Fwd: Re: HYB:2001 Seed
- Subject: Fwd: [iris-talk] Re: HYB:2001 Seed
- From: w*@watervalley.net
- Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2001 11:39:45 -0500 (CDT)
What is a balloon pod? Those things that look like tiny little
watermelons are bee pods, right?
Laetitia
Balloon pods or air pods are full of air and no seed. What causes
them is unknown, but they grow and mature like a regular seed pod and
eventually split open to reveal nothing. Many times you can spot them because
the ridges of the pod never smooth out and the pod doesn't fatten like
a miniature watermelon. Sometimes, though, you can be completely fooled by the appearance of the pod. It may have a seed or two in it. And, occasionally one
that fattens up has no seed in it. But, for the most part, balloon pods
maintain the ridges through their development period.
Bee pods most often are more likely caused by bumblebees spreading pollen around. If the pod parent is unusual, new, rare, or has been difficult for me and I have space, I might tag it with the pollen parent, harvest it, and then plant it. I have never saved any seedlings from a bee cross. Others have had great success.
Walter Moores
Enid Lake, MS USA 7/8
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