HYB: good pod parents?

Rick Tasco said:
<In my experience I have found bearded iris in general to be more pollen
sterile than pod. ....  It is a rare case
when one is pod sterile.  In some years they are more fertile than
others.  .....>

Thanks Rick - that is encouraging.

Rick continued:
<Best time to pollinate is usually mid-morning on a dry day. .... You can
see the stigma glisten if it is ready, and if you can't, use magnifiers.
Don't be vain, they really help. >

Vanity phooey - I wear two pairs of 2.00x reading glasses, one on top of the
other, when I REALLY want to see little stuff - sort of like wearing a
portable dissecting scope.  But I have yet to see anything that glistens or
looks any different from one plant to the other.  Does the sun need to be
out?  Maybe I can strap a flashlight on my head. : )  I have noticed that the
stigmatic surface 'grabs' the pollen better sometimes than others, so that
must be when it is 'glistening'.  Last year, I got more bee pods than
deliberate ones, but I did get a couple that were on purpose.

Weather is so variable here - none of it is probably 'right' for hybridizing.
 Today, it was 35o F this morning and threatening rain.  Now it's mid-day,
70o and windy.  Most years, it is in the mid-80s and humid with afternoon
thunderstorms this time of year.  I have heard other experienced hybridizers
in region 7 say it is really difficult to make crosses on late bloomers
(which is about all I grow because of the frost pocket problem) because they
just turn to mush in the heat.  So I figure, just get out there and try it.
 They for sure won't cross if I don't do anything - better a low chance of
success than none at all.

and Corte Staff said:
<I've never been able to get any pollen
from Crystal Glitters.  Too bad... it's
such a yummy looking flower!>

Well, phooey.  The plant looks crummy here - lots of freeze damage and
subsequent disease - but it does have nice flowers and they are almost normal
height.  So I was gonna try to cross it with something more robust that might
live long enough to develop a pod.

Thanks Corte and Rick - really appreciate all the help and advice.

Linda Mann lmann76543@aol.com east Tennessee USA
Enjoying my big clump of pallida X MULBERRY ROSE that looks positively
medieval but is full of highly fragrant blooms on nice tall stalks.
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