Hostaseedgrowers Forum

[gardengirlnancy]

This is also great for that list of hostas to buy for breeding!

[wzbt03]

I am keeping all my data on plants I am using and will enter it once the season ends.

[ryferre]

I can't take the credit for this. It was other's ideas. I just did my simple part of setting it up! I wish I had a list like this to go off of last year when I really started this insanity, however- now we have a workable list. Once all the data is collected I will make the list available as a spreadsheet and Excel form that we can all use at home on your own computer.

Many thanks to those that are making this a great source of information for myself and others to use. BRAVO!

[rudyfiedler]

this is great! I've always thought someone should do this, now we need to start one on 'offspring characteristics' for every cross people should post all desireable and undesireable characteristics that result in databases and group the pods and pollen parents together i.e. Blue Angel x Elvis Lives
Blue Angel x Krossa Regal
Pod 'Blue Angel
lagre, blue, heavy substance etc.

Pollen 'Elvis lives
long wavy leafs, vase shaped clump etc.

Elvis lives x Blue Angel
Halcyon x Blue Angel

The purpose of this database would be... To Know what desireable trait a plant will give you if want to use it as a pod parent or what it will give you as a pollen parent. A hosta gives off different traits depending on if it is a Male/pod parent or Female/pollen parent.

Sorry about the rambling and hope it comes out right.

[rudyfiedler]

You guys seem to do sort of the samething when you show off your seedlings/compare and people review what they think. I think this could be very helpful to everyone and help us to decide if we need to make a cross or not.

[ryferre]

Rudy--- that is a fabulous idea--- I can easily create that kind of data base similar to this one. Let's see how many are interested first!

[sanannie]

IMHO that would be just too big a task to ask, partly because results are just WAY to varied to interpret easily. More importantly, at the risk of sounding rude (don't mean to), is that I think we have to respect the hundreds and hundreds of hours that hybridizers put in. In whatever the profession, it's kind of like the newby asking the veteran to sum up their 30 years experience in 5 minutes by asking "so, how is it done?". Ya know?

Like I said, just weighing in with my opinion.

Sandy

[rudyfiedler]

What you are saying makes sense... and don't take... offense to tell you the truth I am a very respectful person (and try not to be rude)...and thank Hybridizers every time I walk through my garden or other peoples gardens Many people dont realize how far we have come in hostas as breeders and dont appreciate it enough! I was just talking about dominant and recessive traits of the different hostas and which are hidden. I understand that it would be a little more difficult than the Pheneology of Blooms, but not that much more... and during the winter when there is nothing else to do it is a fun thing to do 'evaluate seedlings' I have done it a lot since I started breeding in 2000. The variation may be great but when you notice patterns why not share it with everyone else. I dont mean to be rude either but it would be nice to look at which traits are more dominant before making a cross and know things have been sucessful. People only show off their final results or things that catch their eye and cant see what steps they took to get to the final result you have to look up each individual plant on Hugo's Database or what have you to see the parentage. I am only 19 and Understand a lot about the genetics of hostas, but I am still learning like everyone else I dont think anyone has mastered breeding or else we would be able to create a completly red hosta by now ( No To Be Rude). I think the key to success is know and learn as much as you can.

[sanannie]

Thanks for clarifying, rudyfiedler. Luckily, this forum is all about sharing information and experiences and I'm all for it. I simply wanted to throw my initial thought into the mix. I may be way off mark.

Wow, ten years of evaluating seedlings! I've only just started evaluating and don't feel I'm far enough along in this hybridizing fun to be able to process dominant and recessive traits yet. I thought I'd start some backcrossing next year when my 3-year old crosses start flowering. You must have acquired lots of info to share which is wonderful. I expect it will take many more years before I can contribute.

... and just want to add that you are indeed very respectful and articulate for someone so young.

Sandy

[rudyfiedler]

Why thank you! Its very fun and exciting no matter how experience a person is.