Re: HYB:Pod parents (care and feeding)

In a message dated 1/15/2006 4:15:01 P.M. Central Standard Time,  
flatnflashy@yahoo.com writes:

<<Seems like a priority one job to me.  Doesn't the parent  plant make 
increases in the fall, after the seed pod has matured?  >>
No conflict here.  The production of increase doesn't figure into  it.  In my 
area we usually get fall rains, so that wouldn't effect the  production of 
increases.   
 
One of the things we like about the iris is it's ability to  endure.  If 
necessary the iris plant will drop fans to  conserve energy during a drought.  
But, under the same conditions, what  does it do if it's pregnant??
 
To take it to a human level . . . spontaneous abortion is not  uncommon.  Why 
couldn't it happen in iris seed?  
 
During maturation of the seed, that is the iris plants main  focus/job.  
Experience with iris seed tells me that viable seed are  produced within the first 
few weeks after pollination . . . probably 4  weeks.  
 
Back in 1990 we had a very wet spring.  Pods were rotting on the  stalks.  
Slimy pods were everywhere. One pod (Orange Empire) was on my work  bench for a 
long time.  Notes say I almost threw it away.  Finally I  put the pod, which 
had disintegrated into a pile of slime, with seed (both  still green) in a 
sieve and hosed off all the SLIME.  Let the seed  dry.  Nine of the seed sprouted 
the following spring.
 
Years before I started with irises, I was an avid organic gardener, and  
subscriber of gardening magazines.  I read everything published on  seed 
production.  Maybe the things I read were in error.
 
<<<  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.    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, I too have had pods that produce 60+ seed.  But some times  they 
can fool you.  A huge pod will produce 10 seed and a small pod will  produce 
35-60.  Usually that large pod is all pod with thick walls while  the small one 
had thin but tough walls.  
 
<<I don't agree with the idea that the number of seeds is affected by  what 
the parent can support. >>>
 
Let's say for instance that a bloom sets 60 seed in the pod and they start  
to mature, but a few days into maturation something happens!  Let's say the  
last rain was weeks before the pod set, and the temperatures soar into the  
upper 90's. This is what happened this year.  
 
The plant has no energy, no reserve to mature the 60 seed.  Perhaps  the 
nutrients are in the ground but can not be released due to the lack of  moisture.  
What then?  Does the plant simply abort the entire  pod?  Some do.  Is it 
possible that the pod/plant aborts some thus  saving some?  I really don't know.  
 
But I found pods with evidence of aborted seed (still in the pod) along  with 
mature seed.  Of course, it's not the first time. And maybe  something else 
went wrong with the aborted seed. I'm simply offering  this as one possibility. 
 Again, I'm not a scientist.  
 
But I believe my seed harvest will be enhanced by having plants that are in  
optimum condition from bloom thru seed pod harvest.  
 


 
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/) 
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