Re: HYB:101:Basics
In a message dated 11/13/2003 9:08:31 AM Central Standard Time,
loberg@adelphia.net writes:
> I'd like to offer a number 4.
> 4. Start by listening and working with those who've been there before
> you.
> A single day spent with an emeritus hybridizer will save you years of
> learning
> it the hard way. And you'll feel very special for having shared the time.
>
Excellent! I'll offer a few things I learned from this procedure.
Ed Roberts: (I bugged him for years) (Region 7) If you want lacy seedlings
you need to cross 2 lacy irises. Just one lacy parent will give some lace but
not a lot. I've found this principle applies to many traits, including my
beloved rebloomers. Thank you, Ed!
Monty Byers: Mail and Telephone. (We didn't meet in person) Use the best
irises you can afford. Cross the best Northern rebloomers with the best
California rebloomers. Actually, this was a point we agreed on. He helped me get
some of the best to start my quest.
Check out his irises on the register and you will see the pattern. He used
the same principle with Space Agers. The strongest Space agers with the best
oncers or rebloomers. (Ben Hager was his mentor.)
Ben Hager: (As you can see, none were safe from my probing questions!) Mail:
Ben is the one that told me that the only way you can get pink seedlings is
to use 2 pink parents. If you use pink with anything else, you will get white
or yellow and no pinks. You have to come back with pink in the next cross to
get back to pink.
There has been some discussion (on this list) as to whether IMMORTALITY has
pink ancestors. I crossed PARADISE X IMMORTALITY. I got seedlings that were
white, yellow (light) and pale yellow amoenas. I also used IMMORTALITY with
PINK SLEIGH and got RETURNING CHAMELEON. Some say they see pink in RC. If so,
this would imply there is pink in IMMORTALITY.
I wrote a series of hybridizing articles for The Irisarian in the mid to late
80's and used that as an excuse to bug EVERYONE. It accelerated my learning
curve. LOL!
Ask questions, but be respectful of their time and energy.
Betty W. in South-central KY Zone 6
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