Re: HYB:Pod parents (care and feeding)

Your conclusion seems illogical to me, Betty.
   
  As far as the pod parent knows those seeds it is producing may be it's only hope for continued existence.  Seems like a priority one job to me.  Doesn't the parent plant make increases in the fall, after the seed pod has matured? 
   
  Secondly I have never babied a plant with a pod on it and have had pods with as many as 60+ seeds.   And you will notice that some of your seeds are less fat than others...as constrained by the size of the pod.  A fertile seed is a fertile seed is a fertile seed.  I don't agree with the idea that the number of seeds is affected by what the parent can support.  However, I think that the availiable nutrients may affect the size of the seeds which may affect sprout vigor.  If that were true then babying the pod parent would possibly be worth while.
   
  Christian
  ky

Autmirislvr@aol.com wrote:
  Anyone have theories or observations on pod production? The care and 
feeding of iris pods? 

I've always known that pod parents (any plant) should be given extra 
fertilizer and water during the seed production period! At the very least it limits 
the stress on the pod bearing plant, but it does effect the seed. I've just 
not always been able to provide this care. The summer just past has to rank 
at the top of my list for neglecting the pods. No food after spring 
fertilization and, in most cases, no extra water. They were scattered all over the 
garden and most were on their own. As a result (I think) many were only able 
to mature a small number of seed. 

I plan to make a conscious effort to group my pods (most) in certain beds 
(6) so I can water and fertilize with soaker hoses this coming season, 2006. 
Personally, I work too hard making those crosses to harvest only eight to ten 
seed per pod. Or even twenty. Since I work with rebloomers anyway, it 
shouldn't be a stress on other plants in those beds. In the new 2005 bed that has 
about 130 plants only half a dozen or so have NO known rebloom 
possibilities. A few may only be carriers in my garden, but the potential is there. 

Would the 'extra' seeds I acquire under these 'abnormal' conditions be 
inferior? My thought is that they might ALL be superior since they would have 
whatever micro nutrients they need to become champions! Water solvent 
fertilizer with more micro nutrients than Miracle Grow. 

Example: 
Late this past spring, I made a cross on VIZIER X STAR GATE. Vizier was in 
one of two beds I didn't clean and it was rather neglected most of the summer. 
The cross produced 8 seed. 

Lets say, for the sake of argument, that the pod (V & SG) actually had 65 
seed, but it could not support the full 65 so, rather than abort the entire 
pod, momma eliminated most of the seed. If this cross had been in a bed where I 
provided extra fertilizer and water, most of the aborted seed would have 
survived. If this had happened, would the other seed have been less viable in 
any way? Would these 8 seed be the only good seed since they are the only 
ones that would have survived under "normal" conditions? 



I'm not sure Momma iris cuts off nourishment only to the poor seed? It 
seemed that location within the pod was more of a determining factor. In the 
case where aborted seed were present and obvious, the survivors were more in 
groups or certain areas of the pod? (Memory of course)

Comments? 






Betty W. in South-central KY Zone 6
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
_www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/_ 
(http://www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/) 
_Reblooming Iris - Home Page_ (http://www.rebloomingiris.com/) 
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_AIS: American Iris Society website_ (http://www.irises.org/) 

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