Re: HYB: pod-setting technique

In a message dated 8/6/2002 9:41:38 PM Mountain Daylight Time, 
IrisLady@comcast.net writes:


> And I also found in the past two years that if the temperature got over 85
> degrees - - give or take a few - - NO fertilization took place at all.  Dry
> humidity didn't seem to play that much of a role for me.



Here in southern NM, both temperature and humidity come into play.  Of 
course, high temperatures and low humidity go hand-in-hand so they are hard 
to separate. Temps too high, humidity doesn't seem to matter.  Humidity too 
low, temp doesn't matter.  BOTH have to be in the effective range.

As for temp, once it's above 85 degrees F. takes are almost nonexistent 
regardless of RH [one in a thousand would be optimistic].  Between 80 & 85, 
there are still relatively few. Below 80, results are much better but 
humidity plays an important role.

Very low humidity, even with low temps, means few takes.  Below 10% -- DON'T 
BOTHER.  Below 20% -- go ahead & try, but expect little.  Between 20 & 30% is 
a "good day".  Above 30 is GREAT.

So, here, a day of temps below 80 and RH above 35% is a hybridizer's dream 
come true!  

There are, however, many effective ways to lower temperature & raise 
humidity.  My morning routine was:

1.  Sprinkle the paths between beds and the canebreak [NOT the flowers 
themselves].   That would noticeably lower temp & raise humidity.

2.  Turn on water to the drip line serving the canebreak.  Over the course of 
the morning, westerly winds would evaporate some of that moisture thus 
moderating both the temperature and the humidity in the hybridizing area.

3.   Start irrigating -- mostly because this is an essential ritual of spring 
but running the water while hybridizing means there's less need to keep 
irrigating during the heat of the day.  Plus, this raises humidity and lowers 
the temperature within the bed itself.


Of course, very high humidity can also be a problem -- as anyone who has 
tried to work with damp pollen can attest -- and temperatures low enough to 
freeze pods are certainly a problem.

So, as in many other things, I'd say that moderation is the key.

[Related topics:  GENTLY closing the stigmatic lip after making the cross; 
forcing a flower open to make a cross; using juice from a compatible style 
arm to moisten a past-prime target -- in the archives.] 

Sharon McAllister 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now
http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/Ey.GAA/2gGylB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index