Re: HYB:Germination:oxygen

Loic -- It depends on what sort of containers you're planting in. From one of your earlier postings, it appeared that you're using fairly shallow, squarish containers. I hope I'm wrong about that.
Loic -- I plant in 1-gallon round plastic pots about 7-8 inches deep outdoors. When I'm ready to transplant the sprouts in the spring, I place the pot on its side on a table or board and roll it back and forth while pressing down firmly on it. This loosens the dirt and enables me to dislodge about the upper 2 inches of dirt in the pot, which I then shake out and put to one side. This should contain most of the ungerminated seeds. I put this dirt into a 3" x 5" aluminum loaf pan which is only about 2 1/2" deep and set it back, labeled, into the winter frame to take its chances over the coming year. I only do this with pots which appear to have a significant number of ungerminated seeds. I then slide the rest of the "ball" of dirt out of the pot and begin separating the sprouts for transplanting. The potting soil is very loose, and I don't experience any damage to the roots this way. As for the ungerminated seeds -- if I had all the space I'd like, I'd partially fill the empty1-gallon pot and put the couple of inches worth of ungerminated seed-bearing dirt on top instead of into the shallow loaf pans, just for the sake of optimum drainage. As it is, however, I get some germination in the holdover pans, and probably would get more if I put a covering of pine straw over them throughout the year to keep the rain from causing the seeds to surface and dry out. I'll probably do that this year. -- Griff
----- Original Message ----- From: "loic tasquier" <tasquierloic@cs.com> 
To: <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 5:15 PM
Subject: Re: [iris]HYB:Germination:oxygen



So it's worth keeping them for one more year.
Thanks to share the result of your observations !
But can you also tell me how you get the seedlings out of their pots without hurting the roots and without spoiling the remaing good seeds left? As i told you i soak and wash the seedlingd loose so the roots are intact, but what's left of what was in the pot is just muck in the bottom of the container i use ! 
Looc
----- Original Message ----- From: <Autmirislvr@aol.com> 
To: <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 6:18 PM
Subject: Re: [iris]HYB:Germination:oxygen



In a message dated 2/18/2007 8:49:46 A.M. Central Standard Time,
tasquierloic@cs.com writes:

<<Unless, and this is what i'd really want to know,  the  second year
seedlings
are of a better quality than the first year ones, therefore worth the extra 
work and wait !>>

This may depend on what you consider to be better  qualities!

Worth the wait?  Short answer:  YES!!!!!!!!!
In earlier years, I didn't really pay enough attention. In the years before 
I move out here (2003) I was growing seedlings at a friends  house. Since
I've moved out here I've had some very interesting  results.

Long answer:  I'll give examples.
1812 is Lemon Reflection X All Revved Up (Wilkerson 2006). (All Revved Up is (Innocent Star x Radiant Bliss) and Radiant Bliss is (Earl of Essex x Hot 
Streak))
All Revved Up is what some term an everbloomer or continuous bloomer. (A sporadic with easy trigger) Last summer was very hot, yet it still started it's 
rebloom in July.
I had six pods in the cross with a total of 245 seed. Planted out about 150 
seedlings.  Biggest planting I've made of one cross.  92  were planted in
2004 and the remainder in 2005. 2004 was a great year for rebloom, with a mild summer. I watered the seedlings when needed and used a light application of Miracle Grow once a month. By the time a freeze cut down the stalks, 50 of 
these had stalks and 30 had opened  blooms.  Planted in May and started
blooming in late October. Some bloomed in the fall of 2005 & sent up stalks in 
2006.  (Only one sprout  in 2006 so I emptied most of the 10 pots.)

The rest of the plants were planted in mid June of 2005.  Watered just
enough to keep them alive. Two tried to bloom that fall but were cut down with an 
earlier freeze.  (earlier than 2004) Good maiden bloom in  2006.

**  Rebloom started in this second group in June.  (yes, this is  rebloom
since they originally bloomed in April) Three of them bloomed in both June and July while 3 did not bloom until July. One of the three that started in June put up multiple stalks and bloomed again in the fall. Another had the best form of any that have successfully rebloomed from this group, and may be the 
best form of the cross.
Overall, there is a wide variety of plant habits. Lots of rebloom. There are a couple of white seedlings, half a dozen or so pale blue or lavender, a small number of clear yellow seedlings, some old gold seedlings, and a wide 
variety of old gold with fall overlays of blue and/or  purple.

The main difference has been the dates and type of rebloom as seen in the
two groups. I consider the rebloom DATES of the second group to be a 'better' 
quality!

Then we have this:  1810:1605-1:9415-1Re(((Victoria Falls x Vanity) x
Immortality) x (Latest Style x Glistening Icicle))) x (Feed Back x Champagne 
Elegance) X Light Rebuff
Fifty Two seeds planted in 2 pots. There were goals I had for this cross that didn't materialize. However, I still consider it a milestone for reasons 
I won't explore here.
2004: First year 3 seedlings sprouted. One of the three died of "failure to 
grow," while the other two bloomed that fall.  1810-1Re was  gorgeous in
maiden bloom. Not so pretty in subsequent bloom seasons but it has bloomed in 
July.  Has excellent branching.  1810-2Re has  terrific substance, as do
several, but may have other problems that can't be ignored. Grayed lavender with 
red shoulder markings.

2005: Another 38 sprouted.  The first seedlings to sprout the spring  of
2005. Another 16 have additional, not spring, bloom. Some good and some bad. I 
refer you to 1810-03Re and 1810-15Re in the  archives. _{Disarmed}
HYB:Seedling:1810-3re_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/jul06/msg00103.html) 
AND  _{Disarmed}  1810-15re_
(http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/aug06/msg00123.html)
I expect these two to be important in future breeding. They have branching, 
substance & early rebloom.

Not perfect, but worth the effort it took to row the pots up next to the
current crop and water them as I watered the new ones. Not much effort in my 
opinion for the results.
This cross (1810) has rewarded my trust in the genetics of my seedlings, and my sometimes limited patience. Often I will use a seedling based, not on 
rebloom, but my faith in the genetics involved.  I am being  rewarded.

Another picture?  Third year sprout!!  <very big  grin>  _1708-3_
(http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/may06/msg00548.html) I think it's a keeper! 
The top bloom also matured a pod with freezer  pollen from RENOWN.



________________________________________________________
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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