Re: HYB: breeding strategy (Answer 2)
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: HYB: breeding strategy (Answer 2)
  • From: B* W* <a*@aol.com>
  • Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2012 19:20:55 -0400 (EDT)
<<route to follow to reach goal #2,
I've decided (more or less) to try to focus on incorporating just a few
of the shotgun crosses.>>
Linda, youbve probably tired of hearing me preach on the inheritance of pod parents. New hybridizers are being advised that it doesnbt matter which iris is the pod parent, but that totally ignores the qualities that are passed on by the pod parent only.
So once again, I have to advise that you use the healthiest, strongest, best branched irises as the pod parents. Twenty five years ago I was advised that it was important to use the best branched iris as your pod parent as the quality is difficult to recover. Check your judgebs manual to see what AIS finds acceptable if you think your irises will wind up on a show bench one day or be up for awards.
Youbve done well with bImmortality,b bHarvest of Memories,b bViolet Miracle,b bTea Leaves,b bMatrix,b bRenownb & bTwilight Fancy.b Somehow youbve missed bEarl of Essexb which was one of my most productive rebloomers.
Ibve used a lot of rebloomers that havenbt done well for you like bLunar Whitewash,b bAgain & Again,b bTotal Recallb & bPure As Gold.b These provide some extra width of petals. Any chance you could try them again? bOver & Overb reblooms really well here, but I donbt know yet if itbs good at producing reblooming children. Soon.
With so few really good summer rebloomers (not counting Chuckbs SDBbs) youbd think the hybridizers would have a lot more overlap of reblooming irises in their programs, but webre all doing different things.
The boncersb we choose to use, and the selections we make among seedlings, should present the most variety in the generation of rebloomers webll all produce. It should be awesome. Ibve failed to use certain things based on my own personal bias. I donbt care for open standards, messy hafts, or lack of balance in the blooms/stalks. For instance, I cringe when I see blooms with falls that are an inch longer than the standards. Or, a bloom coming straight off the main stalk. My choices are not always the same as the rest of you.
If the summer rebloom gene is dominant then most of our seedlings should rebloom in CA. Are you ready for that move? ;-) 

Questions are welcome.

I'll send some more pictures.  Maybe.


Betty Wilkerson
Zone 6 KY
autmirislvr@aol.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Mann <lmann@lock-net.com>
To: iris <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Fri, Jun 29, 2012 7:55 am
Subject: [iris] HYB: breeding strategy

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