Flowers. 7.12.2020

Lots of flowers blooming now. It's turning out that a lot of them are from seeds I saved myself, but also seeds I bought, and plants that I've grown over the years.

Oriental lilies.  I don't know the name any more.  They only survive here in containers.  7.12.2020

Echinacea, grown from seeds about 4 years ago.  7.12.2020

Cosmos from 3rd generation volunteers, cilantro from saved seeds.  7.12.2020

A daylily I created by pollinating two varieties that I liked, a few years ago.  7.12.2020

Chives, wild petunia, cilantro, and rose moss.  7.12.2020

A flower basket that Ning put together.  7.12.2020

My first attempt at growing poppies from seeds.  Now I know how.  7.12.2020

Crocosmia, descended from some I planted 20 years ago.  7.12.2020

Dayliies. 11 Jul 19

Seedling Daylily.  About 3 years old.  7.14.19

Daylily 7.14.19

I have not been watering or doing anything good for most of these daylilies.  I like them, but have not had the time.  Some are doing well regardless.\

Some more of the seedling daylilies have been blooming.  I'm very happy about the top one pictured.  This is a hybrid of the "Vigaro" NOID daylily, with Chicago Apache.  I like the deep color and ruffles.  I will keep it.  I want to name it something like "Tyranosaurus Rex Blood".  Maybe.  I'm not fond of the one labeled "Soon to be compost" and not sure about the lavender one.

I have lost the labels from some of the others.  If I find them, I hope to addend this blog entry with the accurate names.

Ugly Daylily Seedling, 3 years old.  About to become "compost".

Lavender Daylily Seedling, 3 years old.  7.14.19

Daylily "Ice Carnival". 7.14.19

NOID Daylily (labeled "Vigoro"). 7.14.19

Historic Daylily.  7.14.19

Daylily.  7.14.19

Daylily Seedling in Bloom. Kitchen Garden. 6.5.17

Daylily flower, seedling started in early 2015.  6.5.17

The daylily that I pictured previously, has it's second flower, and many buds.  Now the tepals open too, making for a more conventional daylily flower.  The petals have nice substance, fairly wide and a little ruffled.  The pale pink is very nice, I think.  There was nothing in any of my daylilies that would make me expect such a pale pink.  Very happy with the result.  Thinking further about this result, I think it came from a wide petaled yellow, maybe Happy Returns? and a narrower petaled pink, maybe Luxury Lace.  But I'm not certain, the labels didn't make it over time.

Currently, this daylily is in a container with other daylilies and lilies.  I may keep it there for a while, seems like a good spot.

In the kitchen garden:
-Tomatoes are growing nicely.
-Two days ago I planted the 3rd set of sweet corn.  I transplanted the few plants that germinated from the 2st set, to a grouping of 6.  The second set had better germination, and I think I will have 4 rows of 5 plants each, when they are bigger.   The first batch was Trinity, the second was Bodaceous, and the third was something from Territorial Seeds, but I forget the variety. 
-Peppers are growing nicely.
-I planted the Chinese wide beans that I pre-started in wet paper towel / ziplock, last week.  Some had the first root, or the beginning of the first root.  These beans were seeds that I saved from last year, which I grew for very old seeds, I think more than 10 years - seeds that were in the closet.  They are a traditional wide bean, used as green beans, originating from Northeast China. Germination of those old seeds was less than 10%, but I'm expecting something close to full germination from this batch now.
I expect to plant one more batch of Chinese wide beans, and one  more batch of sweet corn, in a couple of weeks.

First Flower on Daylily Seedling. 5.30.17

First Flower on Daylily Seedling.  5.30.17

For the past 2 years,  I play mad scientist and transfer pollen from stamens of daylily flowers of one color, to pistols of daylily flowers of another color.  I try to stick to diploid with diploid, and tetraploid with tetraploid, which is basically the stouter more hefty looking daylilies tend to be tetraploid, and the more delicate ones tend to be diploid, although that is not a hard and fast rule.  Regardless, if seeds develop, and they usually do, I save them, stratify them using the damp paper towel in ziplock in refrigerator method, then germinate them using the damp paper towel in ziplock on windowsill method, then grow them as seedlings.  Usually, slugs, rabbits, and deer eat most of the plants, which I don't like.

This one was protected by growing with other daylilies in a barrel planter, and today it was the first of all of my daylilies to bloom.  It's not an idea spot - shady - but there it is.  Nice pinkish color.  The tepals are pointed.  That might change in future flowers, or not.  I didn't bother to label, but I think this is an offspring of a yellow that was incorrectly labeled, or more likely a correctly labeled tetraploid that reverted to diploid.  I actually like the unusual appearance and the subtle pink color, with green throat, and shape that makes me think of trilliums.   Another is making buds, so this is my year to see some results from daylily hybridizing.

Meanwhile, the first batch of daylily seedlings that I planted out from last year's hybridizing, were all eaten by slugs, except for one that somehow survived.  I left the second batch in containers that dried out, noticed this week that they started to re-grow, and planted among peppers and tomatoes in the vegetable garden.  If they grow, we'll see what happens.

Planting Daylily Seedlings. 3.1.17

Daylily Seedlings at about 3 months.  3.1.17

Today I planted outside, some of the daylily seedlings that I have been growing under lights.  I hybridized the plants last summer, transferring pollen from some flowers that I liked, to others that I liked, of different colors or shape.  When the seed pods matured in the fall, I collected the black seeds, stratified on moist paper towel in zipper bags, in refridgerator,  rinsed off mold or mildew and germinated on moist paper towels in my home office.  When they germinated, I transferred them to seed starting medium, about 8 seedlings per 4-inch plastic flower pot.  This is easier than the cell-packs, less messy, and the seeds don't wind round and round.  I grew these under lights, but soon will need the lights for tomatoes and peppers.  So I planted them in a raised bed with rabbit protection fencing.  Soil temp is about 50F. 

Since the sun is still low in the sky, and it's raining all week, I didn't harden them off.  If it was more sunny or hot, I would gradually harden them off first.

The plan is to grow these in a vegetable bed until they bloom, probably next year.  Most of the daylilies that I started last year were eaten by rabbits, so I started over.  There are a few in containers that might be bloom size this year.

Daylily Seedlings. Fruit Tree Bloom Times. Puttering. 4.3.15

Daylily Seedlings Leaving Dormancy.  4.2.16

First Apple Flowers.  Golden Sentinel.  4.3.16

Daylily Seedlings.  During the late winter, I thought the daylily seedlings were dying of some disease or infestation.  The leaves had become pale and turned brown.  I do think there were some spider mites.  I placed them all outside and left them to the weather. 

It turns out they were going dormant.  If there were spider mites, I guess they are gone now.  The top growth is vigorous and sturdy.  The roods are also thick and sturdy for such small seedlings.

This leaves me with some choices.  There are too many plants to grow them all in borders.  I chose about 2 dozen from different crosses, and planted in a bed between orchard trees.

They will still have to survive marauding rabbits and deer.  Nature, random chance, and their final appearances, will determine which ones I ultimately keep and move to more prominent borders.  It may be another year or two before I know. In the ground, they will require minimal care and not take up room on the deck.

Apple Blossoms.  By a clear lead, the first of my apples to bloom are Golden Sentinel and North Pole.  Both are descendants of McIntosh, with other parentage as well.  In the Vancouver yard, which is ahead, Liberty is also blooming.


Pear Blossoms.  Based on this years results, in this yard, all of my varieties of Asian and European pear overlap their bloom times.  It doesn't look like the bloom time tables matter much, because there is significant overlap between the earliest - Maxie, and the latest - Rescue.   Most of my varieties are Asian pears, but there are a few Euro or Euro grafts.  Orcas pear is not yet at blooming age.

Puttering.  I'm still digging the first of 4 new large garden beds that are intended for sunflowers, flint corn, or sorghum grain for chicken feed.  All of those can be planted in May or possibly June, so one row at a time, I may get there.  With 2 acres, there is still room for more, but I don't want it to cross the line between enjoyable work / exercise, and unpleasant chore.

I think there is a lot of fruit set on Methley - first time, other than maybe 3 plums last year.  Probably just age, although it did have pollinizing variety branches bloom, within the tree from T-bud grafts of Shiro and Hollywood that I added in 2014.  Sweet Treat may also have fruit set, which is pretty impressive considering this is only second leaf.  Still tiny and may still fall off, but I look every day and many are still on the tree.  Toka may have lost its fruit.  The next few weeks will say.  Chill and frost, bloom too early.  Although Sweet Treat was earlier.  NoID Asian Plum is also covered with potential fruits.  Again, this tree is a multiple multigraft now, which may weigh into the reason for better bearing.  Or just coming of age.

Now going out to dig a couple more rows.

Seeds: Organizing, testing, and starting. 1.5.16

Testing Sunflower Seeds.  1.5.16

 Today placed some seeds in moist paper towel system to test them.   If they don't grow, I can throw them out.

Sunflowers:
Titan packed for 2014
Mammoth Gray Stripe for 2013

Peppers:
Sweet Banana for  2015
Hot Portugal for 2013

These are no big deal if they don't grow.  If they do, I'll keep the packets for later sowing (Sunflowers) or possible keep the plants growing indoors until Spring (Peppers).

I don't throw away partial packets of seeds.  I also fail to check my stash before buying more.

Stored Garden Seeds.  1.5.16

Testing / Sprouting Pepper Seeds.  1.5.16

 These are now filed somewhat neatly.  Some of the envelopes are redundant.  This Spring, I can start planting many of the saved seeds for either our use or the chickens.

The Daylilies labeled Frans Hals bloomed in Sept.  I collected the seeds late Oct, stratified moist in fridge, then sat them out at room temp.  Now about 1/2 are in seed starting containters.  I am curious about this one because the Fans Hals was off - type, should be bicolor brick / yellow but instead salmon / darker eye with hint of the bicolor.  The yellow should have been dark yellow with brick eye ("Playground") , but were very pale yellow with no eye.  I suspect genetic instability due to tissue culture.  I'm curious about their offspring - will there be reversion to type, mixed in hybridization?  Will they be something completely different?

There are many tables online for how long seeds last.  Mine are in cool, fairly dry basement of daylight basement house, except some were in bedroom.
Based on  the link, the Sunflower seeds should keep 5 to 7 years, and the peppers should keep 2 years.  I have sprouted peppers from seeds kept in the kitchen, after 8 to 10 years.

Sprouting Daylily Seeds, Frans Hals X Unknown Yellow 1.5.16

Seed Starting in Fall. 10.20.15

Seedlings.  10.20.15

 Sometimes after a rough day, I putter around the seedlings and it gives me some peace.  So many people are such anal orifices.   Plants are just plants.

Days are getting shorter.  Nothing I can do outside after or before work.   I can putter with seedlings.

I've never done this before, with daylilies.   I did grow some native plum seedlings over the winter, a few years ago.

When the daylily seeds have stratified for one month in the refrigerator, I place them at room temp in their paper towel / zipper bags.   Check the seeds every couple of days.  Many sprout within one to two weeks.  When I see sprouts, I transfer the sprouted seed to a 6-pack containing seed starting medium.  Some of those have sprouted and grown large enough that I move them up to a starting pot with potting soil.  When in seed starting medium, I water with 1/4 teaspoon of tomato miracle grow per gallon of water.

Seedlings.  10.20.15

Some were too close to the lights, resulting in a few light-burned leaves.  Not enough to set them back significantly.

So far, 3 apricot seeds have germinated.  Of Daylilies, I now have 1 dozen seeedlings from pod parent "Happy Returns", and 6 seedlings from pod parent "Chicago Apache".  There are germinated seeds from "Ice Carnival" and one from "Vigaro-labeled" NOID.  Each pod parent was hybridized with a contrasting variety, diploid to diploid and tetraploid to tetraploid.

There is also a cactus that was rootstock for a pink grafted cactus.  The scion eventually died, and the rootstock grew new branches.  I cut off a branch, to start a new plant.  Tentative ID Hylocereus undatus but I could be wrong.  If correct, that is "Dragon fruit" cactus.

Daylily Seedlings. 10.3.15

Daylily Seedlings 1 week after moving to seed starting medium..  10.3.15

The first of the daylily seedlings are doing nicely.  These were from variety "Happy Returns", a repeat blooming, pale yellow, compact variety.   At the time they set seed, I did not have others blooming, and did not pollinate them.  They are most likely self pollinated, and expected to be compact yellow flowered plants as well.

Seeds were stratified for one month, damp paper towel in zipper bag in refrigerator.  Then set at room temp in same damp paper towel/zipper bag.  If mold starts to grow, I change the paper towel to a fresh one with fresh water.  Checking every few days.  They started germinating in 2 weeks.  I planted in seed starting medium.  They are under lights.  The plan is get a head start, see if they can bloom next year.

Today I noted the first of the pod-parent Chicago Apache germinated.  Most of those were pollinated with Fooled Me.  Both are tetraploid.  Depending on the genetics, they could be red, yellow, or other colors and probably have an eye zone.  I also tried pollinating some Chicago Apache with the either incorrectly labeled or mutated, lavender, labeled "Daring Deception".  I did not cover or emasculate them, so there is a random element as well.  The last ones may be with the unlabeled "Vigaro" which has an eye zone and brick-red, almost brown color.

I have lots more seeds stratifying in the refrigerator. 

Daylily seeds 5 days after removing from refrigerator.  9.26.15

Random Daylily Observations and Progress ReportDaylily . 9.13.15

Daylily Starts "Nursery".  9.13.15

Daylily Pods.  Left is "Pardon Me" and Right is "Chicago Apache".  9.13.15

 Various Daylily notes.  Soon the season will be over.

The starts, taken from plants I bought for Ning, are all growing nicely.  These are about one month old.  Most are one fan.  In general, I removed the smallest fan from the plants.  These are getting some TLC.  All of the leaf growth is new.

The far left plant is NOID that I dug from my old yard and gave some TLC.  It's ready to plant.  Maybe during the next week.

Daylily Pods.  "Fooled Me".  9.13.15

Daylily Seed Pods.   "Pardon Me".  9.13.15

Most of the pods, resulting from pollination / hybridization efforts this summer, are maturing.  I've harvested about 1/2 of them.  About 2/3 of  those are stratifying on moist paper towels, in zipper bags, in the refrigerator.

Signs of maturity:
Definitely if the pod is dry, brown, and the top splitting open, it's ready.  The seeds are black and shiny.

If the stem is dry and straw brown, then no nutrition can get from the plant to the pod.  The pod may be green, but in most cases it is starting to split and the color is becoming pale.  I think it's OK to harvest those too.  The seeds inside those pods are black and shiny, a sign of maturity.  If the stem is dried and light brown,  but the pod is still green, I cut it and place in paper envelope to finish maturing.  Probably not necessary.

Different plants have different rates of maturing.

Daylily "Stella De Oro".   9.13.15

 Some are still blooming.   Most of the yellows - NOID pale yellow, large flower, Stella De Oro, mutant labeled as something else but pale yellow and small, and Happy Returns, all have at least a few flowers.  Mutant labeled as "Frans Hals" continues to bloom.  I transferred pollen among these.  No expectations they will take or have time to mature, but no harm done either.

Daylily Mutant of Frans Hals.  9.13.15

Daylily Seeds. Progress Report. 8.16.15

Daylily Seeds, Soaked 48 hours  8.16.15

Many of the daylily seeds sank after soaking 2days.  I did have a drop of antibacterial detergent in the water, to act as surfactant and prevent spoiling.

Now they are stratifying in fridge.  Usual, wet paper towel in zipper plastic food bag.  Most internet sources state they need 4 to 6 weeks of stratification, then back to warm moist setting.

Even More on the Topic of Daylilies. 8.13.15

3-Year-Old Daylily Seeds.  8.11.15

Old Daylily Seeds Float.  8.11.15

Fresh Daylily Seed Pods.  8.11.15

 I got out my seed filing box - an envelope sized file box - to use for saving new seeds.  Discovered some 3-year-old daylily seeds that I collected in 2012.  Some seeds last a year, some last many years.  I don't know about Hemerocallis.

Fresh Daylily Seeds.  8.11.15

Fresh Daylily Seeds Also Float.  8.11.15

One test of seed viability is if they sink.  These floated.

Maybe if I soak them in water for a couple of days, they will rehydrate and sink.  The peach seeds did that.

I found some daylily pods on the variety, "Happy Returns".  The pods do not change to red, or yellow, or brown.  They are green or slightly brown.  When the top starts to split, the seeds are ready.

These are nice shiny black seeds.  Not as wrinkly as the seeds from 2012.  However, a seed I collected one week ago was also wrinkly.

The new seeds floated too.  Since they were fresh, I placed them on damp paper towel, then into a zipper lock back, and into the refrigerator to stratify.  They will need 4 to 6 weeks to stratify, then I can plant them in seed starting soil.

That will be fall.  That's OK, I can grow them under the seed starting light during their first winter.