Well I MIGHT have exaggerated about 10 acres of seedlings but the 97 pots of seed should generate a LOT of plants, if these few that i have growing inside are any indicator. I am excited about seeing what 'Fashion Diva' and 'Red Hot Chili' might produce as seedlings. I have crossed the two. 'Fashion Diva' is a large red-black whereas 'Red Hot Chili' is a shiny but much smaller dark SHINY red. What I want is a BIG red like 'Red Hot Chili'. Hopefully the right seedlings are in that pot of the two crossed. There is a third sister seedling that Toby likes even better. It is very changeable but a bigger plant with wider leaves.
That is why 'Killer' so intrigues me as a parent. It gave me all sorts of combinations of colors, many very intense colors and such a range of forms, sizes and colors. There are seed pots of 'Fuego' X 'Killer' that I'm excited to see.
Plant breeding is a numbers game. I have been very lucky with much smaller patches of seedlings to still get some neat plants. Now with resources and space to do more in all my plant breeding interests (as Lynn can tell you semps are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of my breeding), I have a chance to fulfill some of these breeding plans. For example, in that group of 'Killer' seedlings, I could have obtained one with size of the unnamed sibling, the black-red of 'Fashion Diva', and the shiny leaf surface and shape of 'Red Hot Chili'. It has been a fun ride so far but I can't wait to see what the future will be.
Kevin
