Things I'm working on...

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 10:36 am

I thought I'd show you some pictures of hostas I'm working on.

The process for most of these to come up with a finished plant can take years. Some of the following have been in my garden for up to ten years and they are still not where I want them to be.

With varigated hostas finding the right leaf to isolate and then getting it to turn into a plant is quite a task.

Once I find something I think I like I'll seperate the leaf from the mother plant and work to get an entire clump to look like the one leaf. Some times I distroy the entire plant except for the one leaf other times I just cut a section of the plant from the main plant.

My goal is to isolate the dormant bud growing under the desirable leaf and have only that bud develope into a plant.

So here are pics of some of the plants I'm working on...

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 10:39 am

This is a fairly new seedling about 5 years old out of streaked seedling from Dorothy Benedict. It's a true winner in my eyes and just needs to develope into a clump before I release it. Right now it's only a one division stable plant.

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 10:43 am

This one is a few years old and is developing a nice rugose pattern on the leaf. I love plants that have great texture to them. I'm going to be adding Van Wades H. 'Clearfork River Valley' in my breeding over the next few years to see if I can get some of that great pebbeling.

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 10:47 am

OK I'm almost done with this one just need to see how it holds up through the year and get it a bit bigger clump wise before I send this one off to the labs. It has great coloring almost like jH. 'June' but on a smaller plant with lance shaped leaves. I like it a lot!

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 10:50 am

This one was a surprise this year. It's a single division on one of my streaked breeders. It will be devided off this season and watched for a few years to see how it does. I really hope I can keep this wonderful wide green margin!

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 10:53 am

Another one that has been frustrating me for years I have been working to isolate a decent uniform design on this seedling...One of these days

My goal is to get all the leaves to look like those in the upper right corner.

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 10:55 am

This is the reverse of the one from above again a nice small hosta with glossy leaves that I wish would just settle out

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 10:57 am

Another that I like yellow center and blue edge on a small plant. At least that is what I'm hoping for ina few years

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 10:58 am

Back to the ruffles or at least I hope so! I'm just watchng this one to see if it will form a nice looking clump..If not then it goes into the trash.

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 11:01 am

This is H. 'Ebb Tide' I'd like to see if I can isolate the really wide margined leaf this year. If I do I think the plant will be much smaller since there is very little green in the leaf.

Well that's it fon now.

Kent

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » May 19, 2008 11:07 am

uuuuhhhhh.....WOW!!!!!

I can't think of anything else to say!!!!....except...here's wishing you great success in these endeavors...I will be eagerly awaiting their intro to the market.

Thanks for all your hard work, Kent!

playinmud · Post by **playinmud** » May 19, 2008 11:11 am

I love the 4th one Kent, looks like a little geyser of light erupting out of the ground. A nice bright spot! Good work!

And the 5th one is wonderful, very showy. I hope the coloring remains all season.

When you say you divide the leaf off of the plant, do you slice through the crown, separate it and replant somewhere? I'm just wondering how much of the crown and roots you leave on the leaf you selected. You mention a bud, where would you see that?

Fun stuff! Thanks for showing it.

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 11:35 am

Donna,

I try to take as much of the root and crown as possible, I will sacrafice the rest of the plant if I have to.

The bud I'm looking for is always on inner side of the base of the leaf and shows as a little bumb in August. Every leaf has this bud and only some grow into divisions. It's my job to make sure the bud I want to grow gets the attention it needs

Kent

playinmud · Post by **playinmud** » May 19, 2008 12:11 pm

Kent,

Thanks for the response, very interesting! I never noticed the little bud, I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

Now will this also work to keep a plant from reverting/sporting? For example I have Winter Lightening and it has a green eye. I was told to snap it off, but if the underlying bud is still there, then snapping off the leaves really isn't accomplishing anything. is it?

flowerchild59 · Post by **flowerchild59** » May 19, 2008 12:12 pm

Kent,
You are quite the hybridizer and we all eagerly await the results of your *years* of work.
I am acquiring some of your plants this year and can't wait to get them.
I am a fan of clovely and marrakech in particular. Love those wavy edges.
By the way, what does marrakech mean or refer to???

Kent · Post by **Kent** » May 19, 2008 12:23 pm

Donna,

I just keep pulling the leaves and divisions off Winter Lightning and it works for me

Cheryl,

Marrakech refers to the city in Northern Africa. I have a buch of African themed hostas Sarah Nights is another, & Tunisian Dreams also.

Clovelley is part of my English themed hostas along with Westward Ho, Wookie Hole & Biddeford.

I've started a Queen series with Dancing Queen and Emerald Queen, with more to follow.

Kent

playinmud · Post by **playinmud** » May 19, 2008 2:47 pm

Thanks Kent, I'll keep doing that to Winter Lightening.

And I love the Ebb Tide leaf, that will be awesome. If that ends up stabilizing into something you like, I look forward to seeing it in the market!

nanny_56 · Post by **nanny_56** » May 19, 2008 3:01 pm

yeah, you need to keep working on those ....I think a few people might like have a some of them someday! WOW

ladybug · Post by **ladybug** » May 19, 2008 4:35 pm

i really like 4, 5, 8 and 10. nice work.
ladybug

caliloo · Post by **caliloo** » May 19, 2008 6:14 pm

They are just amazing Kent!

And thanks for the insight into your naming ideas.... I grew up in a little town not far from Biddeford. Biddeford MAINE that is!

Thanks again for sharing your wonderful photos - you are creating masterpieces!

Alexa