For me, hybridizing is a distraction from the stresses in my life. BEST distraction EVER!!!!
I have a standard residential lot, not acreage. But I've managed to squeeze lots of daylilies and many other plants onto my property. My yard is not a manicured lawn like all the neighbors, but is more of a wildlife habitat with lots of plants. I am also a bird host (and have banders that come to my yard) which I do during the Winter months, so I have a lot going on year round outdoors.
I agree with what everyone has said above. I am on a very limited gardening budget, so most of my daylilies came from seeds. The LA is a good place to get seeds and I have also been very fortunate to have a few folks share seeds with me. This year I acquired numerous named and registered plants for very cheap or even free (from some very kind ATP members). I am very interested to see what these plants do. And they will indeed give me a standard to compare my own seedlings against. I want to see what is registration worthy!
My goal is to name and register some daylilies after family members and friends and give them fans as a gift. Some will be memorial plants. It will be fun and challenging to see which plants I choose to register in the future. I've been told to grow a seedling for at least 3 years to evaluate it. Luckily, seedlings often bloom within a year of germinating here in the south. But some do take 2 years. And I've heard it may take 3 years for the blooms to stabilize. So this is a long term project.
I have somewhere between 250 - 300 seedlings and 50 registered daylilies. And I have probably another 150 seedlings that I just germinated to add to the mix. Honestly, the seedlings very first blooms are the most exciting thing. You can dream and try to imagine what a cross will create, but in most cases ... it's often a surprise!!! It's such fun to see what you wind up creating from crossing 2 different daylilies.
Living in the south, I, too ... want daylilies that show a high rust resistance. I want year round nice looking foliage in my garden areas. So I am narrowing down my hybridizing goals to include high rust resistance. I also like a pretty face. I am not picky about whether a plant is a tet or a dip. I like them all !
I am at a disadvantage in that there are no daylily clubs anywhere near me and no one else I know grows daylilies locally. The closest club is about 2 hours away in Orlando. I do have the exciting advantage of visiting some of the major hybridizers here in north Florida during the Daylily Mecca. Which I hope to one day attend. That would thrill me to no end!!!!
http://www.distinctly.on.ca/Da...
It is my understanding that Daylily Meccas are held around the country, so you might want to check to see if there is one held near you.
I have built 5 raised beds in my backyard just for my daylilies. And I also have a front border that is all daylilies. I have long rectangular containers placed around areas to grow even more daylilies. But my yard is more than just daylilies. I grow host and nectar plants for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Daylilies typically have a short bloom period, so I grow many other plants too for year round interest and purpose. It keeps me active and outside in the fresh air ... which is sometimes stiffling hot and humid here in central Florida during the summer months. But I'd rather be there than anywhere else I can think of!
Good luck in your daylily hybridizing adventure!
