Re:HYB: Bud Count Question

It's been my experience that maiden bloom, especially if the plant is not
overly strong or especially well grown and mature, is not very
representative of the well-grown mature seedling in many respects--except
for basic color.  That may look different, but not be utterly different, on
the mature plant.

Barry Blyth, I forget where, commented that on bud count, DECADENCE had only
three buds on its maiden bloom.  Here this year, on a new plant, it has had
seven or eight, I've lost count.  It certainly is adequate and presents the
blooms well.

I've had a lot of surprises in seedlings--sometimes a drastic drop in
quality, sometimes a whopping increase, such as in the flower's
"presentation"--I don't know what else to call this--is such that one goes
away from it with a glow in memory.

The seedling didn't have it in its first year, but has thereafter.  I
suspect a combination of factors--clarity or luminosity of color, harmony
among the various pigments (as the beard almost always has at least *some*
carotenoid family pigment in it, not necessarily in harmony with the petal
color), form, texture--probably all contribute to the overall sense I'm
talking about.  Probably other things enter in as well.

Branching and bud count, as well as many factors influencing flower size,
pigmentation and form are all influenced by nutritional factors.  An
especially well grown, well fed and watered, limed, weed-free plant has a
better chance of putting on a quality show than one less well treated.
Getting several specimens on the show bench from a series of different
gardens reveals just how variable a variety can be.

Bud count is particularly sensitive to growth conditions, it appears.

The central, mature bloom fan typically will have a stalk with better
branching, higher bud count than bloom from increases just in their first
year.  Some varieties are particularly prone to send up stalks from the most
mature increases, an asset especially for us who get winter and spring
weather-induced loss of the stalk from the mature fan.  These, however,
never seem to have the highest count or best branching of which the variety
is capable.

Neil Mogensen   z 7  Reg 4  western NC mountains

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