Re: Frozen Iris
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Frozen Iris
- From: "* G* C* <j*@erols.com>
- Date: Fri, 2 Jan 1998 18:46:52 -0700 (MST)
L.Zurbrigg wrote:
>
Griff Crump wrote:
> In the dreadful winter of '95-'96, I lost 50% of my 1,380
> >seedlings outright to the freeze-thaw phenomenon . . . The casualties
> >included three entire lots that were crosses of Jennifer Rebecca. Then
> >Erwinia attacked the survivors. . . This
> >year, one of the survivors took "best seedling" . . .
> Dear Griff: Surprised that you have seedlings of JENNIFER REBECCA! Glad
> that one won an award. Congratulations. Lloyd Z in Durham NC
Lloyd -- I'm sorry if my posting was confusing. All three crosses of
JENNIFER REBECCA perished entirely. None were among the survivors. I
hope to make the same crosses this coming spring, amd am sure that JR
will eventually produce one or more prize winners.
You might be interested in the following: I had made four successful
crosses involving JR that year, each with a different variety. JR was
the pod parent in each case. I had attempted to use JR as the pollen
parent in 10 crosses involving 9 different varieties. None took. Three
of the 4 pods split while still green, and the pale brown seeds did not
detach easily.
Of the 4 pods, one produced 9 seeds, one produced 5, and two produced 4
each.
Of the 9 seeds, one germinated. Of the 5, 3 germinated. Of the two
4-seed plantings, one produced 2 seedlings, the other none. Thus, a
total of 6 JR seedlings went into the winter well-rooted and
flourishing. Unfortunately, all were on the windward side of the garden,
which took the worst hit in the freeze-thaw-wind onslaught. As they say,
it ain't easy being green. But JENNIFER REBECCA is a flower worth trying
it all again for.
Griff Crump, along the tidal Potomac near Mount Vernon, VA
jgcrump@erols.com
