Hybridizing Question

I've tried my hand at making a few crosses this year. I've had a few successes (pods forming) so I'm encouraged to keep trying.

Due to the strong storms we've had this spring some of my iris are leaning out beyone the flower bed. Last night while I was mowing, I broke off a stem that has a big fat seed pod on it. Is it a goner or will it continue to ripen even without the mother plant?

Thanks for any help you can offer.
Tricia

Barry Blyth sometimes sticks his stalks with seedpods in the ground and ripens them that way as the stalks can get in his way. If too short to do that people have told me to stick them in a raw potato & see what will happen. Sometimes cutworms have chewed off my stalks, but not ones with pods, thank heavens.

Thank you, I will give that a try. The stalk is easily 8-10" long so I have enough to stick in the ground. I'll see what happens anyway.

Hi Tricia,

Interesting comments from irisMA about pushing the stalk into the ground... I haven't thought of that. If Barry Blyth does it I'm sure it a good idea.

There's a good chance the seeds will continue to ripen. How far along is the pod since pollination? The youngest pod that I've broken off was 24 days old, and it produced seeds that germinated. Some I've just laid in a shady windowsill, turning occasionally, or if the stem was long enough I placed them in water in a flower vase. They will dry and begin to crack open, just like those left outside.

I suggest you support those that are leaning. I use bamboo stakes, and strips of soft cloth. Not a pretty sight, but you can see in the photo some staked pods.

Congratulations... and Good Luck, Dan

Tricia, they've said it all. ^_^ The only one of those solutions I've tried is taking the broken stalk and putting it in water. It still had about a month to go. A month later - - success! The pod opened and there were mature seeds. I've heard that the raw potato solution has similar starch and nutrients the stalk/pod/seeds need, and so (in effect) it becomes an adopted mother rhizome to help complete the process. Possibly a very young pod would need that kind of extra help.

Keep us informed - - on what happens, OK? Good luck!!

~Margie

Thank you all for the suggestions and encouragement.

This is my first attempt so I haven't kept detailed records (i.e., I have no idea how far along this one is). If I had to guess, I'd say the one I broke off is somewhere around 4 wks since pollination.

Thanks!

Lately I've been told that you told always to support a stem with a pod. Since I work with the shorter plants I haven't thought about it, certainly on my BBs & probably to do all.

Hi folks,

Just following up to let you know ... I have seeds!!! I stuck the stalk with the seed pod into the ground. It finally ripened and started to open. I brought the pod into the house and have the seeds drying on a paper plate. Now, if I can just get the seeds to germinate. :-)

Thank you again for your help.
Tricia