Daylilies are one of a number of plant species which do not come 'true' from seed. Every seed produces a genetically unique plant, which means the possibilities are literally endless. So, how does it work?
The first bit of information you need to know is whether your chosen parents are diploid or tetraploid. A diploid has 11 pairs of chromosomes and a tetraploid has twice that number. You can only breed a dip to a dip and a tet to a tet. Tetraploids tend to have sturdier scapes and the flowers tend to have thicker petals.
The process is quite easy - just take pollen from the stamens of one cultivar and place it on the tip of the pistil of another cultivar. The best time to do this is in the morning, soon after the pollen has ripened. The easiest method is to pick the whole stamen with pollen attached and brush it across the top of the pistil. If the cross takes, then once the spent flower drops off, you'll see a small green nub. This will take approximately 40-60 days to ripen. When the pod begins to turn brown or starts to open at the top, the seeds are ready to harvest.
You can dry the seeds totally or just allow the surface to dry. Store them in either paper envelopes or small plastic zip-lock bags and put them in the refrigerator until you are ready to plant them. Plant the seeds about 1/4-1/2" deep. Water until damp but not soggy and place them in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks. Once they come back into the light, viable seeds should begin germinating in about 10 days. Plant them out after all danger of frost has passed. In northern climates it usually takes until the second summer before you see any bloom.
The art of hybridizing lies in picking the right parents. Some hybridizers just cross pretty with pretty while others keep extensive records and plan every cross based on traits of the cultivars used and with a goal in mind. The convention for keeping track of crosses is: Name of POD parent X name of POLLEN parent. |