Last year I had two seedlings get pale and develop curly leaves. They quickly expired when exposed to real sunlight. It's happening again! This time four total are affected. From two different crosses, totally unrelated. I'm baffled? Using new, deep plug (5 inch) trays, Promix BX and one of the crosses is under T8 lights, the other under T5. So many things are different this year, feels so strange to see the same affliction. Anyone got a clue?

They actually do have Cosmic Aftershock in common, after all. Had to look up the seedling cross.

Tina, most likely those are actually albino seedlings. I got albinos crop up in 3 different crosses last year. Some started out very white and some just a real pale green. It's genetic and the seedlings always die. As soon as the energy stored in the seed is used up then they start to die cause they are unable to make their own food due to the lack of chlorophyll in their leaves. I just make a note in my records that the particular cross can produce albino. I believe most of us on here have had the experience of these cropping up from time to time.

Last year I had albino seedlings pop up in 2 different crosses involving Malachite Sunbird. I didn't have a single one in any of the other (several hundred) crosses using other daylilies. I wonder if certain daylilies are more prone to this?

In addition to albinism, other deleterious recessive genes can theoretically interfere with seedling development. Recessive genes might be expected to express themselves more often in inbred lines. The build up of deleterious recessive genes (inbreeding depression) is expected to be more of an issue in Diploids than Tetraploids. Looks like you are dealing with diploids. Like others said, I would make a note that this occurs in that cross and check other crosses involving a parent of this one.

Thank you, Trina. I've been reading some past posts here on Albinos, and I'm sure you're right. I usually cull albinos after about a week, but these must have been just green enough to fool me. Bummer!

Interesting thread;

Deja Vu, posted by beenthere.

I'm going to have to ponder this for a while...

I have another cross with Cosmic Aftershock that is still looking good with 100% germination. That cross is with Hillbilly Homecoming as pollen parent. Being new to all this, I automatically thought it was something I caused. Glad that is not the case.

JamesT said:Interesting thread;

Deja Vu, posted by beenthere.

I'm going to have to ponder this for a while...

I giggled about that right away also...

I would have got it right away had it been Charlie, he is always being witty. But from James, I was like "whatever do you mean"?

@beenthere
It has been estimated that about 300 different genes (in a typical plant) can cause chlorophyll deficiency - meaning that the normal green colour of the plant will be affected if the gene is abnormal. Only some of them will produce albino seedlings. Others may change the leaf colour from normal green to pale green or greenish-yellow, for example. Yet others may allow the plant to have a normal green colour in some circumstances but not in others. Some may cause the leaves to become yellow at low temperatures, others at high temperatures, or may allow the plant to develop more normal green colour at low temperatures or in shade, etc.

It may be possible that your seedlings might have become a more normal green colour if the temperature at which they were growing was lower (or higher) or if the light was more intense, etc.

Thank you, Maurice, for the info. But they have been culled. Siblings all around those have normal coloration, so that points to intrinsic factors. If any of the rest develop the same problems, I will then consider external factors. And thanks to you I now know what to try.

beenthere said:Thank you, Maurice, for the info. But they have been culled. Siblings all around those have normal coloration, so that points to intrinsic factors. If any of the rest develop the same problems, I will then consider external factors. And thanks to you I now know what to try.

If you get more I would consider letting them grow out a bit to see what happens... who knows, could produce something interesting

@beenthere
Could you please let us know the names of the other parents in both crosses? From the information you have provided we now know that 'Cosmic Aftershock' probably carries one copy of a gene that produces the light green leaf colour. Since seedlings appeared with the problem from two crosses we also know that the other parents in both crosses also carried one copy of the same gene (allele to be formally correct). If the other parents are not registered any information about their parentage would be useful to know for tracking.

I took a picture of all the albino seedlings tags. These include those that were more obvious and culled after a weeks growth.

The seedling cross has Cosmic Aftershock on one side.

Mississippi BR = Mississippi Bill Robinson?
BB Eyes = Baby Blue Eyes?

Yes. Sorry.

@beenthere - no problem.

so much writing...... you should print these labels IMHO