HYB: thoughts/questions

I'm taking notes on temperature and humidity with each cross I make this
year.  Already, I've noticed that it is a lot warmer and drier than I
think it is.  Some of my past failures have probably been due to making
crosses when it was much too warm and dry.

Another thing I've noticed is how easy it is to damage the style arm
when trying to harvest stamens to store for later crosses.  I suspect
this may have also had a negative effect on pod set.

?==I'm trying to be more careful, but would appreciate ideas on how to
pry those guys out of there when they are tight against the style arm.

Some cultivars here open blooms first thing in the morning, others in
early afternoon.  I am still unable to tell when a stigmatic lip is
receptive until after I try to spread pollen.  When the stigmatic lip is
ready, it is sticky, and pollen really adheres to it.  Early in the
morning, as blooms are first opening, pollen doesn't stick.  In previous
years, I've waited until it would stick, which is much later in the day,
when it may have been too hot & dry for success.  Especially on windy
days.

?==For those of you with a  high rate of success in making crosses, do
you pry open the flower if it's not quite open, and do you add pollen
early in the morning to fresh blooms even if the stigmas aren't sticky?

If I figure out how to do this right, I'm going to be buried in seed
pods this year...tons of bloom.

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
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