Re: HYB: seedling survival (data)

Linda -- If I'm understanding your question correctly -- After I transplant the seedlings from pot to the ground, I usually have 80% or better survival over a period of 3 years, after which major culling is done. That's if there's not some unusual occurrence along the way, such as invasion of a bed by rot, or damping off, or stressing of the plants because of poor soil (which can happen if you must buy it commercially or if you use the wrong fertilizer). When any of those things has happened, I have noticed that some crosses have been hit harder than others -- in some cases, all seedlings of a particular cross wiped out. Was it because they were next to each other, or because they shared genetic makeup? Also, in the couple of years that these calamities have occurred, the affected plants were almost all first-year seedlings. If I should get the time to check the records, it might show a pattern of particular parentage in the affected crosses. But even if it did, would that cause me not to try the same cross again or not to use the parents in other crosses. I doubt it. -- Griff

----- Original Message ----- From: "Linda Mann" <lmann@volfirst.net>
To: "iris- talk" <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2006 6:20 AM
Subject: [iris] HYB: seedling survival (data)


2002 was the first year for more than a few pods, plus I wasn't counting
seed production before then.

A quick glance over 2002, 2003, & 2004 seed counts versus mature
seedlings that were still alive last time I checked surprised me.
Typical survival rate for crosses with more than one or two seedlings
that are still alive is about 25%.  Several were closer to 10%, a few
were much higher.  Many were zero.  Most surprising one is IC4:
(IMMORTALITY x CELEBRATION SONG) X TRANS ORANGE.  The pod only produced
9 seeds, my notes say they were all bad (looked immature), 5 seedlings
are still alive and growing.

I think I'd better go over all of my notes and look at this more closely
before daubing season gets here!  Some of the crosses that I've been
thinking were weak, just looking at what's in the garden (i.e., how few
seedlings are alive), may be a lot stronger than I realized.  Typical
germination rate has been somewhere around 30%, so I'm getting much
higher survival rates in a lot of crosses than I thought.

I may have to spray with puree of soft rot, dirt, and manure after all,
to stress these babies more!

What survival rates are the rest of you seeing?
--
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>
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