Re: HYB: wide crosses
- Subject: Re: HYB: wide crosses
- From: p*@whidbey.net
- Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2001 18:11:49 -0000
Linda,
I can SO relate to the careful research, then using whatever pollen
comes on whatever bloom seems a good mix when the time comes. This
was my first year of hybridizing; and while I only (mostly) bought
irises that were confirmed fertile from my research, when the time
came, I played it by eye.
And you're right about the island. It's the most perfect gardening
climate I've found -- and I've lived all over the country. That's
why I spent eight years working to come here to retire. And true to
its reputation for my favorite flower, it produced pollen beyond my
wildest dreams. Especially my favorites: ELECTRIQUE, REINCARNATION,
SAMURAI WARRIOR, and ENCHANTING just outdid themselves, all in their
first year of bloom.
I've ordered a shameless number for next year's bloom (which I
call '02 cvs, whoever asked) so I'll probably be swimming in it, if
anyone would like me to send some to them. I am so grateful to iris-
talk for all the great advice, and to iris register. I'd still be
mired in my first mistakes otherwise.
Patricia Brooks
Whidbey Island, WA, zone 8
--- In iris-talk@y..., Linda Mann <lmann@i...> wrote:
> Patricia Brooks Whidbey Island, WA, zone 8 said:
>
> <I was interested in your saying that most of your crosses were
wide.
> So I'd have some to compare germination-wise. I'm wondering how you
> measure "wide.">
>
> In my case, I'm trying to create some tough TBs as breeding stock
with
> enough mixed genetic background so that if I live long enough, I can
> breed a diverse collection of colors and patterns that will thrive
(?)
> here in my peculiarly difficult growing conditions. What I try to
do is
> track pedigrees before bloom season so I know more or less which
> cultivars are the result of line-breeding for a single color and
pattern
> (usually these turn out to be selfs or plics here), which ones have
> potential I. reichenbachii genes, which aphylla, which variegata,
which
> pallida (all species that have various survival traits here).
(aphylla
> cultivars don't do well at all here (barely live), but sometimes
some
> TBs with some aphylla in the mix seem to handle summer drought by
> shutting down, dropping leaves if things get too bad), & which ones
have
> high potential for recessive this 'n that (patterns & colors).
Then,
> during bloom season, I try to avoid crosses with the line-bred
> same-color selfs, try to mix things up as much as possible, with the
> following constraints:
>
> At least one parent has to be tough enough (to the best of my
knowledge)
> to thrive & bloom reliably here (more or less), I don't cross two
> historics (well, sure I do, but not to tell anybody...<g>), I try
to
> cross something with wide falls with narrow, modern 'weak' with old
> tough, good branching with no branching, consistent height (usually
only
> historics meet this criterion) with variable height, or anything
with
> IMMORTALITY. After reading Walter Moores really interesting
summary of
> 'progenitor' irises in rebloom pedigrees, I think I need to back up
a
> generation and start crossing anything with I DO, which I haven't
tried
> to grow.
>
> <As sisters-in-growing-zone, >
>
> ROFLOL and other general hysteria <g> - you've got to be kidding
<g>!
> On your island, with the moderating effect on climate of all that
ocean
> around you, you will never have the kind of mid-continental freeze
> damage we get here. So you should be able to cross darn near
anything
> that's at all inclined to be fertile. Not so here - after all that
> careful pedigree searching and thinking, I wind up using whatever
pollen
> I have that looks possibly viable on whatever blooms.
>
> Somebody with more experience where irises actually grow can
probably
> give you a better idea of what to expect re: seed viability in the
kind
> of wide crosses you are making.
>
> Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
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