Today I pulled out a very nice seedling because it got rust to an unacceptable level. That's a hard thing to do, to pull any nice seedling.

I have over 125 seedlings from that one cross. Probably pulled out 8-10 that showed rust, so far. Perhaps a couple more that will be pulled, but the rest are showing no rust.

Rust prone plants, even those that are rated high in resistance, will get rust in my garden in a couple of weeks after planting. They get rust; they get pitched. I know it will take years until I can judge the true level of resistance for a daylily, but I am encouraged with this cross. Both parents have been very resistant in my garden.

I don't hybridize, but I certainly do appreciate the time and energy that hybridizers put into breeding for rust resistance!

Here in Ohio, rust generally doesn't overwinter; but because I buy a lot of daylilies from southern sellers, I get it nearly every season. It's fascinating to see how quickly some daylilies look horrible, while others right next to them are barely affected.

Thank you for your diligence, and my sympathies on the death of your seedlings. Their sacrifice will not be in vain.