HUMMER'S SPLASH

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Mar 16, 2007 4:10 pm

I have been looking for this all winter and feared for the worst....... I'd used Coke can strips to label the seedlings, and semi-buried them in the pots, but never got around to making a large label until last fall. It was too immature to send up a scape, so couldn't try any crosses. But I could never find it again after that.

This was a real looker, IMHO, and I guarded it from critters. And every day I couldn't find it, I sank deeper into depression.

I strongly considered taking Prozac, but I'd heard it could affect one's hostas.

Today I am happy to announce that during some cleanup and repotting I found it. And it has at least 4 eyes! Pretty fat, too for so young.

Will it be all green? Will it have shifted it's streaks to the edges? Who'da thunk breeding hostas could be so stressful? Angst, anxiety.......

My hunch is I got a goody from Hummer.

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Mar 17, 2007 8:11 am

Love seeing those eyes poking through! Make sure you post a pic when it leafs out!

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Mar 17, 2007 11:49 am

I found a pic for last year....despite it's nice size, was too immature to send up a scape...

Jamie · Post by **Jamie** » Mar 17, 2007 12:02 pm

Nice looking streaker Mal

I'm a little confused about the to immature to bloom comment though

.. Not sure any hosta is too immature to bloom.

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Mar 17, 2007 2:00 pm

Well, I've noticed not every seedling of mine will bloom before it goes thru it's first dormancy...

druff · Post by **druff** » Mar 17, 2007 3:03 pm

great seedling mal. no wonder you were anxious. i've had some streakers for as much as 5 years before they have bloomed. i think its part genetics and part stored energy and available water. thats always a dilema with one with so much white. do you give it more sun to encourage bloom, but also risk the white burning.

doug

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Mar 17, 2007 3:53 pm

Gorgeous!!!!

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Mar 17, 2007 7:54 pm

See the leaf at 1:00 ? Where it is half and half? Does that signify anything, like an edge is moving, or it is stablizing?
I've noticed such leaves before.

druff · Post by **druff** » Mar 17, 2007 11:16 pm

mal
i've seen that alot too. its just random unstableness. you've got good even streaking on that one. from what i've seen that means the plant may stay streaked longer.

sometimes you can tell early which way the plant will stablize. edge or medio. but yours is even. thats good.

doug

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Mar 18, 2007 1:16 am

That's good to know... I've got a blue seedling that has only 10% mottling streak, but with good substance and possible corrigation--I'll probably keep it for a while.

I made a note last fall that this year I would cull my mature streakers, of ones that had stablized into uninteresting plants, (or remove the stable eyes) and just cull out the breeders in general, leaving just the best. Not much sense allowing pollination, germinating, all the work in raising, of offspring plants from parents that should have been culled.

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Jun 24, 2007 1:42 pm

Continuing with the "Hummer's Splash" ....this year it has rewarded me with 4 scapes, after none last year.

Here it is in the kitchen sink. Also, for the first time, it is showing signs of corregation on every leaf. It is the first time I've had a corregated streak and I'm delighted.

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Jun 24, 2007 1:52 pm

It's sure looking good, Mal!!

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Jun 24, 2007 4:23 pm

Beautiful, Mal! Looking forward to seeing those seedlings!