Growing roses from rose hips

[catjac1975]

I don't know why I don't have a deer problem. I attribute it to horses and a dog. We have lots of deer and for 35 years they have not come after plants.

 

[catjac1975]

Here's one of mine.

 

[thistlebloom]

Beautiful!

 

[seedcrazy]

Canesisters I sure hope you get to see blooms this year.

 

[897tgigvib]

I had noticed that some daylily varieties have small plants, and some have big vigorous plants. Is that true? Also, are there some daylily varieties that will not cross pollinate because they may be different species?

 

[catjac1975]

Not species -different chromosomes
Daylily chromosomes come in sets of eleven. Cells of diploid daylilies contain 22 chromosomes (two sets). Triploids contain 33 (three sets), and tetraploids contain 44 (four sets). Because the chromosomes in a nucleus must divide in half to form ova and pollen, triploids, with an odd number of chromosomes, are usually sterile. Tetraploids have not been found in species daylilies.
The original daylilies are diploids. The tetraploids were made from chemical conversions. I have been trying to get my hands on the chemicals but they are dangerous and I have not found a lab that will sell them to me. Just for the experience of it. So cross pollinating is tet to tet or dip to dip. There have been some exceptions and I guess some spontaneous mutations.
Most plants become big over time though some are more vigorous than others. The larger fancier blooms take more time to expand. Most of the breeders are in the south so their cultivars are not as vigorous up north. They go from a seed to a blooming plant in 8-9 months. It takes me 1-3 years for a seedling to bloom. 1 year is rare.
I remember seeing a story about an evergreen farm. They had a low growing variety that was struck by lightning. The needles turned bright yellow and stayed that way. It's clones became a huge seller named "Motherload." I have wanted to try applying electricity to a plant or seeds to see if I get any results. But, I am a dreamer not necessarily with enough no how to pull off a safe experiment like that. Of course I would not want to spend and money on my fanciful idea. I have great fun. My 2 older grandsons have a great interest in gardening and daylilies. Of course they are still little. I hope one will carry on my fun when I get too old.

 

[897tgigvib]

Thanks Cat, I kind of thought there was something. There seemed to be a large difference how Stella d'oro looked than the little red flowered variety. Yours has frilly edges on the petals. that is super pretty!

 

[catjac1975]

The big thing in daylilies today is eyes, and ruffles, and patterns. A small breeder has come up with beards. The AHS seems tepid to accept the term. I think they fear the genetics will not hold up over generations. If you have not checked out any of the modern breeders websites I urge you to do so with caution. They are expensive and highly ADDICTIVE!!!! Hahahaha.
Cathy

Thanks Cat, I kind of thought there was something. There seemed to be a large difference how Stella d'oro looked than the little red flowered variety. Yours has frilly edges on the petals. that is super pretty!

 

[897tgigvib]

I'll google it, but you have any favorite best sites?

 

[catjac1975]

OK But I'm warning you.........
AHS is a good site for info-not a very active forum.
I try to stay away from Floydcove.com. Not really I look there all the time. They are probably my favorite breeder-very pricey. You have to have good cultivars if you're going to breed. I try not to go too crazy every year. We visited my youngest daughter at school in Florida last May. We went to 2 breeder's farms and I even got my husband caught up in buying too many plants. I filled an empty suitcase with 60 lbs of daylily plants. I would be embarrassed to admit how much I spent. I was able to keep most buds on the plants so I was able to pollinate my new plants right away. They rebloomed and I bred them again. We will go again this spring during a daylily festival that they do each year called Mecca. I blathered to the Floyd Cove owners that seeing their farm was the best day of my life. Kind of like a teenager meeting Justin Beiber.
Some of the most pricey have evolved from the ruffles you like to "chicken fat" which is heavy ruffling (I got my first original chicken fat last summer). They have evolved to hooks which are unbelievable! I look at farm websites. There is very little written that I find valuable when it comes to breeding. The science of genetics is so complex in daylilies because of so many variables that they have not been reliably studied by a scientist. The scientific writings reference other plants so I find them to be either too wordy or too general. The most referenced layman's writing I found to be not very helpful. The farmers doing the breeding clearly have it down pat. But would they sell their secrets? I'm sure they are very knowledgeable judging by their results, but, it may be they are very intuitive in their crosses. I prefer to look at my crosses like a watercolor painting. Not very scientific I'm sure. One of the earliest, most prolific hybridizers said simply "Breed pretty to pretty." I am finding that when I ask a question at the daylily sites people are unwilling to simply state what works for them. They go on and on about differences in location, soil blah, blah, blah. God!!! Just tell me what works for you!

bearded http://www.mydaylilies.com/component/content/article/52/207