Ashton - Do you do many back-crossings? Or sibling crosses to try to get a certain characteristic?
I've decided to try a different tactic in my hybridizing program. One I should have done from the very beginning, but I knew so little then. I am really wanting to create some rust resistant cultivars, so I am planning on adding a new bed with NAMED cultivars that have good rust resistant ratings. I keep reading how some hybridizers just cull the seedlings that show any rust before they ever bloom. That's a hard one for me. I keep thinking that rust resistant is a top goal, but so is an usual bloom. I have to keep rusty daylilies anyway, to test for rust resistant among new seedlings. But my limited space is also pushing me in the direction of culling. Some serious culling. The school I work at might be gifted with some daylilies this Fall. Rust-prone and/or plainer seedling daylilies, because I don't have the heart to just toss them. Yes .... I am sentimental. My school needs the garden areas improved, so this will be a good opportunity and maybe I can use it as a class lesson on plants. We shall see. Either way, I have too many that I don't want to keep. I think some were divisions planted in different garden beds, too. I don't need more than one plant of each seedling. (Unless it's something I am very happy with!)
I do have some seedlings that look promising with rust resistance. In all honesty, maybe 10% are showing some notable resistance to rust, but all the rest either get some rust - to some that are what I would consider rust buckets! So ...
I know some folks here are doing something very similar in their hybridizing. I would love to know what named cultivars you are using that are showing good rust resistance. I did a search through the database on rust resistant cultivars and got a lot of names, but I also read contradicting info about some plants true rust resistance. I would really like to know some cultivar names that YOU are impressed with as far as rust resistance is concerned. Those are the ones I want to use in my crosses with some of my seedlings that aren't rust resistant but have blooms that I really like.
Any one care to share the names of any rust resistant cultivars that you actually have in your garden?
