HYB:Crosses:Natural selection
Rebloom crosses that is! Are there any other types? It's rare that I make
other types deliberately. <vbg>
My signature . . . "If you don't cross them, you can't plant them!"
This is basically true.
1) Make the cross! Once you've made a cross that is not the end. May
things come into play.
The year I developed Fibromyalgia I didn't plant many of my seedlings. Most
wintered over in the pots. Monty Byers called and I was complaining that
many would die in the pots, and in self defense I said . . . "maybe that's for
the better, since the weaker will die without me going to all that effort to
plant and care for them!" Monty agreed, and we tossed around the idea of
deliberately letting seedlings sit in the pots for an extra year as a form of
selectivity!
Then I spent much of that winter under an electric blanket, reading iris
material! And here I am fighting to see that they all get in the ground the
first spring.
When I was harvesting 70-80 pods each spring? There was still only one of
me. For a couple of years, I tried only planting 25 or so seed from some of
the cross that didn't contain much chance of rebloom. I had a thing for lace
and ruffles and made lots of marginal crosses with Powder Snow &
Butterscotch Bronze. Many had well over 100 seed. The idea was that I'd plant the rest
if I saw any good traits in the seedlings. In retrospect it wasn't a bad
idea. I don't think I ever planted the rest of those seed, but did try a year
or two ago with one or two and they didn't sprout.
2) If the seed are there in the envelope you have another choice. Plant the
seed or not. Holding seed over? I think you have a better chance with this
if they're held over outside in a shed or something. I believe air
conditioning eventually strips the moisture from the seed and dries up the embryo.
Not scientific evidence, just my opinion based on my experiences.
3) Transplant the seedlings. This is where my personal selectivity usually
kicks in. This is where I have to make choices. If I don't have room for
all seedlings? Then I plant two types of seedlings. A) the ones I think have
the best chance for rebloom, and B) my personal favorites.
I have a hard time throwing plants away, so the left over seedlings sit in
their pots until I finally plant them or they all die. Iris seedlings are
really quite sturdy. Sometimes these irises in the pots bloom. Like the lovely
white from the Edith Wolford+ seedlings . . . so then they were planted out.
One bloomed this past July. Then the white bearded red which I still
haven't planted out.
Watered well with Miracle Grow, I've had pods mature good seed in 2 inches
of potting soil in the bottom of a mum pot! Foundation for some of my best
rebloom seedlings.
Or the pots sprout more seed. This happened with 1708. (only 4 sprouted
total) I didn't have room prepared in the garden so I transplanted three of
these into large pots. One was the gorgeous pink over lavender with red beards
that I posted this spring. Seed from it are in a pot this fall.
Think of the opportunities and beautiful sights I'd missed, if I didn't
'make that cross?'
________________________________________________________
Betty W. in South-central KY Zone 6 ---If you don't cross them, you can't
plant them!
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
Where the seeds are in the pots once again!
_www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/_
(http://www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/)
_Reblooming Iris - Home Page_ (http://www.rebloomingiris.com/)
_iris-photos archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/)
_iris-talk archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/)
_AIS: American Iris Society website_ (http://www.irises.org/)
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