Re: HYB:Wide Crosses:101
In a message dated 11/21/2003 8:54:26 PM Central Standard Time,
patsiris@msn.com writes:
> What constitutes a WIDE cross?
Using this definition nearly everything I make is a WIDE cross! I have a
hard time thinking of an outcross as a wide cross, depending on what you use. In
my mind, some would be wide crosss, but others would not.
One of the things I was told in the beginning of my hybridizing voyage was
that WIDE crosses would mainly give you a bunch of DOGS. Unfortunately, I don't
remember if I thought to ask what would constitute a wide cross. I don't
think I did.
Instead, my fertile mind came up with things like white x red cross. And I
did make one for fun, but never saw any of them bloom. It was Walter's WHITE
REPRISE, but I don't remember the name of the red. When I ran out of space and
time they didn't get planted.
I did hear, along the way, that my amoena x plicata crosses were considered
to be wide crosses. This is probably one of my favorite crosses, ever, since
the seedlings gave such variety. And this one should have answered some of my
questions about plicata X self breeding, but I guess I was looking in a
different direction at the time. Didn't think of it in those terms since the other
iris was an amoena. But I did get some fairly clean selfs from the cross.
Anyone that wants to have some fun with breeding should try an amoena x
plicata cross. Then reverse it and plant the seedlings side by side. The two I
used were HIGHLAND CHIEF & PEACH SPOT. I still have pictures in my mind. I put
stalks of them and three of their seedlings up for an educational display at
our show. Very interesting. It would have been even more interesting if I'd put
up stalks from BOTH directions. But I didn't show the UGLY ones that came
when I used PS as the pod parent! (all) <g> One did rebloom a little which had
been my goal. It's field name was BIG BERTHA.
I have a lacy pink seedling (from my pink line) that I crossed into my red
line and I'm curious what I might get. I reversed the cross to a sibling of the
red seedling. I'll plant them together (side by side) to see the difference.
I have close to a hundred seed total. I wasn't being insightful. I wanted to
know if the pink is fertile and the red was the only thing available at the
time. It is.
I don't mix seed from crosses, even if they are reverse crosses.
Betty W. in South-central KY Zone 6 . . . just opinions. Back to planting
those potted seedlings . . . .
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
