Hi everyone! I love growing and enjoying daylilies very much. I have mostly been growing daylilies from fans but became interested in growing daylilies from seeds this year. Recently I bought some seeds from LA to try some of the newer varieties. My question is how do I know if the seeds I receive are from the crosses that the seller claims they are from. Is there a list of reputable sellers of seeds on LA? Most feedbacks I see are about the sellers is their shipping turnaround and quality of seeds upon receiving. I just wonder if there are any buyers of seeds on LA in the past that get nice plants and flowers from the seeds they purchased. Is there a thread on this topic that you can direct me to? Thanks in advance.

I have bought 'some' seeds on the LA this year (I just added a post to the thread LA sellers about them)
but you are right that I don't know whether they have sent the seeds from the crosses they offered..

I have germinated about 180 seeds so far and hopefully they will bloom next year.
But even then, can anybody say without a doubt whether a certain seedling is or isn't possible from 2 known parents?

The only way to know that is to make your own crosses and even than you have to keep good records of which pollen you used on which pod parent

Mayo

It's a fair question. Most sellers will stand behind their seeds - I certainly do. But part of the fun is that we also never know what we will end up with. I don't have a more direct answer to your question other than to say that a lot of people have purchased seeds and if someone was selling ditch lily seeds, word would get around. Perhaps Steve ( @Ahead ) or Cindy ( @Hemlady ) or Dot ( @Ladylovingdove ) can chime in.

Also feel free to peruse the Lily Auction Sellers thread.

The thread "LA Sellers" in Daylilies forum

You have to trust the seller. There is no verification that can be done here. If you are worried, Buy from sellers with high feedback.

JWWC said:if someone was selling ditch lily seeds, word would get around.

Ditch lily 'Europa' is a triploid and seeds are very difficult to produce with its pollen from crosses with diploid pod parents but possibly somewhat easier with crosses to tetraploid pod parents - seeds from crosses using it as a pod parent are probably extremely rare.
If someone was selling seeds with incorrect parentage on purpose they would presumably be using a very pod fertile and common inexpensive cultivar.

Seed buying is a trust game. The buyer needs to feel, that to the best of the sellers ability, that the seeds they buy are what is advertised.

All I can say is time will tell. I am certain that if somebody out there is selling "faulty" seeds, that the word will get out there soon enough. A reputation can be destroyed in an instant these days.

Here are some tips:

1. Ask around. "Rich", to me, is first class in every way. I have bought seeds from him, and they bloomed like I thought they should. "JWWC", just ask around here...and we all know that he is a very ill person who buys too many plants. I am sure that other names can be presented here. There are many good sellers.

2. When I got started, in 2002, I made it a point of using my own images. I wanted folks to know that I owned the plants. Mine are more a mix these days, but certainly the more the seller is using his own pictures, the higher the comfort level you should have..

3. Start small, from a variety of sellers. Then, as your comfort level grows, focus on the plants and the sellers you trust. I have some buyers who have been with me the entire time.

4. Do your research. I occasionally see crosses that make my head shake. Pod parents listed that have never ever produced seeds. If a cross is just too good to be true, it just might be.

Hope this helps,

Steve

Thanks everyone for your responses. I guess i have this backward as I should post these questions before I bought the seeds. But I was too fingers happy and excited to consider about them. Anyhow, I bought them on good faith so hopefully the sellers have the integrity to sell me the seeds from the crosses they described. I am not worried but rather very excited of the purchases and hope that my excitement is not misplaced.

I bought from a number of sellers and so far they look like to be good choices as some are also on the list that Mayo put on the thread, "LA Sellers". I got some seeds from Ahead and Lighthousegal. They do have great feedback on LA. I guess I just wonder if there is a thread where others have posted pics of flowers from seeds they bought on LA from years past.

Wow, are you the same Ahead on LA? I got some seeds from you that I am so excited about. Thank you for your advice.

That would be a great topic, Karen!

I am lucky to have folks send me pictures every year. There is a man in Canada who has an "ahead" field. Not sure I could ever visit that one....lol.

There have been threads on the Robin questioning the practice of seed buying. Even going so far as stating that folks who buy seeds are not hybridizer's. We, as a collective group of buyers and sellers, are sometimes considered second tier hybridizers. I used to comment on the Robin, But folks are going to think what they think.

It would be great if more hybridizers would admit that some of their intros come from purchased seeds, or gift seeds, but I have no control over that. Occasionly, gifted seeds and plants are shared.

I hope you get some beautiful seedlings, Karen. We have the same dream for that cross!

Steve

Ahead said:It would be great if more hybridizers would admit that some of their intros come from purchased seeds, or gift seeds,

huh.. I had not thought about it before, but I assumed for some reason that the 'big' hybridisers grew their own parent plants and made their own crosses...

Knowing that they don't always, makes me look with different eyes at the seeds I have bought and makes me dream of introducing my own intro's


Mayo

I have purchased from so many seed sellers that I can confirm I have put them to the test. I know the results from everything I purchased. In 5 years, two sellers sent bad seeds. 1 seller miss-marked the crosses (I am certain of this from the blooms. Two years, I bought hundreds of seeds. I sprouted over 90 percent my first year of seed buying (over 400 seeds). Year 2 about 75-80 percent. I have all the seedlings that have survived and some are really nice. I am not one to complain so those 3 sellers who did not deliver will just be marked so I don't buy from them. I sell some seeds and nothing is more important than happy customers.
Terry

Mayo,

Seeds are all about dreaming...just as if you made the cross yourself. You purchasing them is saying that you have a dream of what they would look like. Sounds like hybridizing to me.

Karen, I haven't been at this for very long and haven't seen blooms yet on most of my seedlings, but here are pictures of a few of my seedlings from seeds I've gotten on the Lily Auction.

TOOPHER X CASPER'S REVENGE - From Tink3472

And it's also in my avatar picture.


And the next four crosses are from Ladylovingdove:
PRECIOUS CANDY X XYLOPHONE JAZZ - Two first year keepers out of 7 seeds!


SOUTHWESTERN MEMORIES X CAN'T TOUCH THIS


BEST EDGE X ANGELS GATHER AROUND


BLUE HIPPO X XYLOPHONE JAZZ


And last year I expanded my purchases to include seeds from James (JWWC), Steve (Ahead), Cindy (Lighthousegal), Will Marchant (William), and Rich Howard (Rich). I had knee surgery last year, though, which put me way behind so I still have lots of seeds to plant and little seedlings to get into the ground -- if our drought will ever cooperate and let me plant my three seedling beds again!

But you can at least see a few examples of seedlings from these crosses, and you can just imagine how thrilled I was to get these little beauties and how I ooh'd and aah'd over them! And starting last year I expanded my (program?) to include diploids with big green throats -- and I can't wait to start seeing what I'm going to get from the incredible crosses I've gotten from these guys plus my own crosses!

Stunning Betty!

I can personally vouch for the quality of Steve's seeds. Quite a few seedlings in my garden that should bloom for the first time next summer have their origins in Steve's garden. He is a both a talented hybridizer and a wonderful seed seller which for the buyer is a win-win situation!!

Any seed seller that wants to continue being a seed seller and build up a loyal customer base will provide a great product. Period. Honest mistakes and unintentional mislabeling can happen occasionally, but that can be expected with any human endeavor.

Double posting here, but has anyone ordered seeds from 'Bird'? I did the same thing and bought before I asked.

tcmfish said:Double posting here, but has anyone ordered seeds from 'Bird'? I did the same thing and bought before I asked.

I don't know the username - what was the sellers actual name?

Oh WOW, Betty! Those are absolutely gorgeous! I would be elated if I get such results from my seeds purchases. I love the first and fourth ones! Now my dreams are getting better. I know it will be at least two years out before I get to see anything. But in the meantime I can vicariously live through your good experience. Thank you so much for sharing. I too love diploids with green throat, RFK being one of them.

Corey, can you please post pics of those seedlings next summer? I would love to see all of them. I hope they all bloom for you.

Terry, do you have any pics of blooms from seedlings that you can share? Please, please, please can you post some?

JWWC said:

I don't know the username - what was the sellers actual name?

How can you find that out? I see some people saying John in the reviews but I don't see a way to get their name.