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. Looking Sad. 1.24.16

Daylily Seedlings Late Winter.  1.24.16

Daylily Seedlings Mid Winter.  1.24.16

Most of the daylily seedlings look sad now.  The leaves have a loss of chlorophyll.  Some have brown leaves.

I wonder it they are just going dormant, or headed there.  It's either that, or some sort of ailment.

I don't know what drives daylily dormancy - daylength, intensity of sunlight, or temperature.  Some of these changes started while still under lights inside.  Not that cold, and daylength is 14 hours.

It's also possible that they reach a stage then stop, until the next season.

At least one of the brown-leaf plants has a crown of new growth.  Maybe it is dormancy.

It's so unseasonably warm outside, I moved them out doors for some rain and light and moving air.  Maybe they will do better, or die off. 

This is my first try with daylilies from seeds.  I don't know what to expect.

Various Observations. 9.3.15

Daylily proliferations at 3 weeks.  9.3.15

 The daylily proliferation was cut and placed in water, and when a root started forming was moved into potting soil.  There was a smaller proliferation on the same stem.  I separated that, and planted both into potting soil.  They are in a sheltered location outside.

This was planted into potting soil 8.11.15.  The original cut was made about 8.3.15, so this is about one month.

It's nice to look under the container and see some roots growing out of the holes.  That way I know for sure the roots are growing.  This is a cool way to start new daylily plants without disturbing the parent plant.  But I do expect them to take as long as a seedling to grow to blooming size, maybe 2 to 3 years.

Roots forming from daylily proliferations.  9.3.15

Celeste fig cutting at 2.5 months.  9.3.15

The Celeste fig cutting was started mid june.  This came from dormant, hardwood cuttings that I received in Jan.  I was not enthusiastic about starting more then.  Made a half-way effort to start a few at that time and left the rest in the fridge.  I didn't give the cuttings the TLC that I usually do, and they did not make it.  In June I found the chilled cuttings in the refridgerator - they were in plastic zipper bag - and made an effort to start them.  They were treated with a cambium incision, a little dip-and-grow, and placed in potting soil outside.  I watered regularly.  Several started, but some stalled at the 1-inch-leaf stage and died.  I nurtured the remaining two with fertigation and kept them in sheltered locations.  I think they have grown well enough to survive their first dormancy and make it through their first winter.  Then I can give some TLC and they will have a head start next year.

Large Sedum Cutting at 3 weeks.  9.3.15

Large Sedum Cutting at 3 weeks.  9.3.15

The sedums were cut into pieces on 8.18.15 - pictured on that date.  No rooting hormone or special treatment, just stuck in fresh potting soil, sheltered location, and watered daily.  I don't know if they have roots yet, but they are growing new top growth at leaf axils.  Probably Autumn Joy - type sedum, and Munstead Red.  The leaf cuttings don't look so good.  A couple have not wilted.  If this works, it's very cool.  Several new sedum plants from 2 pieces that broke off in the wind and laid around a while before I cut and planted them.

 In the end, all it took to regenerate the Egyptian Walking Onion colony was to clean up the dried out splits from the prior bed, trim them, plant, and water.  Growing well.  We have scallions to eat now, and plenty to overwinter.

E.W. Onions at 3 weeks.  9.3.15

Dividing a Daylily. Daylily seeds. 8.23.15

NOID Daylily before division.  8.23.15

Out of the ground.  There are 2 main clumps.  8.23.15

Today I divided my oldest daylily cluster.  Last year I moved this bunch from the old Vancouver yard to the Battleground yard.  I was anxious to get it intothe ground, so did not divide it.  There was grass growing deep into the cluster, which has been difficult to pull out.

It needed dividing.  There were only 2 flower scapes this year.  In the past, it had many.  It has been done blooming for a few weeks.

I wanted it to be in a more prominent location.  I am limited on good spots, so part of it went back into the original location, but with fresh garden soil.

Digging it up, two main sub-clumps were apparent.  I used shovel to slice through.  Some gardeners use 2 garden forks and pry them apart.  That results in less root loss.  I don't think that will be a problem.  I don't have 2 garden forks.

Two smaller divisions fell off when I split the big clumps.  So I have 2 good size, and 2 starter size clumps.

They are replanted, mulched, and watered.  One of the small ones is in container for TLC and maybe gift.

The Stella de'Oro was divided, I think, in Mid July.  Both halves regenerated new leaves and bloomed.  Very nice, and one of only three daylilies now blooming.  Happy Returns is also blooming.

The other was labeled as the variety "Frans Hals".  It looks semi-similar to the photo.  Either a mutant, possibly due to improper tissue culture technique, or a seedling.  I liked this photo with a bug in the nectar pocket.  I  cross pollinated the "not quite Frans Hals" with both Stella and Happy, both as pollen donor and recipient.

Split using shovel and hand action.  8.23.15

One of the replanted clumps.  8.23.15

Stella de'Oro divided in July.  8.23.15

Daylily labeled as "Frans Hals".  8.23.15

Daylily Seedpod.  Pod Parent Chicago Apache.  8.23.15

The first of the Chicago Apache seedpods started to split, so I picked it.  The stem is brown and dry, so the seeds will obtain no more nutrition from the plant.  The seeds are black and shiny, so I think they are fully ripe.

Pollen parent is either Chicago Apache or Fooled Me.  Doesn't matter, I'm not a commercial grower, and won't be.

These went into a wet paper towel / plastic zipper bag / refrigerator, for stratifying. 

I wondered what I would do with all of  the seeds from the hybridizing efforts.  This pod made only 4 seeds, so maybe I won't have too many.

I don't need a lot.  I just kept dobbing pollen to pistils to see what happened.

Daylily Seeds.  Pod Parent Chicago Apache.  8.23.15

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.

Growing Daylilies from Proliferations. 8.11.15

Daylily Proliferation.  8.11.15

 The daylily labeled as Frans Hals - but not the same as illustrations of that variety - grew small plants on the blooming stem.  These are called proliferations.  Proliferations are like keikeis on orchids.

I waited until the stem started to turn brown, then cut it leaving about 2 inches below the lowest baby plant.  A smaller one was above the water level.

In one week, the proliferation started to grow a root.  I trimmed the stem shorter, also cut off the upper, nonrooted, smaller, proliferation.  Then planted both in fresh moist potting soil.

They will stay in the same window.  East/Northeast exposure.   We will see if they  grow.

Daylily Proliferations.  8.11.15

Daylily Proliferations.  8.11.15

I'm not that excited to grow this particular daylily, but it's the only one that made a proliferation.  Free plants are free plants.