I saw the hefty price tag on 'My Cup Overflows' and recalled seeing the dip version of it for the first time back in 2009 at Floyd Cove. Pat S. was standing right there when I must have gasped upon seeing it, and before I could ask WHAT it was ( there was no tag except maybe Bomar and a #) Pat told me it was a Josie Bomar seedling that Jack had told him he had to get. It was blooming poly that day and the bloom had to be at least 8" across. The substance was heavy and waxy so it was quite distinctive. I just had it labeled as "Josie Bomar seedling until recently and remembered to change the name. This is the bloom I saw that day.

Julie, that is stunning!! I can understand why Larry want $2000.00 for the converted one.

Julie, please import that one to the database. We don't have a pic of it yet.

I just looked again - still $2000. (I must start converting dips too).

There is a lot more to converting than most realize, you have to purchase the plants, then treat several, you may kill most or all before you get a good one that's 100% tet that survives, then increase it and hope the increase is tet and doesn't die. Treating daylilies is not a simple and overnight thing, it takes several years before you have one you can sell.
Example
Dan Trimmer wanted to convert two flowers I had, ALDERSGATE Temple 2005 and LILLIAN'S THIN ICE 2009. I carried him ALDERSGATE in the fall of 2004 and I got a Tet in the fall of 2009.
I carried him THIN ICE in the fall 2008 and got a Tet the fall 2011, so you can see it takes some time.
Dan just registered his first daylily from Tet ALDERSGATE for release this year, he hasn't registered anything from THIN ICE but Jane has lots of seedlings she's looking at. I will see seedling from THIN ICE this summer.
This is a 14" seedling from TET ALDERSGATE that I am increasing and watching for possible registration in the near future.

From what I have read some daylilies will never convert and others are extremely hard. There was at least one that Waldrop was trying to convert since 2003 and finally got a conversion in 2010. That's 7 years of time and money not to mention patience trying to convert that one cultivar.

I could kick myself for spending that much $$$$ on one daylily but I do appreciate what went into converting it and hopefully it won't die on me at least not until I can save plenty of pollen. And if it does I will be sick to my stomach for awhile but that's just the chance you take with a conversion.

For those who may not have read the description of Tet My Cup Overflows here is what Larry had to say about the cost

" I would like to share the reason for why the high cost of the conversions. I have a partner with " T. MY CUP OVERFLOWS" we gave about $1500 for the diploid plants, then it was to grow and increase the plants before we could began to do the treatment. After the process of treatment begins then your in for a four month daily baby sitting job, and at times we have a high death rate of plants lost during this process, plus the cost of colchicine. But it is well worth it just for the new genetics."

So then the wait begins for a bloom to see if it is converted, if not then you try again and again. If you don't have a climate controlled greenhouse like Waldrop then you will have to wait the normal length of time for bloom season so if you have failed conversions then you are basically waiting a year for the next bloom season after each failed conversion to see if it took with the next treatment. If you have a climate controlled greenhouse then you can have blooms whenever you want even in Dec and the process may go bit quicker on getting to check the pollen. And of course once there is increase you have to check that pollen on each fan to make sure it is converted. Then when it is divided and if it survives then you must wait for it to bloom to check the pollen to make sure it actually stayed converted and is 100% converted.

Lots and lots of time really does go into this process.

Michele, I believe all that work and money justifies the cost. I saw the dip version going for $300 at the "Lilyfarm".
http://www.lilyfarm.com/mycupo...

Bill Waldrop has a new post on his blog where he talks about two of Diana's beautiful seedlings that he's in the process of converting. If I understand correctly, he dries out the plants in their pots for about two weeks first, then he moves them to his basement where he does the daily colchicine applications, then at some point he brings them into the house, and then finally out to his greenhouse where he watches them daily and does some cutting here and there to remove any new roots or shoots that might interfere with the conversions.

I love the fact that he has so many pictures of what the plants look like during the different phases of the conversion process. Michele -- I do hope you can try this within the next year, and I hope you can get some pictures too, although I can only imagine how busy you'll be if you add conversions to your already busy schedule!

I've gotten the impression that Bill Waldrop does his conversions in the cooler months, like over the winter, but I don't know that this is true -- just my impression.

I've heard both Jamie Gossard and Don Eller talk about making conversions and all of what has been described above can and often does happen. Even after spending a lot of time, money and effort, sometimes the conversions will die or revert back to diploid form. That's why they're so pricey. Plus, not everyone is comfortable working with the chemicals involved in conversions. Colchicine is one commonly used, and is a known carcinogen.

Betja said:

I've gotten the impression that Bill Waldrop does his conversions in the cooler months, like over the winter, but I don't know that this is true -- just my impression.

I believe he does Betty and I think one reason is you usually have more time in the cooler months since there is no shipping, hybridizing, messing with garden duties (unless you live in warmer climates), etc and can devote more time to the conversion work. Also, heat is the quickest way for the brown stuff that you keep cut off so there is no rot (hopefully) to become a big rot problem. I remember Larry Grace saying one time that he lost a lot of the ones he was trying to convert because it got too hot and they all (or most) rotted. He was doing this I believe in June or July and his greenhouse, which is only cooled by a great big huge fan with iced down water (not sure how that works), and it got way too hot.

Hey, I have a basic dumb question about tetraploids -- were there always tetraploids naturally, or did they all start from people converting them or something?

I just checked Floyd Cove's Items Sold Out list, and as of Jan. 3rd TRFK was already sold out! (Although there's a confusing notation that says something like "Possibly some Spring 14)… ? I wonder if they meant Fall 14?

So that should make you feel a little better, Michele -- you and James are two of a very few that are getting TRFK, and I expect great things from you now!!! (As if I didn't already…)

Gossard is also selling TRFK.

How did y'all find out Gossard has it?

JWWC got his from Gossard and it's the same price as Larry's.

That was my question too. I went all over Jamie Gossard's website and couldn't find anything that mentioned it.

Betty, from what I read, tets were born from dip conversions back in the fifties using chemicals that derived from the Autumn Crocus.
You would be surprise what a email or phone call can get you. I got my "Scandinavia" from Stilldew after inquiring thru Tree Mail if she had any extras left after I discovered her earlier sale when searching ATP.

Yes an email or call works great . I had emailed Larry Grace before his website was updated to see if he had any Tet RFK and I was told yes but they were not sure if it would be available now or in the fall. Cindy Grace emailed me the next day and said I could have one and that I could pick it up anytime.

Michele,

Lol @ Mike. You have me mixed up with someone else. I don't have Scandanavia.

Michelle,
Jamie told me in an email that he had TRFK, but I forgot if he had any left or not. I didn't ask him about it, he just was talking about stuff and volunteered it. He said he had bought it from Larry Grace earlier. I was inquiring about something he was selling on the auction.

Dot

Dot, you are soooo right.
It was Stilldew, Susan.