This question was asked on "Ann's May Daylilies" thread and I did not want to hijack it, but thought is was a good one so I am starting this new one.

lovemyhouse said:Is the composted one because it is similar to too many others or is there some other characteristic that is unacceptable? I am interested in what criteria are used by different hybridizers to decide what to nurture and what gets tossed.

I don't have many seedlings, mostly I grow for my own pleasure, but the hybridising bug has bitten here as well and I have a few. Most have bloomed for several years and I was happy to let them grow, but now I need the space and many will just have to go.

This one I just love the bloom, but after 3 years it still only has 3 buds! Last year it was slightly better, it had a whopping 5 buds. Branching is nonexistent, all the buds are on top. It will probably go.

Answering Angels x The Band Played On

Last year bloom and scape (actually prettier than this years.)


This years bloom and scape.


This one also has a mediocre bud count, no branching and a muddy unexciting bloom, compost for sure! Hard to believe, but the photo actually looks better than the real flower!
America's Most Wanted x Bonnie Holley

Last year


This year


I have several that are out of Little Business that I will most likely keep and use as bridge plants. Even though they do not have a great bud count they are cute little minis and I hope to cross them with other smaller blooms with larger bud counts and branching to see what I get.

Have to go, my son needs the computer, but I will post photos of the little ones later.

very low bud count two years in a row is not a good sign. I have heard that a seedling gets its plant habit from the pod parent. I have not proven that here, but I have heard it many times. So you might cross these low bud count ones to plants with exceptional bud count.

That said, I keep a diploid double seedling that has bud count of 6-8. However, it throws up tons of scapes, and blooms over many weeks. I've not used it in breeding or anything. I just keep it because I like it.

I try to go by the 10% rule. If you bloom 1000 seedlings, first select the best 100 from the first and second year the seedlings bloom. Grow those 100 on, and let them clump up, then select the best 10. From several thousand seeds I have bloomed I think I have kept about 25. Of those, I might intro 5-6, if I ever get around to registering them.

thank you for starting the thread, laura. i am interested in everyone's process.

Good advice. Two of the little ones are Tets, Little Business seedlings from the same cross, which makes it difficult to find small ones to cross them with. Most of the miniatures are DIps that I have seen (at least all the ones that I have in my garden.)

I do have Madeline Nettles Eyes (21",Tet,2.25",SEv,E,Re,Ext) Bud count is registered as 30 with 4 way branching. Might be fun. The other plus is it just started blooming!

Madeline Nettles Eyes x LBU1

x = ?

Madeline Nettles Eyes x LBU2

x = ?

More fun will be crossing the three seedlings I have out of Little Grapette which is a Dip. Here are the three from last year. LGU1, LGU2 and LGU3


This is what LGU1 looked like this year. Bud count and branching are still not great, but I like it

LGU1 FFO 5-10-12


LGU1 5-16-12

I like the FFO better, will have to see what the rest of the blooms look like. It is definitely taking after its Moma, Little Grapette's coloring varies a bit in intensity too.


The other two have not bloomed yet.

Plant habit is a biggie with me. The whole plant better be good, not just the bloom.

Story.

You all probably have heard of the STOUT MEDAL WINNER, FOOLED ME

Well, this did not have the bud count, nor was it pink, the then choice of Phil Reilly. But he used seedlings of Don Stevens (eyes) to start hybridizing. Fooled Me is out of the Steven's line.

So, knowing it was pretty, he gave some pieces to his friends.

It was reported later that the bud count had improved. Now this would be a few years after Phil let it out of his garden.

One friend divided and shared it but the person receiving it lost track of where it came from. She did bring in a bloom to NEDS to see if anyone recognized it as she wanted to introduce it. And that day, I guess no one recognized it so she did. Later is WAS recognized by one of the first recepiants (sp) and was correctly registered under both names.

And turned out to be a winner!

So, be careful what you release or compost! It might be a winner one day!!!

That reminds me of the story behind the Jan Trimmer 2009 intro Discarded Beauty. This is a quote from their web site:

DISCARDED BEAUTY (Jane Trimmer) Tetraploid (Unknown x Unknown) 44” EM Re. Sev. 9” We bloom most of our seedlings in one year and when we clean the seedling beds, sometimes an unbloomed seedling is thrown in by mistake! Discarded Beauty got it’s name after being observed blooming on a pile of discarded seedlings from the previous year. I believe this plant is important because of the grand plant habit and great bud count. She also has a pronounced appliquéd throat. This trait is readily passed on to the offspring. DISCARDED BEAUTY has 3 branches and about 30 buds.

I guess it is Unknown x Unknown since when it was thrown away thye label was not convienently still around. How inconsiderate!

http://trimmerdaylily.com/cult...

I hate to compost seedlings, although I know I should. I usually give them away to friends or family. I would discard a seedling that is just plain ugly or too common looking and also would definitely discard it for low bud count.