Re: HYB: weather, germination

Actually, the <only> reason I started burrito'ing was to speed up
generation time, to get seedlings started earlier in the season so
they'd mature faster.  My first 'good' seedling was 6 yrs from seed to
bloom.

So far, most of the cultivars that thrive here seem to produce seeds
that either require <three months> of chilling or require <two years
worth> of chilling to break dormancy.  I'm alternating chilling and
warmer temperatures to simulate multiple winters of chilling to speed
germination.

In my gravel soil & climate, if the seedlings aren't in the garden by TB
bloom season, they take an extra year to reach bloom size.  This year,
everything was big enough to bloom this fall, one year from germination.

And, I'm not just interested in seedlings that are somewhat more robust
& healthy <here>  than what's available from other hybridizers.  I want
the very toughest, carefree ones I can come up with.  So death from cold
at a tender age isn't the total loss it seemed at first.

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
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online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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