As some of you know I sell daylily seeds, but sometimes I just can't bear to throw away some that are not firm enough to sell. I keep a few of these and plant them. I have one seed from the cross PINS & NEEDLES X THUNDER DRAGON. I crossed them because of the teeth, but I simply cannot imagine what color to expect. What are your best guesses? I think we all like to imagine what our seedlings will look like, but I am at a complete loss on this one. Image for THUNDER DRAGON from Gossard.

X


A couple of years ago I had a handful of seeds I was going to discard, but at the last minute I put them into a pot and several grew. Here is the best one of these - I have no idea as to parentage. The color has not been adjusted. I grow quite a few white daylilies and this is as white as any.

I think the yellow would enhance the purple, maybe? If I get the chance, I will follow back parentage. If these were simple cows & sheep, I wouldn't have a problem with best guesses, but with tets & double chromosomes..... it's a major confusion!

Like your white one too ~j

I think I read somewhere that orange will make a purple more intense, better, more purple. I'm not quite sure how to phrase that statement. It's late(early) so, I may be totally wrong.

Good luck. If I think a seed has even a tiny chance of growing, I will put it somewhere to have a chance. I just can't chunk them. Guess I'm too maternal.

Blessings, Mona

I love dreaming. But a lot of my yellow crossed with other things turned out muddy. When SUPREME EMPIRE first came out with those ridges on the petals, I crossed it with every solid and eyed thing that I could get to take. Got nothing! Mostly muddy things. That does not stop me from dreaming though!

I guess I would hope in this case for a white toothed bicolor!

Your white is very pretty. ;-)

That is a good question for Pat Stamile, since he hybridized with so many purples. I think I remember him saying one time that purple is dominant.

Please stop posting pictures of your white seedling that I named for you (Ice Crystal). It makes me want it and I know I can't have it yet LOL. When something is that pretty I don't care about parentage.

Dot

Did anyone read Dan Trimmer's article "Words to the Wise: Hybridizing Lessons Learned The Hard Way" in the Fall 2011 Daylily Journal? I'll quote his Lesson Four here:

"Lesson Four deals with the sheer importance of color, and clarity of color. Ignoring this basic fact may lead to crosses involving reds with yellows, lavenders with oranges. This usually results in earthen tones or adobe colored offspring. Being adventurous by mixing colors is not advised for beginners. Beginners find nothing more discouraging than a tan colored seedling field. Start with reds crossed to reds, golds to golds, etc."

I don't know about anyone else, but I find that advice really hard to follow... there are too many colors and forms to experiment with! But I guess it would be good to file this away in our memory banks to see if our own experiences end up confirming his advice...

Ahhh, but if one doesn't try - one may miss something really special! ~Jan

I bought some seeds for the first time last year. One set was a Laura Harwood x Margo Reed Indeed cross. NO idea what THAT will bring. Also got (Starmans Quest x Lady Neva) x Margo Reed Indeed. Had good germination on those two crosses. I understand that no two seedlings will look alike, so I am excited to see what I get. The Red Volunteer x Caribbean Frank League seeds didn't seem to germinate. Planted them out anyway and waiting to see...







photos courtesy of Kathy Huels (kat719 on LA)

Ann I am thinking the yellow base will Clarify the Purple in that bloom more. Hope it shares the teeth.

So glad you did not get rid of that white seedling. Beautiful.

Possibilities....

Debra,

If I recall MRI has lavender in its background so it should be a good choice with your lavenders and purples. I think that Jim mentioned don't think of it as trying white with white to get more white which was what I was doing for crosses.

Thank you.

Thanks to all for your guesses. According to what Trimmer says, I could get a tan colored daylily. Surely I should get teeth since both parents are toothy. Maybe the yellow will clarify the purple as some of you guessed.

Lyle, I hope you are correct in your guesses, because they are all lovely.

I appreciate the comments about the white seedling. It's first year it had 4-way branching and 20+ bud count. I divided it in the fall and all the fans still look good. I hope it's stats keep getting better.

Dan Trimmer suggested not crossing reds with yellows. Years ago before I got into growing daylilies (before I was addicted) I had Happy Returns and Pardon Me. I saw a gardening program on how to cross pollinate daylilies and get new hybrids. I went out and crossed these two daylilies and got a seed pod. I had four seeds that I just planted in the ground. The following spring they all came up, but I potted them because I almost pulled them up, thinking they were weeds. The year after that I got first bloom. Three were orange, but one was very different. The three oranges ones were discarded, but I still grow that first one that I hybridized. It is a mid season bloomer and blooms for such a long time. The blooms are about 3.5" and bud count is 45-55 and has instant rebloom. Of course, it sets tons of bee pods, just like Happy Returns.

That's really pretty, Ann! And I know that in spite of Dan Trimmer's advice I'll be flitting around spreading pollen on every color and combination that I see!

Nice one Ann!!!

Very pretty.

I would keep it too Ann. It is just sweet bloom. Besides it is special to keep that first one as a reminder from where everything started. Sounds like it has a great long bloom season whish makes it nice in the beds.

hmm, ugly or pretty. We just have to keep trying lol. No one knows what we are gonna get. kinda like Forest Gump

I bet you have some great seedlings, do you belong to the MTDS? I am rejoining, because my daughter is moving from Lexington back to Bowling Green.

Teresa in KY