HYB:foliage & other characteristics

In a message dated 12/20/2005 1:07:17 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
pharcher@mindspring.com writes:

<<I would have to aggree with the following statement and I do  have a 
sensitive
eye for the look of foliage on my breeding stock and  seedlings.>>
Paul, I didn't mean to imply that I don't notice foliage,  especially when it 
is extreme in either direction. It's the first  thing I notice in a bed of 
seedlings.  I walk the beds at all times of the  year so I keep track of the 
crosses that produce healthy foliage.   However, it is not my main criteria.  
 
My lack of knowledge on the purple plicatas is basically because I don't  
grow many.  Vanishing Act, one of my own, has great foliage, and thus I was  a 
bit surprised at the "blanket" statement.  (Thanks to Arnold for the  term) 
 
 << It might simply be the ones you are choosing that grow (or  survive) in 
your area and that may be a linkage you are seeing.  You might  research their 
parentage and
see how much common ancestry they have, as well  as who bred them (i.e
climate)>>
 
Most of my research takes place before I buy a cultivar but foliage is  not 
something that is normally discussed.  It comes as an unknown.   Irises also 
sneak into the garden as gifts and bonuses!  If they  weren't on my 'preferred' 
list, they rarely make it into a cross.  
 
Again, this batch of seedlings is an extreme case, which was the reason  they 
(in total) caught my attention.  The person I mentioned was also  looking at 
this group of seedlings when making the remark I quoted. 
 
Yes, in retrospect there is poor foliage in the linage . . . Blatant.   
Although the plicata seedling I used as pollen parent has good foliage there are  
those in it's ancestry that do not. Indeed a combination of poor foliage  genes 
may be responsible.  I expect to get many rebloomers from this  cross!  Maybe 
I should kill them all before they bloom??? 
 
The other group of seedlings that have overwhelmingly poor foliage leave no  
real clues as to cause and effect.  In this case the problem is  corkscrew 
foliage.  They are from two seedlings with good foliage and  nothing obvious as 
poor in the linage.  Yet, there they stand as testimony  to something!  I'd say 
only ten or so from ninety have decent/normal  foliage.  For other reasons 
they will be taken another generation.  It  will be interesting to see if the 
foliage persists.  

<< LB  has had a fair tendency to have narrow foliage  (if not shorter as 
well) and have found a tendency to pass that on to its  offspring.>>
 
I am truly jealous of anyone that can grow Light Beam!  Last winter,  it was 
one of the first to kick up it's heels and die, (out of a relatively  small 
group that died.) Beverly Sills is tender here also and might explain  my 
difficulties.  

<<I will note something else about Light  Beam since it was mentioned.  It 
seems
to have a hidden talent of  producing border bearded seedlings with smaller
flowers than a "normal"  border bearded and generally great plant proportions
all around when it does  occur.>>
 
Maybe I should try Light Beam in my pot culture?  True flower  proportion in 
the border bearded class is hard to achieve.  So  far, pot culture seems to be 
working for About Town & Cafe  Bleu! 

<<In case you are wondering, or didn't know, Light Beam  is a true carotenoid
plicata (yellow dotting and stitching on the standards  AND falls) from
Broadway X Beverly Sills, so lots of potential although I've  found limited
fertility.  It throws all sorts of colors as well,  including a reblooming 
Zone
5 orange seedling.>>
 
Thanks for passing along your plicata successes!  We don't read enough  about 
success.  Anyone else have some success stories, from the seedling  patch, 
you'd be willing to share?  

 
Betty W. in  South-central KY Zone 6
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
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