Re: Re: HYB: 101: Basics

                                   101: Basics

 I have not been doing this very long but long enough to learn some things
that have worked for me and some mistakes that I made.

1. Living in an area with frequent spring rains crosses made during or after
a rain do not take very often.

2. After you find a pod forming remove all leaves from the stalk   The rain
in the cups formed from where they join the stalks will cause the  stalk to
rot.

3. Stake the stalk to keep it from being blown over or knocked down and
broken off.

4. I plant seeds from each cross in a 6" or 8" pot. When they get about 2" I
put each in a 4" pot with good potting soil. Each week or two I water with
Rapid Grow or similar fertilizer. I have some that is 10-20-20. I line them
out in August.
Out of this years 45 or so seedling 8 did not bloom. I have had SDB
seedlings 5 months from seed bloom in the fall ( out of rebloomers) I get
lots of increase by fall. I have had up to three stalks on first year bloom.
200 seedlings planted this way is not bad 2000 would be WORK.

5. Last year I made crosses with a small artist paint brush and it worked.
This year I cut the brushes off short and very few crosses took. Went back
to using anther and got takes. I think I might have damaged the lip with the
short stiff brushes. A friend was making crosses in my garden at the same
time with anthers and getting more takes than I was.

Looking forward to more posts

Mike Greenfield
redear@Infinet.com
SW Ohio Zone 5b

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