Hello Daylily Friends,
This afternoon I'm going to write about my work in both my conversion and use of Inman Joiner's, ORANGE VELVET. I converted ORANGE VELVET several years ago, and I used ORANGE VELVET as a pollen parent. The pod parent was my own VARSITY ORANGE. You might recall that on June 30, 2011, I wrote a post reporting that VARSITY ORANGE was chosen "Best in Show" at our "Annual Daylily Show." I'm showing a picture of both TET. ORANGE VELVET and VARSITY ORANGE. The AHS data base does not show what branching there is on the diploid, ORANGE VELVET, but from my own experience it has 3-way branching, and it is usually about 32" tall. My own VARSITY ORANGE has 3 and 4-way branching. So, to produce a very tall seedling from these two parents, with 5 and 6 way branching, would not necessarily be expected.
The first seedling that I want to show is Seedling 11-284. It is 40 inches tall. My thought to myself when I first saw the first bloom was, WOW! I hope that you will agree that 40 inches is tall. Then, 11-284 has 5-6 way branching, with 40 buds. The flower is 5 3/4" in diameter. This seedling is pod fertile. I certainly intend to use this seedling, but I only have six fans. The second seedling that I want to show is Seedling 11-285. It is 37 inches tall with 4-way branching. The flower is just a little larger than 11-284, but the height of the scape is just a little lower. If I didn't have 11-284 I would be totally delighted to only have 11-285.
Seedling 11-294 is my next "keeper." It is 32" tall with 5-way branching. The best thing is that it has a stronger concentration of color, and the flower is 7" in diameter. It is pod fertile. This could be an introduction, but then the orange daylilies that are being introduced today may be more exotic with eyes and with teeth. I would note that 11-294 has nice ruffling. The next keeper is Seedling 11-300. It is 36" tall with 5-6 way branching. It too is pod fertile. Also, it has many buds, and the color is very nice. Thirty-six inches tall makes 11-300 an attractive pod parent.
My fifth keeper is 11-301. Only 31" tall and only 4-way branching. Now doesn't that sound silly, using the word "only." 31 inches of height and 4-way brancing is what we all want to have when we register an introduction. I would note that the petals on 11-301 are nicely rounded, and again the color is good. I do not know if it is pod fertile. My last keeper is Seedling 11-318. It is 35" tall with 4-way branching. It has a 7" flower. However, this is because the sepals are so narrow, and so the ruler verifies the 7 inch measurement. I kept 11-318 because it grows very fast. Right now I have eight fans. I also like the color.
I will probably use all six of my selections to make seeds. Right now I like 11-284 the best, but I may change my mind. I should also note that all six keepers are "dormant." They go completely down to "not visible" in the winter time. This is to be expected since VARSITY ORANGE is dormant, and although ORANGE VELVET is registered as a semi-evergreen, it too is a dormant here in North Georgia. I am looking forward to using these selections to really make progress with orange daylilies. I will ultimately have eyes on these daylilies with big, big teeth. It will be a fun project.
Bill
I really like 11-300 bloom. It really catches my eye out of the three. Great seedlings! let me know if you need any help in the garden... I know you are going to have to transplant seedlings soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks Luke. I am so pleased that you noticed! I believe that my favorite is 11-284 because of its 40 inch height and 5-6 way branching. It will be interesting to see how these seedlings grow in buckets because all of them are now in the Greenhouse. I will put them outside during the cold part of the winter, particularly in late December and early January. Then, they will come back into the Greenhouse so that I can produce seeds. Thanks for your note.
ReplyDeleteBill