Hi John,
Woot, a rainbow of possibilities, and I love surprises! I have heard hybridizers of other flowers also say 1 in 1000 may make it to registration, and that leaves me with another question. Is it 1 in 1000 survived-to-bloom seedlings, or 1 in 1000 seedling starts? Or, are both the same to you, achieving 100% survival-to-bloom rate for all seedlings?
I would have to say my nascent daylily hybridization rate is only around 10% of all seedlings started, but I am harsh on them, too. No special fertilizers, and I even subjected one year's lot to full 100-sun during a very dry summer (dropped to about 5% survivors). That and the aphids, who seem to love seedlings, make my 1-in-1000 a distant goal, but one I will pursue anyhow - it's just that fun.
Tina