OT-BIO: HYB: Minnesota, new pollen dauber

Because Joe is in such a different climate from mine, I'm posting his
note to me  here to get input from others in climate more similar to
his.

<My name is Joe Mullins, my dad and I have an iris garden in NW
Minnesota. We've been open 7 years to the
public. It's terribly cold on the iris but we have gotten 1504 varieties
to take now.  People visiting us tell us we
have varieties that shouldn't grow up here so we must be doing something
right.... I am 26 years old. This year I did my first crosses.  >

Hooray, another young hybridizer in the making!

<I don't know where to go from here.  I have access to a greenhouse at
NDSU for research.  So, that's an option to get some good growth in the
winter.  [...pots ....seemed like a good
idea to me.>

<I've got tons of seedpods, about 90% of the crosses I made have large
pods.  I don't know the following:  When to take the pods, what to do
with them, do I soak them??...  I'd like to force them and start them
growing either in the basement under grow lights or at the greenhouse.
There are parents that hybridizers use a lot and rules for good crosses
I don't know.  Is there a book that covers some of this for a person
starting out?>

Don't all of us new pollen daubers wish!  The World of Iris, available
through the AIS storefront, covers some of the basics of inheritance of
various things, plus that's something we talk about a lot in this
forum.  If you have a few weeks with nothing to do, there are tons of
good information on hybridizing in the archives of this forum (see link
following my signature).

You will see (at least!) two different approaches to hybridizing: (1)
folks like me using only the few very toughest performers in my growing
conditions, trying to improve form, substance, rebloom, branching etc
etc and diversify colors and patterns by crossing them with pollen from
often ephemeral 'better' cultivars hybridized and selected in more
forgiving growing conditions, and (2) folks using the very 'best' modern
cultivars trying to improve vigor or diversity of bloom to come up with
award winners.  And of course, everything in between.

<Our growing season is so short. The iris are frozen until april 1 and
we have snow typically in October. Rebloomers don't rebloom (only Violet
Music reblooms for us). Immortality 1 in 4 years maybe.  We cut back
half the reblooming stalks as half the rebloomers are blooming a week or
two before the first snowstorm and they die.
Everyone asks about rebloomers, we tell them the truth, that they don't
work well here.  I am looking for reblooming dwarfs.  Our season should
be long enough for them I'd think.  The dwarf iris do extremely well
here.  The b/c iris flourish here.  I've heard many people have a hard
time growing them in certain areas.  We
have 60 some varieties I believe of the b/c iris right now.
I'd like to get more species type iris like iris cristata, versicolor,
tectorum etc...  Having dwarf crested blooming with snow still on the
ground possibly would be fun...  >

Maybe someone in climates similar to yours can help you find suitable
cultivars - TBs are my passion, & while I grow some of this n that, I
don't put much energy in those directions.

<We have heavy heavy clay gumbo type soil and it is horrible to work in.
It is literally concrete.  We have abandoned the field and have made 30
or so 60-80 foot long 5-12 foot wide raised beds right in the yard.>

<I bought a great new digital camera and now have beautiful pictures of
everything that bloomed for us this year.
We're working on building our website.  I work in Plant Pathology at
NDSU, so I am really enjoying this hobby and want to learn more.  Joe>

You have certainly come to the right place!  I have learned nearly all I
know about irises, at least hybridizing, from this forum, and most of
the rest I have learned has resulted from bouncing ideas around with
others, then experimenting on my own.  Have fun, and post more questions
if you need more answers!

--
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>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
photos archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/>
online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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