January 25 . . . Growth of greenhouse plants

Left click on the images for a larger view.

A 10-day update on the growth of the greenhouse plants. The last update was January 15.

These are the seedlings to the right of the entrance door. The seeds were planted on July 23 and transplanted to the gallon pots on September 24, so they are now about 6 months old.

These are the seedlings left of the entrance door. They are about 1 month younger than the seedlings on the right bench.

These are the left center bench looking from the rear of the greenhouse. They were started in peat pots about two week later than the first bunch and were the last to be transplanted to gallon pots on October 18, almost a moth later than the ones first planted.

This is the right center bench, image taken from the front of the greenhouse. The plants show considerable growth in just 10 days. The dormants are not quite as evident as in previous post.

This image is the right center bench taken from the rear of the greenhouse. Compare it to the image in an earlier blog page.














Just a word about lights. As you can see in some of the above images, I have 2 1000 watt high pressure sodium lights over each center bench. I have used these in the past, having them come on for about 4 hours in the middle of each night. As of last year, I only used them for 1 hour each night, having them come on about 6:00 AM and go off about 7:00 AM. This one hour in the morning helped the blossoms open completely and they were open when I wanted to hybridize.

As always, we thank you for visiting our blog. Please leave a comment below.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

January 15 . . . Growth of greenhouse plants

Today is January 15, exactly 15 days since my last post showing the potted hybridizing plants as they appeared just after taking them into the greenhouse from outside. They had had plenty of cold weather and the evergreens were mushy and the dormants were dormant. Just 15 days from being taken in, you can compare the images today with the images in the last blog to see their progress. There are several dormant daylilies in this group. Many of those in the foreground of this image are dormant. Most noticeably are the ones in the second row from the right. Among those pots are Don Lovell's H. 'Selwyn' (2012), his H. 'Hawkeye Fringe' (2011), Joel Polston's H. 'Carnivore' (2010) and Jamie Gossard's H. 'Outer Limits' (2008) are all extremely hard dormant here.

Way back when I used to show my daylily greenhouse program with slides, I took three pots of daylilies into the greenhouse from outside and showed a series of slides with evergreen, semi-evergreen and dormant plants in pots. My first slide showed evergreen with considerable foliage, the semi-evergreen with slightly less foliage, and the dormant was showing no foliage at all. If I remember correctly, I showed the growth with slides week by week. Within 8 weeks, the dormant had caught up in growth with the other two.

This is the right center bench, image taken from the front of the greenhouse. The plants show considerable growth in just 15 days. The dormants are quite evident.

This image is the right center bench taken from the rear of the greenhouse. Compare it to the image in the previous blog page.














On Saturday, January 7, Jean and I took a cruise up the Tennessee River to the Hiwassee River Conservancy area to view the Sand Hill Cranes which are in their migratory to winter nestings. I don't know what we expected, but we were a little disappointed because the boat had to stay in the river channel and we could not get very close to the birds. However, at times there were thousands in the skies. Here is an image showing them in the air.

As always, we thank you for visiting our blog. Please leave a comment below. Left click on the images for a larger view.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

Happy New Year 2012

Remember, a left click on an image will give you an enlargement.
As we enter a new year, Jean and I wish you all very Happy New Year. It has been about one month since I posted images of the seedlings growing in the greenhouse. Remember, these are planted in trade 1-gallon pots. As you can see, the seedlings have grown considerably since my last post. I believe we are on our way to at least 50% bloom in the greenhouse around April/May. There are some crosses that are not as vigorous growers as others and this really shows up in the greenhouse. Most are double the size of those lagging behind. I will put the images on in the same sequence so you can compare them to the earlier blog and the growth in a month.

This is the bench right of the door along the right side of the greenhouse. These seedlings are now about 5 months old. The tallest foliage is approximately 18" to 24" high.

This is the bench on the left side of the greenhouse. You can tell the difference in size between this one and the one above. The plants on this bench were planted about a month later than the ones on the right bench.

This is the left center bench taken from the rear of the greenhouse. Again, these seedlings were planted about 1 month later than the seedlings on the right bench.

This is the right center bench taken from the front of the greenhouse. This bench contains about 150 cultivars in 3-gallon pots that I will use for hybridizing. At the far end on the left are seedlings that I will be using for hybridizing. As you can see, I could probably add about 16 more pots to fill the bench.

This is the same bench, only taken from the back of the greenhouse. On the right, you can see the two rows of seedlings that I intend to use in hybridizing. These seedlings were probably taken in about three weeks ago. On the left, you can see 3 rows of pots that contain my introductions for 2012 to be used in hybridizing.






As always, we thank you for visiting our blog. Please leave a comment or question below.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

TAPS

This is the most incredible rendition of TAPS that I have ever heard, and by a 13 year old. I know I am old and a softy, but I had tears in my eyes. If you have lost someone in service or know of someone who has, this is just incredible. A former colleague shared it with me and I would like to share it with you.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

First, read the following, and then click on the web site.

The conductor of the orchestra is Andre Rieu from Holland .

The young lady, her trumpet and her rendition of TAPS makes

your hair stand on end.

Many of you may never have heard taps played in its entirety,

for all of the men and women that have died for you to have the

freedom you have in America . This is an opportunity you won't

want to miss and I guarantee you'll never forget.

Amazingly beautiful.Melissa Venema, age 13, is the trumpet soloist.

She is also from Holland.

Here is Taps played in its entirety. The original version of Taps

was called Last Post, and was written by Daniel Butterfield in 1801.

It was rather lengthy and formal, as you will hear in this clip, so in

1862 it was shortened to 24 notes and re-named Taps.

Melissa Venema is playing it on a trumpet whereby the original

was played on a bugle.

http://www.flixxy.com/trumpet-solo-melissa-venema.htm

Greenhouse Seedlings 11/26/2011

Remember, a left click on an image will give you an enlargement.

It has been 20 days since I last took picture of the seedlings growing in the greenhouse. Watching them daily, it soesn't seem like they are growing much but then when I compare these images with those of 20 days ago, it appears that they have made good progress. Compare these with the previous images, then back to the first images and you will see what I mean.

These are the seedling to the right of the entrance door. The seeds were planted on July 23 and transplanted to the gallon pots on September 24, so they are now about 4 months old.

These are the seedlings left of the entrance door.

These are the left center bench looking from the rear of the greenhouse. They were started in peat pots about two week later than the first bunch and were the last to be transplanted to gallon pots on October 18, almost a moth later than the ones first planted.









The seedlings on the right bench appear larger because they were transplanted about a month earlier that the last bunch, plus, that is the side of the greenhouse that the gas heater is on. I am thinking that this is making a world of difference.

As always, we thank you for visiting our blog. Please leave a comment below.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

Greenhouse Seedlings 11/7/2011

Remember, a left click on an image will give you an enlargement.

I thought I would show the growth of the seedlings in just 2 ½ weeks. They have been watered overhead daily with my misting system with a weak solution of water soluble fertilizer. You can check each picture with the pictures in the previous blog to see the growth. I tried to take the pictures in about the same location.

This is the seedling bench on the right side of the greenhouse.

The seedling bench on the left side of the greenhouse.

And this is the left center bench looking from the door.















As you can see, there has been considerable growth in just 2 ½ weeks. Hopefully, many will bloom in March/April/May.

As always, we thank you for visiting our blog. Please leave a comment below.

Life is very, very good.

Lee

Greenhouse Seedlings 10/21/2011

Remember, a left click on an image will give you an enlargement.

I finished transplanting the peat pot seedlings in the greenhouse a couple days ago, but had to wait until today to take the pictures because of lack of sunlight. When the cold front came through a couple days ago, not only did our temperatures take a nosedive and we received about 1" of rain, but the sun ducked under clouds. Today I was able to take some pictures. 

Seeds were planted in peat pots in July/August. Transplanting of the seedling peat pots to trade 1 gallon pots began on September 24, and because of my being slow and doctor''s appointments, etc., I did not finish until October 19.

As you walk in the door of the greenhouse, this bench is to the right. It is comprised of 4 4' x 10' benches for a total of 40'. Each 10' bench is also a water bed which is made from 2 x 4s and lined with plastic. There are 18 rows of 7 pots in each of the 4 beds for a total of 504 trade 1 gallon pots on each 44' bench. As the seedlings are transplanted, a small handful of Nutricote 18-6-8 180 day with minors was added to the pots. In addition, 2 tsp. of Bayer Tree and Shrub were sprinkled on the top to prevent fungus gnats, aphids, thrips, etc.  A weed pre-emergent was also sprinkled on the top. Yes, we do get weeds in the greenhouse.

As you walk in the door of the greenhouse, this bench is on the left side. As you can see, it is of the same configuration and size as the bench on the right side. Again, there are 18 rows of 7 pots in each of the 4 beds for a total of 504 trade 1 gallon pots on each 40' bench. This brings the total pots at this point to 1008.







This picture is taken from the back of the greenhouse looking toward the entrance door. There is one more 4' x 10' bench with 126 seedlings on it. As you walk in the dorr of the greenhouse, it is the bench on the left center. This bench is 30' long. I have used 10' and the remaining 20' will be for Jean to start her annuals and the neighbor to start his tomato and pepper plants.





There are 4 benches wide in my greenhouse, and the 4th bench will be used for my hybridizing plants. It is about 36' long and I can get 156 potted 3 gallon pots on it. If you look to the left side of the last image above, you will be able to see this bench.

All benches are set up also as water beds. Last year I grew all of the daylilies, both hybridizing plants and seedlings in the water beds. I would guess that I bloomed 40% of the 9 month seedlings.

So, if you have been counting, there are a total of 1134 seedlings growing in trade one gallon pots. These are all of the seedlings we will grow this year. It has just gotten too difficult for us to get down on our knees and plant seedlings in the ground. In the past, we have grown up to 5000 seedlings . . . no more! Again, if you are counting, this is approximately 80% fewer seedlings than just a couple years ago.

As always, we thank you for visiting our blog. Please leave a comment below.

Life is very, very good.

Lee