Re: HYB: 101: sibling crosses

Since you are looking for opinions, not facts or experience <g>.....

Sibling crosses seem like a good way to bring together traits that both
parents had that didn't combine the way you wanted in the offspring.
For example, a short rebloomer with good branching but poor substance
crossed with a tall non rebloomer with good branching and good substance
might give you two tall non-rebloomer seedlings with perfect branching
and substance.  Crossing those two would hopefully get rebloom back,
keeping the branching, height and substance.  In other words, trying to
change more than one trait from the parents.

But you might get lucky, or make a cross that would make it more likely
to get both traits in the first generation.

Maybe most established hybridizers have enough generations of seedlings
to have already sorted out all the traits they were working on within
the genetic mix they already have, so need to outcross with something
else to pick up what they want to add?

If at least one of the parents (or grandparents?) of your sibs has the
color saturation you are after, maybe a cross of siblings would give you
what you want.  I guess it would depend on how many traits that you want
are 'missing' in the available things to cross with.

Does REBOUND have enough color saturation to suit?  The burgundy on it
is very dark here, but the weather has been cloudy and rainy, somewhat
cool, so it may look darker than usual.

 Betty, I hope some of the hybridizers who have expererience with
sibling crosses will post here or email you offlist. Lots of folks must
be too busy to talk much these days (or else they fell asleep during the
pigment stuff). If you get offlist input, please share with the rest of
us.

Have you done sibling crosses yourself?  If so, did you get what you
wanted?

Betty said:
<Is there any point in making sibling crosses.  When I did my study on
irises, almost 20 years ago, several people recommended doing sibling
crosses. Theoretically, I could pick the four best, intercross and
extract the BEST from the 1812 cross.  Yet, I rarely see any indication
that modern Hybridizers are spending time on sibling crosses.  They are
going to the next step . . . including yet MORE genes in the lines.
Looking for opinions here!  Thanks!>

and....
<But, I really don't think this cross has enough dark saturated color to
give me the depth of color that I desire. The challenge will be to
intensify the   colors without losing the rebloom.  >


--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
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