It's a little trickier since the sun rises about a 1/2 hour later than it did a month ago. Wish me luck...
Busy morning!
Moderators: ViolaAnn, redcrx, Chris_W
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HostaDesigner
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Busy morning!
Plantaginea, 'Old Faithful', and an F1 seedling of 'Invincible' are in full bloom. The heat finally broke for a day, so I've been frantically pollinating these three before work. These are tricky ones since they flower at different times of the day! 15 crosses this morning after I prepped the flowers the night before.
It's a little trickier since the sun rises about a 1/2 hour later than it did a month ago. Wish me luck...
It's a little trickier since the sun rises about a 1/2 hour later than it did a month ago. Wish me luck...
Good Luck!
I gave up and let the bees do it.
I gave up and let the bees do it.
Pat
My Hosta List
Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.
~ Walt Whitman
My Hosta List
Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you.
~ Walt Whitman
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Chris_W
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I was out this morning too, hoping that the cooler weather will help. My crosses in the past several days have dropped off now so they didn't take, but maybe this morning's will work better.
Overall the number of pods forming in the past couple weeks has been really poor but this week we might see temps in the 70s so I'm really hoping that they will take this week
Good luck to you too!
Chris
Overall the number of pods forming in the past couple weeks has been really poor but this week we might see temps in the 70s so I'm really hoping that they will take this week
Good luck to you too!
Chris
Blooming
Plantagenia is really smelling great right now.
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HostaDesigner
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I hear ya. My stack of tags of failed crosses has got to be approaching 80. That's a whole lot of wasted time.Chris_W wrote:Overall the number of pods forming in the past couple weeks has been really poor......
A while back, I mentioned that I was having trouble with 'Elvis Lives'. Even the bees haven't set more than 4 or 5 pods on the entire plant!
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HostaDesigner
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Re: Blooming
SNIIIIIFFFFFwzbt03 wrote:Plantagenia is really smelling great right now.
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wishiwere
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How could anyone cut those flowers off, is beyond me! Best of luck pollinator!
Best of luck pollinator! Jane (from the middle of the Mitten state)
My hosta list: viewtopic.php?t=39540
My hosta list: viewtopic.php?t=39540
I too was having problems with getting pods to set on EL. I tried a suggestion I had read on here (thanks LM) to try some pollen from one of my favorite streakers. That seemed to do the trick and he started setting pods! The bees and my subsequent attempts were much more successful than before I tried this. Also the weather was a bit cooler and I moved him to an area where he got a bit more sun. I really do think the hint about trying the streaky pollen did the trick though as it also seemed to work on some others that were reluctant to set pods. Just wish it had worked on Gunthers Prize!
Art
Art
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HostaDesigner
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- Location: Niles, MI
Here are 3 'Elvis Lives'. I think I count 3 pods on all the plants combined. I figured they were in too much sun (which they are), but the pollen was extremely tough to set pods on well shaded plants, too. 
On another note, here's some pics from around the garden. These were taken today.
Most of my prized streakers are done flowering. Just waiting for the pods to mature. Man, I'm getting anxious...
Here's an interesting small hosta from 'Fragrant Blue'. The glaucous coating is melted off, but the leaved have a nice twist. The flowers are only slightly fragrant.
HUGE disappointment! These are my two open-pollinated seedling of 'Sweet Standard' from 2005. One flowered for the first time this year. Not even a hint of fragrance.
Flowers of my F1 seedling of 'Invincible' I've been using the past two days. The flowers are incredible. They're double-thick with heavy substance. Plus they're heavily scented.
On another note, here's some pics from around the garden. These were taken today.
Most of my prized streakers are done flowering. Just waiting for the pods to mature. Man, I'm getting anxious...
Here's an interesting small hosta from 'Fragrant Blue'. The glaucous coating is melted off, but the leaved have a nice twist. The flowers are only slightly fragrant.
HUGE disappointment! These are my two open-pollinated seedling of 'Sweet Standard' from 2005. One flowered for the first time this year. Not even a hint of fragrance.
Flowers of my F1 seedling of 'Invincible' I've been using the past two days. The flowers are incredible. They're double-thick with heavy substance. Plus they're heavily scented.
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HostaDesigner
- Posts: 750
- Joined: May 15, 2006 3:29 pm
- Location: Niles, MI
setting seed
The majority of my plants are not setting seed this year at least, not to the extent of anywhere near normal amount.
Bees do the pollinating here but hopefully, after retirement I'll give AI a try. AI (farmer talk - artificial insemination)
Galaxy had only one flower stalk that set seed and I had to save them from falling to the ground last week. We are getting wonderful rains in our area now (Thank Goodness) but the seed pods were soaking and attachment tissue was wearing thin; with wind & kiity cats, I had to harvest them. They dried nicely here in the house. I'm considering planting them all ready. But then what will I have to look forward to in January / February?
Many other reliable seed producers have none to minimal seed pod production either. Monopoly - none!
And bugs ate the seed potds off my my mini-Venusta sport.
Many other tender mini seed pods were devoured also. 
Our early warm spell in March / April - followed by freezing temperatures, then tons of rain, then terrible drought, and horrilbe heat & humidity, certainly took it's toll on the gardens. Thankfully, life saving August rains came reviving the garden. Normally August is the driest weather.
Gardening Grows the Spirit!
MM
Bees do the pollinating here but hopefully, after retirement I'll give AI a try. AI (farmer talk - artificial insemination)
Galaxy had only one flower stalk that set seed and I had to save them from falling to the ground last week. We are getting wonderful rains in our area now (Thank Goodness) but the seed pods were soaking and attachment tissue was wearing thin; with wind & kiity cats, I had to harvest them. They dried nicely here in the house. I'm considering planting them all ready. But then what will I have to look forward to in January / February?
Many other reliable seed producers have none to minimal seed pod production either. Monopoly - none!
And bugs ate the seed potds off my my mini-Venusta sport.
Many other tender mini seed pods were devoured also. Our early warm spell in March / April - followed by freezing temperatures, then tons of rain, then terrible drought, and horrilbe heat & humidity, certainly took it's toll on the gardens. Thankfully, life saving August rains came reviving the garden. Normally August is the driest weather.
Gardening Grows the Spirit!
MM
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eastwood2007
- Posts: 3517
- Joined: Jan 25, 2007 12:51 pm
- Location: kansas, usa zone 5b
Could you share details about using the streaked pollen to get things going? Or direct us to the post where you read about it? I have several fragrant hostas that I cannot get one set on. Appreciate any advice on this!toymr2mk2 wrote:I too was having problems with getting pods to set on EL. I tried a suggestion I had read on here (thanks LM) to try some pollen from one of my favorite streakers. That seemed to do the trick and he started setting pods! The bees and my subsequent attempts were much more successful than before I tried this. Also the weather was a bit cooler and I moved him to an area where he got a bit more sun. I really do think the hint about trying the streaky pollen did the trick though as it also seemed to work on some others that were reluctant to set pods. Just wish it had worked on Gunthers Prize!
Art
Charla
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
Charla,
I have got to laugh at this one. I went back to find the post on EL as a parent so I could give you a link to it. When I read LM's reply this is what it said.....
Don't give up 'E.L.' pollen has made for some wonderfull plants here try it on your favorite streak
LOL....I completely misread it and did everything backwards! I guess it must have been the cooler weather and/or bit more sun that did the trick!
Well Mr LM I did also try the pollen on others even though I got it thoroughly sclewed up and it did work.....Thanks for the tip!
Art
I have got to laugh at this one. I went back to find the post on EL as a parent so I could give you a link to it. When I read LM's reply this is what it said.....
Don't give up 'E.L.' pollen has made for some wonderfull plants here try it on your favorite streak
LOL....I completely misread it and did everything backwards! I guess it must have been the cooler weather and/or bit more sun that did the trick!
Well Mr LM I did also try the pollen on others even though I got it thoroughly sclewed up and it did work.....Thanks for the tip!
Art
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eastwood2007
- Posts: 3517
- Joined: Jan 25, 2007 12:51 pm
- Location: kansas, usa zone 5b
That's a funny story! But it seems like you may be on to something...I am new at hybridizing and hadn't been getting anything to set. I didn't know if it was the weather, the pod plant being a difficult one, or me. So I pollinated my Cameo, one scape with Korean Snow cuz I know it's fertile. It is the first cross that has set for me. So I took Korean Snow and dabbed 'invincible,' Royal Standard, and Fragrant Bouquet.' A little too soon to tell, but it looks like a few pods may be forming...
The only thing I have gotten a pod to set on this year is Ghost Spirit....go figure!
The only thing I have gotten a pod to set on this year is Ghost Spirit....go figure!
Charla
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
Charla,
One of the reasons this made sense to me was some conversations I have had with Curtis (marriedtomud) as well as following his exploits from last year when he was working on hybridizing his plants. He was having problems getting pods to set also. He found that one of his plants would set pods on anything he would put it on. Curtis said that it seemed once they started to set pods they would continue as long as good pollen was used and the environmental factors cooperated. Thus using known fertile pollen, moving the plant to another area and the cooler temps as well as lower humidity that just happened to coincide with all of this. What I did was use CTG and Galaxy to begin with. Once pods began setting I started using Fragrant Blue, Salute, Tidewater and a few others that were blooming at the time. Salute seemed to be the "stud" of the group and EL produced what seemed to be many pods with his pollen.
I am particularly interested in using Tidewater to work with as I love the form of it. It too was not setting pods well and I applied this same methodology to it. Got pretty much the same results with it. It did not produce anywhere the number of pods as EL but it did begin producing. Pretty much all pod production ceased during the recent heat wave we had but seems to have picked back up again with the return of cooler weather and lower humidity levels. One other thing I have done is to make sure the plants were watered well. No stress on them during this period. Anyway, this year is very much a learning year for me. My first attempts at hybridizing so don't take my experiences too seriously. This is just me trying different things others have shared and trying to logically figure out why and how they do or don't work. Sorry for hijacking the thread. I am really enjoying this conversation though. Good luck everyone with your crosses!
Art
One of the reasons this made sense to me was some conversations I have had with Curtis (marriedtomud) as well as following his exploits from last year when he was working on hybridizing his plants. He was having problems getting pods to set also. He found that one of his plants would set pods on anything he would put it on. Curtis said that it seemed once they started to set pods they would continue as long as good pollen was used and the environmental factors cooperated. Thus using known fertile pollen, moving the plant to another area and the cooler temps as well as lower humidity that just happened to coincide with all of this. What I did was use CTG and Galaxy to begin with. Once pods began setting I started using Fragrant Blue, Salute, Tidewater and a few others that were blooming at the time. Salute seemed to be the "stud" of the group and EL produced what seemed to be many pods with his pollen.
I am particularly interested in using Tidewater to work with as I love the form of it. It too was not setting pods well and I applied this same methodology to it. Got pretty much the same results with it. It did not produce anywhere the number of pods as EL but it did begin producing. Pretty much all pod production ceased during the recent heat wave we had but seems to have picked back up again with the return of cooler weather and lower humidity levels. One other thing I have done is to make sure the plants were watered well. No stress on them during this period. Anyway, this year is very much a learning year for me. My first attempts at hybridizing so don't take my experiences too seriously. This is just me trying different things others have shared and trying to logically figure out why and how they do or don't work. Sorry for hijacking the thread. I am really enjoying this conversation though. Good luck everyone with your crosses!
Art