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Mar 30, 2015 8:02 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ashton & Terry
Oklahoma (Zone 7a)
Windswept Farm & Gardens
Butterflies Keeps Sheep Pollen collector Region: Oklahoma Lilies Irises
Hybridizer Hummingbirder Hostas Daylilies Region: United States of America Celebrating Gardening: 2015
How do you hybridize an Iris?
I tried hybridizing Iris last year and got no seed pods.
I guess I am doing it wrong. Confused
Can anyone explain how to hybridize an Iris or give me a link about hybridizing Iris?
Is there Tetraploids and diploids like there is in daylilies?
I wanted to ask this before the Iris start blooming.
I just want to do a few just to see what I get.
Also, how many years does it take from seed to bloom?

Thank You! For any help.
Kidfishing
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Mar 30, 2015 9:04 PM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I'm going to follow this because I'd like to know, too.
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Mar 30, 2015 9:11 PM CST
Name: Marilyn
Central California (Zone 9b)
Annuals Irises Dog Lover Composter Cat Lover Region: California
Butterflies Birds Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers hot summers Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Welcome Ashton & Terry! Welcome!

I'm just growing my first seedlings this year, last year was the first year I made crosses. I understand it usually takes 2 years years to get blooms...although some can take longer.

There are a few older irises that are diploids, but all of the modern irises (at least to my knowledge) are triploids.

Here are 2 U-Tube videos that give a good introduction.

Iris Genetics and Hybridizing with Dr. Kenneth Kidd - Part 1 - The Basics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Iris Genetics and Hybridizing with Dr. Kenneth Kidd -- Part 2 -- How It's Done
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
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Mar 30, 2015 9:16 PM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Thanks, Marilyn. Smiling
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Mar 30, 2015 9:35 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ashton & Terry
Oklahoma (Zone 7a)
Windswept Farm & Gardens
Butterflies Keeps Sheep Pollen collector Region: Oklahoma Lilies Irises
Hybridizer Hummingbirder Hostas Daylilies Region: United States of America Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Thanks for the info.
I watched the videos and I was doing it right, but I got no seed pods. Confused
It's never that hot when the Irises are in bloom. I always did it before noon.
Kidfishing
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Mar 30, 2015 9:44 PM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I tried last year, too and got bupkiss. I guess we should both try again. Thumbs up
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Mar 30, 2015 9:58 PM CST
Name: Lucy
Tri Cities, WA (Zone 6b)
irises
Charter ATP Member Cottage Gardener Irises Region: Northeast US Region: United Kingdom Region: United States of America
Enjoys or suffers cold winters
Take notes about the plants which fail & use something else until it works. Most of the diploid are Miniature Tall bearded irises. Other classes are tetraploids. Early morning or evening seem to be the best times.
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Mar 30, 2015 10:07 PM CST
Name: Marilyn
Central California (Zone 9b)
Annuals Irises Dog Lover Composter Cat Lover Region: California
Butterflies Birds Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers hot summers Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Also, those of you who are more experienced can confirm or correct this, but I have heard that it is important to pollinate the pod parent as soon as possible after the bloom opens. As the bloom ages the moisture on the stigmatic lip seems to dry up...so I'm guessing this may have something to do with it.

Also, I have been meaning to ask, does the pollen parent need a little time for the pollen to mature (like 12-24 hours) or is it better to use the freshest blooms for the pollen parents too? I have noticed if you wait too long the pollen seems to dry up.

Comments anyone?
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Mar 30, 2015 10:21 PM CST
Name: Marilyn
Central California (Zone 9b)
Annuals Irises Dog Lover Composter Cat Lover Region: California
Butterflies Birds Bee Lover Enjoys or suffers hot summers Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Oops, Rick & Roger (from Superstition Gardens) pointed out that I made a mistake. Most modern irises are tetraploides, not triploides...my bad. That's what happens when I try to depend on my memory! Hilarious!
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Mar 31, 2015 2:44 AM CST
Name: Tom
Southern Wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Butterflies Vegetable Grower Keeper of Poultry Irises Keeps Horses Dog Lover
Daylilies Cat Lover Region: Wisconsin Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I've only been messing around with it for a short time too, but I've found that using a bloom for a pod parent seems to work best when it's a fresh bloom, and often the later blooms work better then the first ones.

I always check for pollen, some just don't seem to have any.

Keep good records, and set some kind of goal for what you want to accomplish.

Have fun, and beware that this can become addicting! Rolling on the floor laughing
Politicians are like diapers, they need to be changed often, and for the same reason.
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Mar 31, 2015 8:05 AM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
I looked at a few videos and they seemed to agree that early and fresh is best.

How do you all keep records? I know you need to mark them. I'm as new as kidfishing. Shrug!
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Mar 31, 2015 8:28 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ashton & Terry
Oklahoma (Zone 7a)
Windswept Farm & Gardens
Butterflies Keeps Sheep Pollen collector Region: Oklahoma Lilies Irises
Hybridizer Hummingbirder Hostas Daylilies Region: United States of America Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Zencat, I mark my daylily crosses with paper clips.

I am a daylily addict. I have thousands of seedling growing.
I don't think irises will go that far. Hilarious! At least I think so....
Most of my Iris came from Schreiners and Cooleys in the 90s.
My only recent order came from Sutton's Iris garden. Those were my fist newer irises.
Some of those have stalks coming! Hurray!
My goal for breeding irises..... I like true blue colors. I like the rims or edges. I really only like tall bearded ones.

Thanks for all the help!
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Mar 31, 2015 9:31 AM CST
Name: Tom
Southern Wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Butterflies Vegetable Grower Keeper of Poultry Irises Keeps Horses Dog Lover
Daylilies Cat Lover Region: Wisconsin Celebrating Gardening: 2015
OK guys we are starting to get some iris bloom pictures. Make sure you do your "thumb" thing to the best samples so we can have some of our irises in the newsletter too. Smiling
Politicians are like diapers, they need to be changed often, and for the same reason.
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Mar 31, 2015 9:37 AM CST
Name: Celia
West Valley City, Utah (Zone 7a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Photography Irises Plant Identifier Hummingbirder Birds
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Cat Lover Butterflies Enjoys or suffers cold winters
What Tom said!
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Mar 31, 2015 2:13 PM CST
Name: Mary Ann
Western Kentucky (Zone 7a)
Bee Lover Irises Hummingbirder Hostas Keeps Horses Farmer
Daylilies I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Container Gardener Cat Lover Region: Kentucky Birds
Thanks for the reminder!!
Thoughts become things -- choose the good ones. (www.tut.com)
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Apr 29, 2015 10:09 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ashton & Terry
Oklahoma (Zone 7a)
Windswept Farm & Gardens
Butterflies Keeps Sheep Pollen collector Region: Oklahoma Lilies Irises
Hybridizer Hummingbirder Hostas Daylilies Region: United States of America Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I have some more questions.

Do you have to destroy the Iris when hybridizing? I haven't done that.

Do you get better chances of making a seed when you put pollen on all three lips?

So far this season I have done about 200 crosses and have 1 seed pod, it's Masterwork X Boysenberry Buttercup.
I have found that most fresh blooms don't have pollen.
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Apr 29, 2015 1:01 PM CST
Name: Tom
Southern Wisconsin (Zone 5b)
Butterflies Vegetable Grower Keeper of Poultry Irises Keeps Horses Dog Lover
Daylilies Cat Lover Region: Wisconsin Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I ususally check for pollen before I take it from the pollen parent, Usually I pick a bloom for pollen that is a few days old. I have had the best luck with pollenizing a very fresh bloom for the pod parent. Sometimes even before it's fully upen. I don't distroy the bloom to get the pollen, I just use a tweezers to get it, and the flower can stay in tact. I alway put pollen on all three stigmatic lips. Also seems like it works best if you don't use the first flower open on a stalk as the pod parent.
Politicians are like diapers, they need to be changed often, and for the same reason.
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Apr 29, 2015 3:03 PM CST
Name: Pat Barlow
Kingman, Arizona (Zone 9b)
Irises Ponds Dragonflies Butterflies Daylilies Hummingbirder
Birds Dog Lover Annuals Dahlias Garden Art Seed Starter
I have a different question...My Eternal Bliss has three seed pods, not by my making. Is it worth it to save them and see what grows? How do I save them and how do I grow them from seed? Maybe that part is covered in another forum. Thank You!
“Cares melt when you kneel in your garden.”
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Apr 29, 2015 3:17 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Ashton & Terry
Oklahoma (Zone 7a)
Windswept Farm & Gardens
Butterflies Keeps Sheep Pollen collector Region: Oklahoma Lilies Irises
Hybridizer Hummingbirder Hostas Daylilies Region: United States of America Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I would try to grow them.
I would also like to know how to start Iris seeds.
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Apr 29, 2015 3:37 PM CST
Name: Lucy
Tri Cities, WA (Zone 6b)
irises
Charter ATP Member Cottage Gardener Irises Region: Northeast US Region: United Kingdom Region: United States of America
Enjoys or suffers cold winters
We still mark our crosses with paper tags, using graphite pencil which is not destroyed by rain. I used to carry my notebook with me, getting older, I carry my little pack of post its & write in the notebook when I get inside. Age & a cane makes differences.

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