Re: Digest Number 1629

William asks about growing iris and daylillies from seed, and has been 
directed to the archives where he will find lots of useful information.

I also suggest joining The American Iris Society, info on line, and buying a 
basic book on iris. I suggest The World of Iris, and even though less 
thorough, more up to date and user friendly is Bill Shear's book which is 
also available discounted through the AIS.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that cultivated, hybrid iris nor 
daylilles come true from seed. Each new plant constitutes a genetic throw of 
the dice, and there is always the possibility that you will have, by 
accident, the most spectacular, robust, disease resistant winner, or that you 
will have the ugliest, weakest, vulnerable iris ever. 

You are probably lucky in finding the excess rhizomes from someone else' 
garden, and you probably have some good historic iris in your collection, 
which AIS access as well as this lists might help you to identify.

Most people who grow iris and daylillies from seed are making intentional 
crosses, aiming to improve a target characteristic from the parents they 
select. That is no reason not to plant your seed, but seedlings need to be 
weeded, transplanted, and may not bloom for several years, so there is lots 
of work involved. You have nothing to lose but time and effort and from these 
accidental crosses you might find some winners.

If I had lots of seed (and was willing to commit myself to the work involved) 
from accidental crosses from unidentified parents, I would prepare a bed 
directly in the ground sometime before fall and plant them about on inch deep 
to prevent squirrels, rain and hoarfrost from heaving them out of the ground. 
I would plant them in some sort of pattern, i.e. rows a couple of inches 
apart, and put the seed in at about one inch intervals so you will more 
easily recognize the iris seedling from grasses when they are very small. 

However, I would recommend that you order some seed of various iris species 
from the Iris Species Society, o.50 per pkt. for members, and see what other 
types of iris you can grow. Species iris do come true from seed, though there 
will be minor variations among the individual plants. Then as you identify 
what you have from your accidental garden, you might want to make some 
crosses utilizing your favorites next spring.

Good luck

James Harrison
Asheville


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