HYB: October cross
- Subject: HYB: October cross
- From: "John Reeds" l*@msn.com
- Date: Fri, 25 Oct 2002 20:52:46 -0700
Australian list members may not think this time of year odd for hybridizing, but I just attempted my first ever fall (reblooming) cross. Of course, it started drizzling an hour later, so it may have been a wasted effort if the flower gets too soggy. It may actually stay dry inside; the bloom was on a plicata seedling (e-mail me off-list if you want a photo from last year, a friend scanned it for me) with enormous frilly flounces. One flaw is that the flounces curl back so far that they often fail to protrude from the standards, and in turn their pressure holds the standards slightly open at the top. They might serve as little umbrellas for me in this case (wishful thinking).
Anyway, I have two BB-sized stalks coming right now, so I'll get a few chances. I saved the pollen from the first flower. Half went on Double Vision; great color and pattern but also on the short side. The other half is waiting for Double Click to bloom. That potential makes me drool a bit. Double Click is a distinctive, striking luminata. This plicata is richly patterned with a blaze down the fall centers and a wild splash of the ground color on the base of the flounces. The flounces are the same raspberry as the plicata markings, the ground color is white blushed apricot, and the style arms are an intermediate apricot-mauve blend. Both the style arms and flounces are extremely frilly. Because of the placement of the flounces and standards, it is not worthy of introduction, but the wild patterning and the size of the flounces say "breed it!" Could be one of those "secret weapons" for me.
It needs height, so my other cross was from pollen which I had negligently failed to discard from the spring. We are about to learn if Double Dribble pollen dessicated by 6 months of refrigeration is still viable. The color of the powdery pollen was encouraging, but the anthers were brittle. Could make a good cross if it takes. Good pattern, improved height and bud count, probable rebloomer, good form and oh (please!) those flounces.
John Reeds, southern California zone 9b
lamegardener@msn.com Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Looking for a more powerful website? Try GeoCities for $8.95 per month.
Register your domain name (http://your-name.com). More storage! No ads!
http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info
http://us.click.yahoo.com/auyVXB/KJoEAA/jd3IAA/2gGylB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
