Re: Re: HYB: pollination

In a message dated 6/19/2006 7:34:30 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
lmann@lock-net.com writes:

<<I see filled pods form on a bloom <not> pollinated by me,  <after> I've
attempted to set pods on a different bloom, or maybe a  slightly earlier
(more fully open) bloom on the same stalk.  I think  the tiny non-flying
or weak flying pollen eating insects (which are  abundant here most years
- I never use insecticides) are traveling around  the plant gathering all
the edible pollen they can find and sometimes  spread pollen on stigmas
better than I do.  Plus they can wiggle into  blooms that aren't open, so
pollen may be there, ready to go when  conditions are perfect.>>
 
I thought these bugs were making most if not all of my "bee" pods.   Then my 
neighbor brought in 2 bee hive and I have pods everywhere!  Maybe 3  times the 
normal amount.  
 
<<There is also the reported effect of stimulating better  pollination by
using mixed pollen to 'prime'  fertilization.>>
 
I've never understood why people put mixed pollen on an iris!  Not a  method 
I've used since I like to know the parents of my irises.  
 
Since I've moved out here, I've had two pods that fit your  description.  I 
made a cross and later a pod showed up at another location  on that stalk.  
Three have bloomed and the results looks like  what I would have expected from my 
cross!  
 
The others will bloom next spring.  Cross made was (1610-2:Another  Bridge x 
Visiting Royalty) X Louisa's Song.  Nine seed resulted from this  cross with 
100% germination.  Will I be able to tell if the cross is the  one I made?  In 
this case I could have simply removed the tag too quick,  thinking it didn't 
take!  I don't think there is any way to tell.  
 
This year has blown my theories about most bee pods being "selfs."  

<<Example - attempts to set pods on a few open blooms on HELEN  COLLINGWOOD
with ROMANTIC EVENING pollen were unsucessful - <but> a bee  pod formed
on an unpollinated (by me) bloom that produced seedlings that  look
<very> much like the pollen parent was ROMANTIC  EVENING.>>
 
Lots of FUN!  



________________________________________________________
If you  don't cross them, you can't  plant them! 
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/) 
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