Mona, I think you have made a good decision to cut back. If I spent as many hours as you do doing everything I would say the heck with it. YES, it's supposed to be fun!! But be proud and pat yourself on the back for all you have done.
I get to James' around 6:30am each day and some days I'm done by 10:30am. We usually leave there no later than 2:30 or 3:00pm but lately it's been about 1:00; every once in awhile it may be later if we are in the middle of some big project.
That time includes taking photos, cutting old blooms, pollinating my daylilies (and now James' for seeds to sell), tagging, collecting pods, spraying (when it's time), a little weeding or other things that need to be done plus a lunch break thrown in.
How many daylilies are you pollinating a day and how many pollens are you using each day? Pick a certain amount that you want to work with (a reasonable number
) and stick with those. And the rest, just enjoy the blooms.
Right now I'm using maybe 3 or 4 pollens. And I only use 2 on everything in one day (no more than 3 tops). My patterns get one pollen and everything else whether its eyed, reds, pastels, teeth get 1 pollen. I may use something different on my pastels which makes the 3rd pollen. I may have a few oddball crosses that I want to use something else on. Then when I pollenate James' blooms the teeth, patterns, spiders/UFs, and eyed get 1 pollen and the reds/purple, pastels get 1 pollen. Sometimes they all get just 1 pollen.
I start around 7 or 7:30 and I'm finished pollinating between 9:30 and 10:30 and that includes tagging.
If you are just making seed for yourself then set a limit on how many pods you make and then set a limit on how many seeds you plant. Just because you have seed doesn't mean they have to be planted. Yes I know it's hard because there the "what if this is a good one" thought in your head.
I had seeds left from late pollinating last season that I was going to plant this year. Guess what I did with them? I sent them the the AHS International Seed Bank. I will have more than enough to plant this season, which I will start doing shortly because I have already harvested a bunch.
The big key is to set limits and stick with them. Just keep in mind that the less time spent in the garden doing a bagillion crosses and planting a bagillion seedlings is more time to relax and spend doing something else that you enjoy.
