Greenhouse Bloom 11 . . .

Comments can be made at the end of this page . . . it is easy and I would like to know how you enjoy it.

A left click on your mouse will give you a larger picture.

A greenhouse makes setting pods on daylilies much easier than outside because you can somewhat control the environment. Most greenhouses that I know growing daylilies have some sort of heating . . . ours is by a 150,000 btu natural gas heater. Only very few greenhouses that I know have some method of cooling . . . if they do, it is usually water cooled . . . I doubt that many could afford regular air conditioning. Our greenhouse is just a basic one . . . as I said, we do have heat, but the only cooling we have is by exhaust fans. Still, the heat at times in bright sunlight will reach 100° or higher. I have heard in the past that setting seed under 60° or over 90° is almost impossible. I still don't hybridize until the heat level reaches 60° but many days that I have hybridized the heat has reached the 100°+ level and I have still gotten good seed set. Go figure! Another advantage to a greenhouse is that I can get an early start on my hybridizing, most of the time finishing before bloom starts outside when I need to be taking care of things and evaluating seedlings outside. Below is a picture of the greenhouse taken this morning 04/18/10 and I would guess that I am just past peak bloom.

The first thing your eyes are drawn to is the beauty of the bloom. However, this is not the most important factor. In the enlargement below you can see all of the cross tags indicating pod set. Now go back and look at a blow up of the greenhouse image and look for the cross tags.

I admire those of you who hybridize UFs (yes, I did say that). As you saw in an earlier blog, I do have a few UFs in the greenhouse. I would estimate that I have made 25 crosses thus far and have not set one pod . . . and this on a plant in the hybridizer's description said, "Pod and pollen fertile." You must really have to persevere to get your seeds.

The cross tags that you see in the picture above are the bread tags that are sold by Gary Schaben and in my opinion are the best way to go. If you use an Industrial Sharpie, they can be used over and over by just soaking them in a Clorox/water mixture to clean. I have no monetary interest in the tags.

Bloom will soon be starting in the south and we will be able to follow it to the north . . . how great is that?

Daylilies bring friend together.

Life is very, very good

Lee