Do a search on "Mongrels". Then you shall see. You'll never know unless you try. Good Luck!!!

e only been at this a year so I I've got another 2 years before I see any results form mine but I have a nice number of year old seedlings.A few show remarkable vigor or especially pretty foliage...

We probably already know many plants that came from the same cross, but we simply just don't know that they are from the same cross. The system used to name hippeastrum hybrids is to be blamed for that since it is completely wrong. For instance, "Giraffe" and "Exotic Star" are, to my eyes at least, brothers or sisters, and most likely "Exotica" too, but it is impossible to know. Were they orchids, we would know very easily.

I intend to publish pictures of both parents and of their family as soon as my own crosses bloom, and I inted to do so with all the genera that I do breeding with: hemerocallis and iris mostly, and I've already done so with the new echinacea that I got from seed from my own crosses.

In the mean time, enjoy these pix of some of my "babies", the first ones that will bloom in X months. These seedling are 6 months old. Veronica Read says that big hippeastrum are ready to bloom when they reach 14 cm diameter and they have 9 leaves. As you can see, these are close to that with 7 leaves and a nice diameter. {{gwi:378724}}De Divers
{{gwi:378725}}De Divers

Laurier

I, too, have only just begun this new hobby, and have only been collecting bulbs, pollinating, and growing the resulting seeds for less than 2 full years. I began serious collecting in the summer of 2007.

My oldest seedlings were gifts from Maria and Cindee, and while they're growing well, I don't expect blooms from them for at least another year or two. Since I'm so far north, I have winters to contend with... this means shorter days, colder weather, lower humidity, and a lot less natural light... not exactly ideal conditions.

Last spring, I started a nice batch of seeds... several different crosses and selfs... and the seedlings are all in various stages of growth. I notice that some grow faster and larger than others, and some appear to be more vigorous and have more strength. Some are still tiny, though they are hanging in there.

I plan to start another batch of Hippeastrum seeds as soon as the weather breaks, and I may even start some sooner if there is enough room under the lights in the basement.

I can't say exactly when I'll see the first blooms from my efforts, but I am excitedly anticipating the day!

When you do a search for "Mongrels", you'll see the results of Arif's efforts... lovely, lovely blooms! I'm highly impressed with his flowers! I'm very impressed with all of his bulbs and their gorgeous blooms... his gardens are wondrous!

Professional bulb hybridizers and growers must grow thousands and thousands of test varieties and new crosses, looking for those few special standout blooms that can be multiplied for commercial sales. They must constantly breed toward strong, easy-to-grow and fast-to-bloom varieties for the public. It must be quite a task, but worth the efforts.

For me, I'd like to hobby breed a few things for my own enjoyment... and my own experience. So far, it's been very fun and rewarding! I'm loving it!

Thanks for the pics agent1xe13. It must be exciting to know that soon you will see the results of your patience.

Guess we all know that our own babies are always beautiful.

Wow! Those are getting big really fast! If I remember correctly, you have a greenhouse, don't you, Laurier? You are so lucky!

My babies began with just the light from an east window... but I have slowly added supplemental lighting, and now they're growing faster and better.

Here are a couple of shots of my babies... in each shot, they're the ones in the little pots.

{{gwi:378726}}

{{gwi:378727}}

{{gwi:378728}}

Nice babies Jodi, they are coming along very well!

No, unfortunately I don't have a greenhouse, only windows and artificial light. I didn't put them next to windows, only under artificial light since I didn't want them to follow the seasons because I wanted them to be under continuous growth and hopefully have them bloom earlier. Like most everyone on this forum, I'm also running out of space, and the next generations might have to be raised under natural light. )-:

...ask me in 2-3 years. This year I have very thoughtfully made over 40 crosses to date. Some took, some didn't. I am growing out 10 seeds from each cross! CR*P...400 plants! I need that greenhouse NOW!! :-)

I had offered to share seeds from List A (List B is yet to be released until I know what takes) and got a few responses. The first batch of seeds will be sent out this week as the pods are ripening. I will pack well for cold spots...and hope for the best. If you chose several crosses, they will be sent in multiple envelopes as they ripen.

Will post more later!
K

If you'd like, Kristi, you could just wait until all the seeds on the wanted lists are ready, then ship all in one package... that would save postage, and save the seeds from the possibility of getting too cold along the way.

Of course, since it's your generosity that is even allowing me to get these seeds, it's all up to what's easiest and best for you. I'm perfectly willing to send postage for the best in shipping... I'm a little worried about our frigid weather. It's been so cold that we're having frozen water pipe issues! I really hate winter!

Whatever is easiest for you, Kristi... I know you've been sick, and I'm sure you're busy...

Speaking of greenhouses... ours is still in pieces in boxes in the garage. We were so hoping to have it up last year, but it's a job we girls need help with. There's the foundation that needs to be laid out, electrical wiring, plumbing, gas heaters, etc... not to mention just putting it all together! It's a big job in reality! Maybe 2009 will be the year of the greenhouse!

Laurier, I wish I had had the new lights when I first got these little guys sprouted... I think that might have made a fairly large difference in their growth. As it is, I started them outdoors in spring, along with all my other flats of seeds. I had hoped the natural sun and nature would help them grow better. I see what you mean about constant growth, though. I think at 16 hours of light a day, it's enough to promote good vegetative growth. Yours are doing extremely well!

So,,,,as the ripened pods are sitting all organized with their tags, how long can seed sit before planting???

UGH....a greenhouse in the garage, my FEAR! Another reason why I am just thinking of hiring a contractor!
:-)
K

Approximately 6 months to a year, is the word on the street. Anything over a year is really pushing it, and as time passes the germination rate drops, of course. But allowing them to sit for a few weeks or months is no big deal. The fresher the better... but properly stored seed can be fine for quite a while.

I had decent germination from seeds I harvested last winter. I planted them this past spring.

I just thought it might be easier for you to start an envelope with my name on it, and add to it until the list is done. Then, mail once instead of multiple times. But, as I said... whatever is better for you, m'dear! You're the Seed Queen! :-)

Actually...the little divided ziplock baggies are all ready, labled and numbered. I'm just waiting for the pods to ripen!!
:-)

Most of my seedlings had to be put to rest due to limited winter growing space. This forced rest takes like 1-2 years of development from them. Oh well, I can only do so much living in this zone. A lot of my seed crosses are spread all over in hope that they would grow better in other people's hands. I won't mind if they get to bloom somewhere ahead of the ones I have here. Deep inside me, I know that I made the right decision in sharing them and giving them a better chance in life. I have a very strong feeling that South Africa will be the first to see the results of my crosses. The weather there is just perfect for the amaryllids. There, names don't matter. The seeds/seedlings are all treated equal. Eventually, the strong will prevail. The REAL test is Mother Nature's way.

This is one of the seedlings (miniature X miniature) I was hoping to see bloom this spring had I had the resources to continously grow them this winter. Unfortunately, I did not. They are all in the cold garage FORCED to sleep.:-(
Maybe in 2010...or maybe this spring if the forced cold rest would bring out a scape from them. Ahhhh...that will be the day!!!

{{gwi:378730}}

Wow!!! Look at all the pups, from such a tiny bulb!!! I have measured for a 6x8 greenhouse and think it's very do-able. Now need to round up a handy man so that it doesn't become a month-long project! Then I'll have more room for more babies. Tonight I'm trying to figure out where I can put another light setup in the house. Dang CHAD!!!
;-)
Kristi

Yes Kristi. They are mature enough to bloom at that size. I will need a BIG greenhouse to grow all of these seeds and seedlings if ever. That's besides the 300 plus pots in the collection. It's either I agree to a contract for a nursery to grow my seeds/seedlings OR I get a sugar daddy...lol!!!

Maria, you need a "Hippi Daddy"! LOL! But really, a greenhouse would help you quite a bit... even a small or medium sized one that could be used just for propagating and seedlings.

I wasn't aware that such young bulbs could, or even would, grow offsets like that! Maria, your flowers and plants continue to amaze me!

Mine are growing very slowly, but I don't have the same conditions as Maria, or anyone south or west of me. Winter makes growing very difficult.

Jodi....Heating and lighting costs for the greenhouse during winter is not practical. Three to 4 years of this cost would be a couple of thousands of $$$. I don't have that resource to invest right now. If ever I do and get my seedlings to bloom, there is no guarantee that there will be a market for them and for what price. For now, it's a hobby for me. So I won't stress myself and just be content of what I have. maybe when I'm ready to retire, I'd go home to the Philippines and run the nursery there again. The hippies would like it there. I can do gardening the whole year. And I can eat fresh fish, vegetables and rice as much as I want...lol!!!

The maturity of the seedlings WILL most of the times depend on the cross. Large flowered varieties take longer to mature than miniatures. They need to grow their bulbs to a bigger size than the minis. The exotic crosses takes the longest for me here. Except for the crosses that had genes of good robust parent/parents. It's amazing to see them all together for you can see and tell the difference already at such young age.

The pictured seedling is a cross of a miniature and a sonatini. I have a strong feeling that sonatinis can be made to bloom at a 10-12cm bulb size. Several years ago I said, "If I cannot get those Japanese Super-minis, I'm making one". I hope I'm in the right track!!! :-)

We greenhouse during winter, all year 'round actually, and we use wood for heat. You should look into it! It is really quite practical!

Greenhouses are money burners if you're not making back money from their use... as in selling plants and flowers yearly or seasonally. So, for the hobbyist, it might not always be a practical solution. However, there are ways to conserve energy, so I suppose it all depends on your budget and what you're using one for. Or how much you want one! :-)

I notice that of my own seedlings, Minerva and Lovely Garden seem to be the fastest growing and the strongest, most vigorous... Charisma is next in line, with Prelude following. Everything else is trailing behind those in growth.

Of those I mentioned, the Prelude seeds were the only ones not from my own flowers... I got those from Lawrence, whom I haven't seen posting in quite a while! I do hope everything's ok. Several usual posters haven't been chiming in lately... I realize people are busy and things change in life, and I just hope they're all doing well.

The seeds I got from others are growing, too... they're a bit smaller, and I wonder if it has to do with not being bred and raised here, but rather somewhere else in the country, and then shipped. I wonder if that has any effect on the growth of seeds?

Pollinating and making seeds is easy. Making good seeds that will produce good seedlings/plants is a lot of work. One need to study each and every plant that you want to use in your hybridizing. That is why I have a lot of Papilios and other varieties that I use. Different plants have different characteristics like humans...strengths and weaknesses. They may be of the same variety BUT they do have differences.

Prelude as a plant is weak for me. It has pretty and unusual round flowers BUT is not a strong plant. So if you want to cross Prelude, one has to think of a strong partner. That is my way of thinking with regards to crossing varieties. Crossing 2 weak varieties IS a waste of time for me UNLESS I want to prove something.

Exactly so, Maria... when we bred American Bulldogs, we chose our pairings based on many things, including health, longevity, temperament, intelligence, ability, etc... for dogs, certain physical characteristics are very important, while others are not so important. As long as color, height and general size fall within the parameters of the Breed Standard, they're fine... but certain other physical characteristics are more important, such as muzzle length, depth of chest, how the dog is "put together" overall, etc... the idea is to produce dogs with all the best characteristics, or as we say, the "total package". Sometimes, you must overlook one characteristic in favor of getting many others. I hope I explained that properly.

Plants would have a different list of important characteristics, but as a living thing, you still want the best health, strength, ability to bloom and reproduce, etc...

While breeding flora is a bit different than breeding fauna, the same basic principles apply.

The Prelude seeds I received were from a selfing, so I'll have to judge the strength and other merits when I see it perform. It won't be for quite a while! I don't have an adult Prelude bulb.

I can already see that my original Minerva bulb has good strength and vigor, blooms well and beautifully, and has withstood both very good care, and some neglect. The seedlings from that selfing are doing extremely well. They're larger than other seedlings, and I'm impressed with them so far. Lovely Garden and Charisma are surprising me with their vigor and growth. All in all, I'm very happy with the seedlings I have from last year's planting.

Your Minerva is a very good example of differences with the bulbs. I don't even have a Minerva strong enough to last a whole season. Every year I would purchase one. It would bloom, leaf out some, go through cold storage with the rest and sure enough by next spring, it would have a poorer performance. I might order some Brasbonitas Minerva just to compare their performance with Dutch ones. That is if I would remember to do so and if they are still available.

I had to dispose of some of my seeds due to poor results in germinated seedlings. You can tell right from floated seeds/seedlings which crosses will be strong. If the seedlings are not good enough to grow well in 5-6 months in my growing conditions, then they are not good enough to grow in my garden. Hopefully, somewhere, they will perform better. If not, they were meant to be a "bad cross". Live and learn.

The fact that my Minerva has not been through a forced dormancy since I've had it may be a consideration. I've always treated it like any other houseplant I have, simply watering and feeding occasionally. I'd even say that neglect has been part of its growth process, and it's the largest, healthiest bulb I've got! It's also the oldest.

If I had known how easy pollination was, I'd have done so several years ago! I could already have blooming progeny! But I knew very little about any of this at that point, and was simply enjoying its blooms every spring!

My opinion is that there are both the weak and the strong within a variety, and you simply must find one that grows well for you. With as common as Minerva is, I think of it as a very strong and vigorous variety.

On the other hand, Apple Blossom is another common variety which should fit into the same category of being strong and vigorous... however, both of the Apple Blossom bulbs I have are small and weak. Both bloomed their first season with me, but the one that I've had for more than a year has not repeated its bloom. So, go figure!