Bridal Netting for safely drying seeds

The 'Bridal' netting is very fine , not like the regular netting.

This can be  purchased cheaply in any Fabric Dept. , about 3 yards for 1.00

You could get creative and use different colors for different seeds.

Put the seeds in a piece you cut off  , gather the edges with your fingers
into a poofy bundle and tie  closed.

Make this large enough so the seeds can spread out when the bundle is
shaken.

Tie a name tag on the bundle and for extra security put a teeny label  with
the cross# inside too.

For tags I use pieces of cheap vinyl venetian blind slats , hole punched and
written on with pencil.

I've used this method for years .

Also works super well for the seed pods that explode when ripe on some other
 flowers .

If you do not want to tape your flowers shut after hand pollinating , you
can wrap a piece around the blossom.

Towards the end of the growing season my garden looks very strange , or so
my Mail lady says .

IMO looks a heck of a  lot better than using old nylons.

Shirley,

http://community.webshots.com/album/125344462zaHnik
-------Original Message-------

From: iris@hort.net
Date: 06/27/05 11:50:47
To: iris-digest@hort.net
Subject: [iris] iris DIGEST V1 #402

iris DIGEST           Monday, June 27 2005           Volume 01 : Number 402



In this issue:

        Re: [iris]HYB:seed:drying
        [iris] Cindy .........   Miss Jessica
        [iris] Re:Miss Jessica
        Re: [iris]HYB:seed:drying
        Re: [iris]HYB:seed:drying
        Re: [iris]HYB:seed:drying
        Re: [iris] iris DIGEST V1 #400
        [iris] TB: bee pods

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 13:20:38 -0400
From: Chris Darlington <chrisdarlington@videotron.ca>
Subject: Re: [iris]HYB:seed:drying

Betty,

VERY interesting !  I've done the envelope thing thing before but always got
mold.  I'll happily give your shaking technique a try, sounds like it has
promise.  The problem here North of Montreal is that Summers are very humid.
Regardless, I'm going to give it a shot with a cross or two.

Chris

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 12:47:20 -0500 (Central Daylight Time)
From: "Shirley Sommers" <scooterbugss@charter.net>
Subject: [iris] Cindy .........   Miss Jessica

This is all I could find. Hope it helps .

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:xfRA5jTF3ycJ:lacyhagood.com/Iris2005
pdf+Miss+Jessica+Iris+++Nebeker++1997.&hl=en

Shirley
http://community.webshots.com/album/125344462zaHnik

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 13:02:19 -0500 (Central Daylight Time)
From: "Shirley Sommers" <scooterbugss@charter.net>
Subject: [iris] Re:Miss Jessica

Guess you need the  wesite that goes with the price list, eh ?

Sorry, old brain backfired  lol

http://lacyhagood.com/index.html

Shirley

Why is it that inside every older person is a younger person wondering what
the heck happened?

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 15:30:10 EDT
From: Autmirislvr@aol.com
Subject: Re: [iris]HYB:seed:drying

In a message dated 6/26/2005 12:21:23 P.M. Central Standard Time,
chrisdarlington@videotron.ca writes:

The  problem here North of Montreal is that Summers are very humid.


Chris, the summers are usually quite humid here too.  When I first  started
this technique, I didn't have AC.  (Why they were by the window  that one
day)
I lived in an old house that had been renovated but didn't  have an AC.

Since I had so many, I used a series of envelope dividers to  separate the
envelopes and hold them upright for better air circulation.   The envelopes
looked a bit drab by the time I got the "rattle" I was  seeking.  More
moisture
moved into the envelope itself.  But it still  did the job.

Now that I keep them in the office near the computer they are in air
conditioning and the envelopes stay nice and clean (looking).  I snip the
corner of
the envelope when I'm ready to plant.  I often think how close  I've
mimicked
commercial seed packs.


Betty W. in  South-central KY Zone 6
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
_www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/_
(http://www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/)
_Reblooming Iris - Home Page_ (http://www.rebloomingiris.com/)
_iris-photos archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/)
_iris-talk archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/)
_AIS: American Iris Society website_ (http://www.irises.org/)

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 18:14:33 EDT
From: Cseggen1@aol.com
Subject: Re: [iris]HYB:seed:drying

In a message dated 6/26/2005 10:42:57 AM Central Daylight Time,
Autmirislvr@aol.com writes:
<<In a message dated 6/24/2005 9:01:21 P.M. Central Standard  Time,
chrisdarlington@videotron.ca writes:

Also  open  cups is important for drying,
otherwise the seeds will get moldy   fast.>>
I posted this to the iris list 2 time and each time it went into the
archives without ever showing up on the iris list.  (On my screen at  least)

Thought someone might appreciate knowing the technique I've  worked out for
drying seed.
About 4 years into my breeding  program, I was gone for a week and  came
back
to
find seed all over the  floor.  A year or two later, a  humid year, I had
all
of
my  crosses in an envelope rack by an open  window.  Wind whipped the
curtain
over them and knocked several to the   floor.

I found cups to be  impractical back when I was  harvesting approximately 80
crosses per year. In desperation I developed  this technique.  When my seed
are removed from the pod they are counted  and go straight into a  personal
sized
envelope.  I find these  much easier to handle than open  cups, and they
don't
take as much  storage space.

The number of seed, the parents, and the field #  are printed on the
envelope
before the seed go into the envelope.  The  envelope is sealed!!  Permanent
cross number is added once  all  seed are dry and the year's cross
information
has been sorted (by  pod  parent).   Everything is on excel these days.
Number
of seed is  entered into the permanent records.  Number of pots  per cross
will
be  entered later and date planted.

The  envelopes are stacked on edge on the bookshelf nearest my  computer.
I
keep the seed from molding and sticking to the envelopes by  shaking  them
every
day.  I reverse the envelopes each day, also.   This  last step may not be
necessary, but gravity kicks in if something  didn't  turn loose during the
shaking.  Eventually, they will have  a dry rattling  sound.  (no mold) Once
they are
dry, I sort them  according to the permanent  number, now on the upper right
hand corner  of the envelope.  Then, I forget  them until planting time.

I've used the sealed envelope technique for about 15 years.  I get  no  mold
so long as I remember to shake the envelopes.  Even if  mold should  occur,
it
does not damage the seed.  Just looks  bad.
Betty, would it help  to punch several small pinholes in the envelope with a
large needle?


Connie Eggen
Zone 5
Warsaw MO

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 26 Jun 2005 18:49:42 EDT
From: Autmirislvr@aol.com
Subject: Re: [iris]HYB:seed:drying

In a message dated 6/26/2005 5:15:27 P.M. Central Standard Time,
Cseggen1@aol.com writes:

<<Betty, would it help  to punch several small pinholes  in the envelope
with
a
large needle?>>

You could do that, but I've never found it necessary.  Envelopes  are made
of
porous paper and allow air transfer.  Just shake them  once a day.  Knock
loose any seed stuck to the envelope, but reversing top  & bottom will let
them
fall.

It really is as simple as it sounds.  And I don't have to worry about  my
cats knocking those cups down.




Betty W. in  South-central KY Zone 6
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
_www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/_
(http://www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/)
_Reblooming Iris - Home Page_ (http://www.rebloomingiris.com/)
_iris-photos archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/)
_iris-talk archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/)
_AIS: American Iris Society website_ (http://www.irises.org/)

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 08:25:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Chad Schroter <chadschroter@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [iris] iris DIGEST V1 #400

Mike,  I'm growing Entice here in Los Gatos ( just the other side of the
Santa Cruz Mountains from Joe, Zone 9) and it's growing OK but didn't bloom
for me this Spring. Thanks to Joe's generosity I have virtually all of his
2004's and every one but Entice bloomed well this past Spring...

Chad Schroter

Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2005 11:34:36 EDT
From: Matbeach1@aol.com
Subject: [iris] TB: Is anyone growing ENTICE (Ghio Intro from 2004)?

Thanks, sorry, I should have clarified -- I was wondering if anyone on
the
list could attest to its growing habits, color, etc..

thanks--Mike in SC

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2005 09:36:17 -0600
From: "Char Randall" <randall83641@velocitus.net>
Subject: [iris] TB: bee pods

I have several bee pods if someone would like to have them. Several from
Mariposa Skies, some from Sara's Beauty, and a few misc others.

If anyone would like them please email me off list.

Char Randall
Melba, ID

------------------------------

End of iris DIGEST V1 #402
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