RE: HYB: tagging crosses
From: "J.F. Hensler" <hensler@povn.com>
Over the years I've tried just about every method of tagging crosses...
Paper tags turned to mush. Permanent markers aren't.
The one method that hasn't given me problems is plastic ribbon... Used here
to mark trees for seed or logging. This stuff comes in a wide array of
colors. (Most are dayglow and give the garden a festive appearance even
after the blooms have faded.)
A roll is inexpensive ($1.49 to $1.69) and nearly indestructible.
This stuff comes in a 1" width so I cut it in halves or thirds lengthwise
to make it easier to tie around stems. Each plant I plan to use for pollen
is given its own code of notches or knots at one or both ends of the
ribbon. If I have a large number of crosses planned, different colors can
be added. (No need to code the ribbon with the pod parent's name till
harvest and then a Sharpie works just fine for writing on the pod.) After a
year or two of using the same code for the same plant, the code is as
recognizable as its written name. Just to be sure there are no mixups
though, each code and cross is also written into the notebook.
Christy Hensler
Newport, WA z4b chilly this morning with thunderstorms predicted
--------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ----------------------------
ONElist: the best place to EXPLORE topics, SHARE ideas, and
CONNECT to people with the same interests.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
