Afraid to get hooked? Don't look if you don't like seedlings

hostarod · Post by **hostarod** » Apr 05, 2007 9:14 am

Hello All,
here are a couple seedlings for today.
5- is a cross from a ls mom seedling X a dorset clown seedling
7- is a dorothy benedict seedling X a dorset clown seedling
and 14- is a blue belly X dorset clown

Have a great day a think spring,
I know it has to come soon
Rod

renaldo75 · Post by **renaldo75** » Apr 05, 2007 9:55 am

I looked.

You always have plenty of good looking seedlings, Rod!!

Spring was here - it seems to have gone into hiding though...

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Apr 05, 2007 9:57 am

I looked. I liked.

hostarod · Post by **hostarod** » Apr 05, 2007 5:02 pm

More to toss in?

allnitro · Post by **allnitro** » Apr 05, 2007 6:04 pm

Those are real nice!

hostarod · Post by **hostarod** » Apr 06, 2007 8:16 am

Thanks for the support it is most appreciated
Rod

eastwood2007 · Post by **eastwood2007** » Apr 06, 2007 10:28 am

I like all, but I really like the second batch. Great work! and thanks for sharing!!

thy · Post by **thy** » Apr 06, 2007 5:01 pm

Like them- sure did

Just did not dare to see them

There is no way I will admit, I peaked around in the soil for my Sworch seelings from your seeds from last year.. and neither that I love to look at the small babies from this

Pia

Justaysam · Post by **Justaysam** » Apr 06, 2007 7:51 pm

Nice Rod, do you know what they are from?
Any Dorothy Benidict? I keep buying, and trying, but never get anything from them but green. I was going to grow them on a bit, but I killed the whole batch from the Stegman's that I got.

Which, once again, were all green. I did get a TC DB last year, maybe some day, like ten years from now, it will bloom and give me my own DB seeds to try, and or kill. Wish I knew what I am doing wrong with them.

GibbsCorner · Post by **GibbsCorner** » Apr 10, 2007 4:52 pm

I was already hooked, so no fear!

I think 14.jpg is my favorite, but the whole second batch is great as well.

Matt

flowerchild59 · Post by **flowerchild59** » Apr 11, 2007 3:23 am

Very nice streaky babies indeed. I particularly liked 8.

hostarod · Post by **hostarod** » Apr 11, 2007 7:41 am

Thanks everyone for the possitive support and comments at this time when I have so many issues to deal with.
Linda, DB seeds need to be treated with lots of attention to do well, they can die off for no reason at all. I believe that there are two seedlings here from different DB seedling crosses. I like the seedlings for crosses more than mother plants but that is just me. All seedlings are fun for sure.
Rod

playinmud · Post by **playinmud** » Apr 11, 2007 11:43 am

Okay I peeked...and I love them.

playinmud · Post by **playinmud** » Apr 11, 2007 12:07 pm

Rod,

I also wanted to ask you how many seedlings you grow each winter? And I'm wondering what percentage of streakers you see. Is it 1 in 10, 1 in 100, maybe 1 in 1,000? Just curious, because I have no idea.

FYI, I'm addicted now, I planted three clear plastic muffin containers with soiless mix and sowed some seeds 2 1/2 weeks ago. They're just starting to pop up...they're the sweetest things. Most are green, I have a few yellows, but no streakers. I didn't expect any, if I had sowed 30 flats, I would have hoped for a few of them.

Justaysam · Post by **Justaysam** » Apr 12, 2007 8:21 am

Rod each time I get DB seed, all expensive by the way, I get them to grow, but they are all green. I keep growing them on, hoping they will color up, even thou no other seed has "colored up" for me, they all start to show what they are at the 2 -4 leaf stage. The one thing I have learned, for some reason, they don't like to be covered much when germinating. They start fine, I have let them go up to bushy, 6 -8 leaved plants, but they are always green. I have tried seed from Ebay, Lisa and Andy, and the Stegmans, so I don't think it is the sources, I think it is me! I think LM has said the streaked gene is still in there somewhere, so I guess I could use them as pod parents someday, but I always just let them deminish and die. This years batch is long gone, giving its light space to others. No more DB seed purchases for me, I do have a TC baby. Maybe some day, read as 2020, it will give me seed to try again, LOL.

hostarod · Post by **hostarod** » Apr 12, 2007 8:32 am

Donna,
to get some little streaked babies it is best to always use a streaked mom plant as the pod parent.
If you do this you will get some streaked little ones. The rate of streaked to green is always different but 30 percent is O.K. some times it will be 90% or 0% you just never know. To me that is the fun of growing the seeds. I have had flats of the same seeds be totally different even as far as germination rates and streaked seedlings. Getting those surprises is always so fun. I am sure I grow well over 5,000 seeds on average of the last few years and have 5% of them left by spring time only the that look nice can keep their spot under the lights.
Linda,
now remember never say never because next year when you see them for sale somewhere I am guessing your hand will be in the air to buy them.
Rod

Justaysam · Post by **Justaysam** » Apr 12, 2007 11:00 am

Nope. Not Me! I'm on my second marriage, and I said after the first, "No, I'm never getting married again!" And I REALLY mean it this time, "Nope. Not Me!" LOL

playinmud · Post by **playinmud** » Apr 12, 2007 11:35 am

Thanks Rod, I'll keep trying! And....5,000 seeds!!

I'm in awe! Do you grow these in your basement?! I'd love to see a pic of that!

I have three plastic muffin containers and my mother is having a fit "at the mess", I can't imagine 5,000 seeds. LOL! I don't care, they are sweet little hostas. I bought Hacksaw last year, it flowered and set seed. Almost 100% sprouted, there are a few with long yellow leaves...I'm keeping my fingers crossed. None may be streaked, but at least I got some to sprout!

Linda, I had gotten seeds of DB crossed with DB, and none of them even sprouted. At least you got them to grow! That's the first hurdle I have yet to get over.

malaprop · Post by **malaprop** » Apr 12, 2007 4:14 pm

Yeah, what Rod said.

The pod parent carries the color genes, and the pollen parent carries the shape features, size, etc... genes.

And it can't be any old 2-color pod parent, but one that is unstable, streaked, smeared before it can produce a 2-color hosta.

It's like your Frances Wms, for instance, is completely stable now, like an atom is with equal numbers of electrons, protons, a stable compound, and no extra electrons available to create a new compound.. (I don't know if that's a good example or not, but best I can do.)

My purchases of DB seed on ebay came out green, and few germinations, so perhaps the seed needs to be fresh. I know my own testing says fresh seed is the most dependable for germination.

See the photo below---this is a former streaked seedling, that after 2 dormancies, "found it's edge" this spring. We'll see how it does as the season progresses.

Justaysam · Post by **Justaysam** » Apr 13, 2007 10:44 pm

I think that it is a crap shoot Mal. We all grow hundreds, heck some grow thousands of streaked seedlings. In 3 - 5 seasons we are all going to have margined plants. Out of those thousands grown, maybe 1/10 may hold some strange or unsual trait that will make it unique from the thousands of named hosta out there that you could just order up from one of the many wonderful dealers out there. I don't know why I do it, many others will introduce what they come up with. For me it is about the growing of the seed. Who knows, in 5 years I may have them all up on ebay as cheap lots of "green and white" hosta for sale, LOL.