RE: HYB: using Tea Leaves for breeding
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: RE: HYB: using Tea Leaves for breeding
  • From: &* E* <1*@rewrite.hort.net>
  • Date: Thu, 15 May 2014 12:53:16 -0700
Linda, your description of Tea Leaves is of an iris that wouldn't stay long
in my garden and would certainly not be used as a parent.  I never get fall
rebloom here.  All my rebloomers spend the fall days recovering from too
many days of 110+ F degrees.  They start their rebloom while it is still
winter.  This year we really didn't have any winter.  My best reblooming
seedling started blooming on Feb. 3 and finished on May 10.  It's a deep,
bright pink self with excellent form, growth, branching, six to eight buds
and very fragrant.  I am registering it this year.  Its heritage is
((Barbara My Love x Cast of Characters) x Pink Champagne) X Peggy Sue.

I notice that often an iris that reblooms heavily for a long time one year
may not rebloom at all the next year.  Last year the longest repeat bloomers
were my Cloud Reflection and Desert Roundelay, a seedling of CR.  This year
they only bloomed for about a month, and I don't call that rebloom.
Francelle Edwards

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-iris@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of Linda
Mann
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 6:56 AM
To: iris@hort.net
Subject: [iris] HYB: using Tea Leaves for breeding

Now that I have bloomed a few more first and second generation seedlings
from Tea Leaves, I wanted to share a few observations.

Tea Leaves tends to be average height here, but stalks lean, even tho they
aren't that tall and don't carry many blooms.  Bloom size varies a lot
depending on weather, but usually are fairly small.  Few blooms, no
branching to speak of, blooms up near the top of the stalk.  It doesn't
increase much, doesn't put up many stalks.  I don't know whether any of
those traits are my growing conditions or genetics.  It does put up stalks
and tries to bloom in hot weather, often unsuccessful if it's really hot and
dry.

First generation seedlings have all been short relative to other TBs. 
Branching has been average or below average, & I haven't paid enough
attention to know whether that seems to vary in relation to weather. 
I'm planning to dig and divide the 5 or so seedlings that have survived over
the years (old crosses) now that I'm working hard to get rebloom. 
All of these have rebloomed at least once in hot weather.  All have
reasonably good substance, average width.  One is a vigorous grower, & is
the only one with mature seedlings so far.

Two seedlings from Tea Leaves X Golden Panther may have died over the past
year - haven't found them yet. One was too tall, leaned, had a high bud
count, but not well branched, good form.

2nd generation seedlings are all from one cross (so far): Final Episode X
(Tea Leaves x Matrix).  Final Episode is very short here, slow but regular
increaser, erratic spring only bloomer.  Nine? surviving seedlings are tall,
too tall this year, one hits the ground as soon as blooms open, another
hasn't in the past, but did this year.  One has had good branching in the
past, the others have had little or no branching. 
  Wonderful width and substance.

3rd generation seedlings are maiden blooming this year - used as pods, with
(IMM, Csong, Golden Apple, Crystal Glitters) X Gypsy Lord as pollen.  Too
tall! no branching.

I'm starting to see a trend here.....

So this year, I'm trying to cross these tall branchless things onto some of
the short IMM X this'n'that seedlings.

If any of you have experience with using Tea Leaves, let me know if you are
seeing the same trend of too tall and little or no branching.  I'm hoping
this is just a coincidence of these particular crosses.

Linda Mann east TN
where bloom is showing signs of winding down

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