Hybridizers: Daffodil hybredizing, 2 by

wrote:
Thanks for the sources. I've been messing with cross breeding daffodils for a few years and just got my first bloom this week, with another on the way! It is nice to see that it actually works! My first crosses were made in 2011, so 4 years to the first flowers, but the plants have not been cared for that well, so I think I could have had more blooming this year. My project is chronicled in a multi part blog post here: [HYPERLINK@turkeysong.wordpress.com] but in short, my approach is very sloppy. I've gotten slightly more focused now and feel ready to pick up just a little more information, but I like my sloppy approach for the most part. There is a lot of really good genetic stock out there, and I think getting quality material to work with is probably a lot of the battle. A lot of work has already been done and we get to take advantage of that. Unfortunately, a lot of the leading edge stuff is very expensive. I have been following the rule below via Ron Scamp in this guradian article http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/aug/26/shopping...

"1 Choose two plants with features you love. One is the 'seed parent', the other the 'pollen parent'. The seed parent gives you form (broad petals, upright growth, strong stems), the pollen parent colour."

Extensive study, record keeping, labeling and such take the fun out of it for me, so I just cross what I like and mix it all together for growing out. I'm not expecting great results, but I'm having a lot of fun and my goal is not necessarily to introduce a new well known variety, but to enjoy myself and make people happy.

Pictures are of my first bloom. The second should open in a couple of days. I know this one is a Young Love seedling, but I have no idea who the daddy is. The flower itself and the form are pretty ragged, but I could live with a field full of seedlings of this calibre just hanging around. Hopefully it will shape up, and size up, as the bulb matures.