of story.
>
> The actual process of hybridizing lends itself better to pictures
than words.
> John Jones has one of the best sites I've seen for a picture story
of the
> hybridizing process. Unfortunately, I can't list it here since I
lost the
> information when my computer crashed several months ago and I can't
seem to
> locate it in the archives. John? Others?
>
> Betty Wilkerson from South-central KY . . . Zone 6 . . . sometimes.
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