Re: Arilbreds in the Southeast

Donald Mosser wrote:

:  I noticed
:  that you left the southeastern U.S. out of the geographical examples. 

I compiled that from hybridizers addresses given in AIS Checklists.  Those were
the states that these types are proven to grow well enough to cross them, make
selections, and accumulate enough stock to introduce something.  I didn't mean
to suggest that those are the ONLY places they'll grow.  

:  Is
:  there any chance that I could grow arilbreds here in the South Carolina.  I
:  have an average annual rainfall of 49 inches, but I do have extremely well
:  drained sand for soil.  In fact I think my soil has much to do with how
:  well my TB's are doing.  My climate does, however, have very high humidity
:  almost year round.

If TBs do well for you, I think ANY 1/4-bred is worth trying.  Many 1/2-breds
and a few 3/4-breds should make it, but I always suggest starting with the
easiest ones first.

:  Just 10 miles away, across the Savannah River, in Georgia they have the
:  typical red "Georgia" clay.  However, I'm on a sandy ridge above what I
:  presume to be the original valley which ran along the river.  Some places
:  in my garden I've dug three feet and have still only found sand! Other
:  places in the garden I have a mix of small amounts of orange clay with
:  mostly sand.  My whole garden is on a slope and so it's virtually one big
:  raised bed.

:  Given these cultural conditions, what sort of arils/arilbreds if any would
:  you recommend (i.e. a starter list of die-hard, more adaptable arils)?

That does sound like ideal drainage!  The regeliocyclus are by reputation the
most die-hard, adaptable arils.  If you find one of the old Van Tubergen hybrids
with names from mythology -- like ARTEMIS, ANDROMACHE, CYTHE, OBERON -- grab it.
These have been around long enough to have proven pretty tough.  

The closest I can come geographically is advice from the late Cope Goodwin, on
whom I relied for observations of arilbreds in Georgia.  Here's a list of some
he grew well enough to offer for sale through the Aril Society:

BIONIC BURST (1/2-bred)
BOLD SENTRY (1/2-bred) -- won the Wm. Mohr award as a 1/4-bred, but was later
counted as a 1/2-bred
CHENIK AGA (1/2-bred)
DARDANUS (regeliocyclus)
DRESDEN GOLD (1/2-bred)
FAIRY ARTISTRY (1/2-bred)
FOURTEEN FOR RACHEL (1/2-bred)
HALLELUJAH CHORUS (1/2-bred)
Himmel Und Erde (1/2-bred) now known as SKY AND EARTH
KALIFA GULNARE (1/2-bred)
LABEN EFFENDI (1/2-bred)
LADY MOHR (1/4-bred)
MOHR PRETENDER (1/2-bred)
ORA J. SEALE (1/2-bred)
PRINCE THOU ART (1/2-bred)
RARE FORM (1/2-bred)
SHEIK (1/2-bred)
WARRIOR'S MANTLE (1/2-bred)
There were many others, but some years we produced an alphabetized list instead
of separating it by donor.  I can't resist adding one more: OPALS FOR ETHEL (my
first introduction).  Cope sent me a picture of it more impressive than it had
even been in my own garden.

Sharon McAllister
73372.1745@compuserve.com
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