Often we update goals with what to strive for. Is anyone changing course
from your usual to something different?

Mine is to get more orange which I have only a few. Also still
working on large size with ruffles or pleated edges.

I'm working and reworking lists, but beginning to narrow it down.
For sure, if I have the blooms, Can't Touch This x Baja California is at the top
of the list. Has anyone tried this combination and seen the results?

I hope to use TUSK and HAPPY HAPPY.

I did use CAN'T TOUCH THIS a lot with my seedlings but don't think I used BAJA CALIFORINA at all. Why? you may ask, I used what I though was the best of the two, both are great flowers but I really liked the color and the form of CTT the best, and think it will do more for my seedlings than BC. Even tho I buy several collections each year I use very few of them, the last few years I have been using my own stuff mostly, which actually came from other peoples stuff.

What ever I do next year I will do less of it, I will only have two seedling beds to use next year. I think at this time I will do mostly Dip UFs, tomorrow I may go in a different direction. I do not plan crosses, I never know until I walk out the door and see whats blooming that day.

I did the opposite cross BAJA CALIFORNIA x CAN'T TOUCH THIS. Of course I won't see the blooms until this next bloom season (hopefully). The first season I hybridized I did plan crosses and had it printed out and took to the garden with me. Well, since I did not have frozen pollen those planned crosses did not get made most of the time because the blooms usually weren't open at the same time. And then when the blooms were open at the same time or I saved some pollen I may have used something else that struck my fancy; after that I quit planning crosses.
Sometimes when I buy a daylily I have a thought of "hey, that will go good on such and such", but it doesn't actually mean I will do it come bloom season.

I don't hybridize tets much but I got Happy Happy this spring, which didn't bloom, so I am hoping to use that one a bit. As far as dips, I will be using Emerald Starburst a lot hopefully. It's first year bloom this year only gave me about 3 flowers so I am hoping for more next summer. I would like to see more green throated ufo's and I have a lot of ufo's to dip Emerald Starburst's pollen on.

Every winter I think about possible crosses and then summer comes and I just cross based on what's blooming, what is doing well, what really 'speaks' to me at the time. I do use frozen pollen sometimes(especially early in the season) and will walk around the garden, see what's blooming and then pick out 1 or 2 or possibly 3 pollens to use that I think will work best with what's blooming. I also like to use pollen from my newer daylilies especially if they look great right from the start--doesn't always happen. And I'm starting to use some of my own seedlings in crosses which is really fun! I just hope that next summer is a better blooming (and hybridizing) year than the last 2 have been!

How could we make this cross (Can't Touch This x Baja California) and seen the results already, they are this years introductions? I did make this cross but got few seeds of it. I sold what I did get.

Dot

I forgot about winning BAJA CA from Tink yes I may use it too.

I'm planning to cross toothy daylilies with minis and smalls to get a little one with lots of teeth. And now I've gotten into the really large green throats also, so I'll be trying to mix in some tet conversions to see if I can't get a toothy mini with a huge green throat (like ROSE KENNEDY but in a toothy mini), and also interesting eye patterns in a toothy mini. And I do realize this will probably take a few generations...

Teresa, I think Tusk x Happy Happy would be a very
interesting cross. Tusk being 12.5 inches might over ride
the smaller size of parents and grandparents of Happy Happy.
Once Happy Happy is more established to hold a pod, you
might want to try Happy Happy x Tusk. I've noticed that some
hybridizers will use the larger flower as the pollen parent. Not
sure if size is the reason or not though.

Fred, I do appreciate your reasoning of Can't Touch This over
the use of Baja California. My list also includes these two x
your Fire and Flame, along with some other combinations. If the
crosses turn out some lovelies, I will be sending you and Kathleen
the best one.

I certainly understand about not making so many crosses. It is
often hard for me to stick to the plan. I think one has arrived when
they can use their own flowers for crosses. I haven't reached that
rung on the ladder yet.

As for planning crosses, well, I do that every winter. Then I get outside
in the bloom season, and usually don't follow my choices either for a
variety of reasons. There's maybe one or two that I try to get for sure.

Michele, I have done the same thing too. I am, naturally, a
planner. Whether circumstances interfere or not, the planning
part is for me the fun part. And yes, I have the reverse of that
cross listed as well. Sometimes one has to see how the plants
behave and bloom in the garden to know what direction to
take them.

Cindy, I used Happy Happy a lot this past year. Hope to see
them bloom next year. Would like to see what the dominant
characteristics are. Hope we all have lots of plants to photograph
next season. Can hardly wait to see everyone's babies.

Ann, I hope we all have a better blooming year next season too.
This past year was a real bummer. When you can use your own
babies in crosses, it is indeed fun.

Dot. LOL. You are so right. Chalk it up to one of my senior moments.

Teresa, I won mine from Michele too which will be here in the
spring. How's that for planning ahead? Actually, that is
how I do the buy list. Look for what I need to go with what I've got, or
buy two that I want to put together.

Betty, love your idea of mini toothy ones. And, I love, love green
throats. A toothy mini with large green throat and patterned eyes.
It may take some time, or maybe not. Go for it!

I am hoping to get a few seeds from DERANGED DUCKLING and VIOLET BECOMES YOU x HAPPY HAPPY or BAJA CA.

TUSK will be used on several things. I don't want a whole garden of pods but some really interesting crosses.

Am anxious to see the results of your crosses when they bloom. Especially the Tusk and Happy
Happy combination. My imagination runs wild with that one.

It's so hard to wait for spring to begin the crossing. Happy Happy is easily pod/pollen fertile. Violet Becomes You I received this year. Plan to use it next season on several things.

This certainly takes patience having to wait a year or so to see blooms, although I did
see several blooms from the ones I planted this past spring after keeping them in the
house all winter. I think I have around 800 in the house this winter, but I think I have
room to fit them in. I was trying to keep it in the 500 range. Oh well.

It took me a long time before I thought I had two of anything of my own I could cross and expect decent seedlings. I would use a lot of the latest and greatest and hardly ever got exactly what I was looking far. Use your own seedlings because they are the latest and greatest, the new ones you buy have been at the hybridizers garden for 5+ years before we ever see it. Just incorporate a few of the better ones into your seedlings, but do your major hybridizing seedling x seedling and you will be much happier with the results.

Those are beautiful Fred. Do you buy your collections just for resale as you're not using most of them?

I have so many new ones I'll probably go crazy with the crosses, but I also study the genetics and am picking no more than 3 parents for each one this time. Hope I can stick with it. I'd like to do longer crosses next year. I also pray each morning before I go out and ask God to show me what should go with what. I attribute any success I have to His guidance.

Great advice, Fred. I certainly see what you mean with the gorgeous examples
you have shown. I like them all, but no. 1, 2, and the last are to die for.

I'm still hoping to see seedlings next season that I can cross with each other.
It's taking me a long time to get there, but I do have 5 that I plan on crossing with
newer registered ones, that is, if they bloom the same as they did this past season.

Thanks for showing your beauties.

I am planning to cross some of my applique seedlings

Off topic - one of my manure makers

My biggest hybridizers dream would be a daylily seedling with the colours of this Sino-Siberian iris seedling

Anja, beautiful appliques you have there too.
Congrats on your little manure maker, and not off topic at all. We need
lots of manures for plants.

Oh, don't I wish I could see a daylily the color of your Sino-Siberian Iris. I love
these flowers, and have a few of the older type. Gorgeous seedlings, by the way.