I have noticed that 5-10% of the cultivars that I grow expose their stigmas the day prior to blooming (ie., they are still a tight bud but the stigma is exposed). Currently, I have been pollinating these twice: Once when the stigma appears and then again the following morning when the bud has opened. I am curious, though, about when these are actually fertile. Are they receptive to pollen when the stigma is showing but the bud is still tight or do they become receptive after the bud opens?

This is what Karol Emmerich has to say about it .....take from here http://www.daylilies.org/2007D...


"Some cultivars seem to only be fertile in the middle of the night or the day before bloom - those are the
ones that have their pistils sticking out before the flower opens. I slather them with pollen as soon as I see
the pistil the day before and sometimes do it again the day the flower is open."

Hope this helps

Oh, perfect!! That's exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much!!

I think there is something to what Karol says. One of my favorites does that. I used to pollenate it when I got home after working 2nd shift, and it seemed to take pretty well then. If I waited till the day it opened, I never got it to set.

daylily said:... If I waited till the day it opened, I never got it to set.

That's good to know. Thank you for sharing your experience - it really is helpful and will save me a lot of time and energy.

Good to know. I have a couple of Karol's that won't set pods for me. Maybe I will try the day before then. Startle is another one that won't set pods for me although I know it has some children. May have to try the day before on that one too.

If your really determined, try moving the plant to a location with late morning and afternoon shade. I have had some luck that way with plants thought to be pod infertile.

Sometimes, every little trick you can try adds up to setting pods.

Ive had luck bringing them inside to set pods. I have them in pots anyway, and sometimes bring them in just to enjoy the blooms.

What a great idea! I grow a lot of plants in pots so I can enjoy the blooms indoors but had not considered using the daylilies. I'll have to try it now.

Remember the recent thread on Bob Carr? He kept his breeding plants in pots, and moved them under the shade of a big oak tree to set pods.

Daylilies have 'wet' as opposed to dry stigmas (the end part of the pistil where pollen is placed). You can tell when the stigma is receptive because it will be slightly moist or sticky (but not from dew or rain). The pollen needs that moist liquid to germinate successfully.

I have had no luck pollinating 'Smuggler's Gold' the day before when it protrudes its pistil but I have had some success pollinating it the next morning.

Maurice