HYB:Trail Gardens:Seedling evaluation

In a message dated 9/1/2005 8:31:27 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
irischapman@netscape.net writes:

<<Plants are evaluated not just when they bloom but also when  they are 
transplanted.>>
For me the process begins in the seedling pot.  The seedlings are  lined out 
according to visual appearance, with the stronger being planted  first.  Now 
that I have more space I do line out even the puny ones!   I'm curious to see 
if vigor (in my eyes) is directly related to  the sprouting time.  A seedling 
that sprouted on April 1 would be  stronger than one that sprouted on April 20. 
 Selection of the stronger  plants could simply be selection for the 
earliest!  
 
The seedling pots are kept for a 2nd year!  I'm most thankful this  year as 
1810 sprouted 38 more plants.  That's in addition to the three  I planted in 
2004.  Two of the three bloomed last fall and the pink amoena  (sorta) has a 
stalk now. 
 
The next step is to mark any and all that bloom the first fall.   (flags) I 
don't exclude others in my thinking but do pay special attention to  those 
since rebloom is MY ultimate hybridizing goal.  
 
Experience has shown me that these seedlings can change much from year to  
year.  Sometimes bad, but sometimes good.  To my eye, is not good to  destroy 
anything the first year.  I'm having a hard time sticking with this  concept 
this year.  I bloomed some real trash and the digging fork is  talking to me 
again!  
 
Just thinking . . . 


 
Betty W. in  South-central KY Zone 6
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
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