Re: HYB: Wide Crosses

From: dkramb@tso.cin.ix.net (Dennis Kramb)

>I believe it is this extreme variation in results which leads some people
>to dismiss wide crosses and others to be drawn to them, becuase it's very
>important not to judge the results of wide crosses on the basis of a small
>sample.   Wide crosses have their own special purpose in hybridizing
>programs, as do line breeding and outcrossing -- but they're also great fun
>for people with more time than space for seedlings.

All this talk of unusual crosses has coaxed me into sharing with the group
something I've been hoping to do.  I'm curious to hear if it has been done
before, or what people think my chances of success might be.

This year I added two types of crested irises to my collection, the locally
native i. cristata and the near-tropical i. wattii.  For those of you
unfamiliar with them, i. cristata is a tiny little guy only a few inches
tall, whereas its cousin i. wattii can be several feet tall with lots of
branching.

It struck me one day that it would be cool to cross these together to get
something taller than cristata, with branching, and more winter hardiness
than wattii.  Something that could survive outside all year round.  Of
course, it will probably backfire and I'll get offspring that inherit the
single-flower cristata bloom *AND* the cold-intolerance of the wattii!
LOL!

Anyhoo...whaddy'all think?  An inspired vision?  or just a lot of wishful
thinking?

Dennis Kramb; dkramb@tso.cin.ix.net
Cincinnati, Ohio USA; USDA Zone 6; AIS Region 6
Member of AIS, ASI, HIPS, RIS, SIGNA, & Miami Valley Iris Society
Primary Interests: Arilbreds, Rebloomers, and Native Ohio Species Irises



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