Re: First-generation arilbreds

sharon - 

>I've found the reverse cross is harder to make, but produces better quality
>seedlings 

i assume you mean depending on which parent is the pod parent?  which is the
normal and which is the reverse?

<<  I do have one especially nice one slated for introduction in 1997. 

does it have a name yet?  gardeners are certainly patient and persistent,
aren't we?

<<Have you been able to identify hybidizers whose varieties do well for you?
 

I have been trying to decide whether or not i know the answer to this, and
don't think i do.  i have gradually been able to increase the amount of money
i spend on plants, but at first was only spending about $30 /yr - now its
closer to $100..  

my first mail order (named varieties) iris came from rancho de la flor de lis
around 1987.  they sent me a nice selection, some did really well, some
didn't.  then i orderd from wilds, and all of their iris did well.  when they
went out of the iris business, i tried commanche acres, and was very
disappointed with the varieties i got from them.  Then i found schreiners'
catalog and bought from them for several years.  Most of the varieities i got
from them did very well, but as i moved towards more recent introductions, i
started losing plants.  which is when the quest began.  so i didn't really
start paying attention to hybridizer names and locations until the last few
years.  i have had best luck by requesting help from the supplier in
selecting varieities.  stockton (cottage) gardens has been a good inexpensive
source of 'experiments'.  as you can guess from the small amount of money i
spend, i haven't done any statistically valid comparisons, but i did try
 some hooker nichols, blyth, palmer, and hager varieities and the nichols and
hager plants did quite well.  last year, i got some chet tompkins, ghio, and
cooley varieities - too soon to report on them.  i have a few mohr varieities
and they love it here.  i have probably tried growing more shreiner
varieities than any other and some color lines do really well and others are
terrible.  some of the 'good' older varieities were hybridized by tompkins,
opal brown (hers have a reputation for rot here, but the ones i have are some
of my best), niswonger, plough... my memory doesn't turn up any more names,
but there are more...

linda m
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