What data do you track on your seedlings?

15 years ago

Ok, data freak that I am, I'm already building my database to track my seedlings (the first seeds just put into baggies for germination).

This is what I have so far:

Seedling ID

Keeper?

Pollen Parent

Pod Parent

Ploidity

Source (for those seeds I purchase)

Date of cross (assuming I'll make instead of buy seeds at some point)

Date of collection

Date germinated & planted

Date transplanted to garden

Date first bloom

Date second scape bloom (checking for rebloom)

Scape height

Bloom size

Bloom season

Bloom description

Bloom form

Foliage type

Noc

RE

Ext

Fr

Pollen fertile

Pod fertile

Vigor

1st yr # fans produced

1st yr # scapes

1st yr # buds

2nd yr # fans produced

2nd yr # scapes

2nd yr # buds

Garden location

Additional Notes

I figure things like germination rate will be available because I'll have one entry per seed.

what would you add?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

Ed
15 years ago
I integrate hybridizing, seed collection, germination and transplanting into one database. I don't track individual seeds or seedlings until I select them. All crosses have a tag field to indicate if the cross is (A) Active, (X) Aborted/Lost, (C) Seeds Collected or (P) Planted. Number of seeds/seedlings and date of each category is recorded for each pollination attempt.
Once a seedling is selected, a seedling number is assigned and the following data is recorded.
Date of selection
Ploidy
Year planted
Seedling# marked visible above the foliage.
Cross: (Pod Parent X Pollen Parent)
EMO
EXT Bloom
Relative Vigor
Bloom description
Other features
Hybridizing Notes

Each year for three years I record the following information for the seedling, unless culled.
Date first bloom
Scape height
Bloom size
Bloom form
Bud Count
Branching
Fragrance
Rebloom Date
Increase
Garden location (I stress the importance of this)
Winter foliage
Comments

If you are a serious hybridizer, I will point out that after the first year, you will throw away 90 of each 100 seedlings and after accumulation seedlings for about three years, you will throw away 99 of every hundred produced or more. If the collection of data is too burdensome, it becomes a chore and you won't do it. But you know your own tolerance level.
Have fun!
Ed
berrytea4me
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi Ed,
I'm so glad you responded. Before posting my question I search the site and read an old post of yours that had a lot of information in it about marking crosses & data collection. Thank you for sharing your experience, it's invaluable to a newbie.

I had not seen you post for a while so didn't know if you were still visiting the forum. I have a question from your previous post as well.

I'm good with data so long as it's easy & efficient to keep up with, hence I'm using a simple db program that runs on my pda so I can take it right into the garden for data collection. I use a lot of checkboxes and dropdowns to avoid typing. I'm horrible with paper and even worse with transfering data from paper to software.

I have no idea yet if I'll become a "serious hybridizer". I'm a newbie to daylilies (have had a few for many years but just now discovered the variety). I've played with hybridizing african violets (easy) and been tempted with roses but nothing serious yet. I am, however, considering a career change into the garden industry and experimenting with dl hybridizing is an extention of that research. I purchases some seeds on the LA just to give germination/growing from seed a try before I try to dab pollen.

You mentioned in your previous post that there are some commercial software applications available for hybridizers. What are those and where can I learn more about them?

thanks again,
BT4M
Related Discussions
Do you fertilize your seedlings/Why can't i grow seedlings?
Q
Comments (23)
Dave, "Zinnia grow so quickly and turn leggy almost overnight so most feel they are best direct seeded outside." I agree that it is generally better to plant zinnias directly outside when that works with your schedule. However, I think Dale was trying to get an early start with his zinnias, hence the attempt at starting them early inside under lights. I agree with everybody who identified Dale's problem as not enough light. I just want those who are considering starting zinnias indoors to know that they will not "turn leggy almost overnight" if you provide adequate light. With enough light they are quite docile and well behaved, and you can get an early start of a month or more if you have an adequate light setup. The shelf in this picture has four two-bulb T8 shoplights over it. The shelf measures 2 feet by 4 feet, and with a total of eight T8 fluorescent bulbs over it, the light on the seedlings is good. That picture was taken a couple of days ago and I will be setting most of those zinnias into the garden in the near future. There are a few "late arrivals" in the picture that will spend some more time inside. They would be just cutworm fodder if I set them outside now. All of those zinnias are hand-hybridized hybrids, so I give them better care than I would for seed-packet zinnias. ZM
...See More
What software do you use to track your dl?
Q
Comments (8)
Oh, You are not anal at all--LOL--I'm an electronics engineer by trade and software engineering manager in practice. That makes me really, really anal about data. Many fields in my db are drop-down or checkbox type. When I upgrade to the next version of base db software it will also handle attaching photos and export to HTML web page. Like Excel, it is very easy to add/subtract fields with this program and easy to sort on any field. Here are the fields my db has for each cultivar: 1. drop down for: want/really want/no thanks/have/ordered/auction bid/auction won 2. variety name 3. hybridizer 4. year registered 5. scape height 6. bloom size 7. foliage type 8. bloom season 9. bloom description bloom form nocturnal rebloom extended fragrant awards tet/diploid pollen fertile pod fertile 1st yr grown source property where grown (I've moved and not all plants I've grown came with me but still want to track my experience with them) landscape location (drop down that can be easily customized) additional notes (degree of info here varies by my interest/use of the plant. It might include: parentage, offspring, $ paid, when I expect order to arrive, etc) I'm trying to see if there is a way to link db's with this program so that I could use this initial data as the base for a hybridizer's tool that would link seedlings listed to the parents in the original list. It exports in a standard format so I was thinking about making my data available in exchange for DL trades sometime in the future as I get more of the data verified and/or importing data from other's Excel files to customize a db for them in exchange for DL trades if they were interested in purchasing the base program from Illium (I use the db tool for a lot more than DL too. I use it to keep all my shopping lists, recipes, inventories (books, reading lists, movies, collectibles, etc), to do lists, medical and perscription histories for my family, household/auto maintenance, special quotes, and much more- just about anything you want to organize in a list or small db format and carry with you on your pda. You can password protect any sensitive lists. So its a handy tool anyway. In fact I was already using it for all this other stuff before I decided to use it for DL & plants. LOL- adding plants was just another extension of my already over the top data obsessions...
...See More
How do you start you're Seedlings?
Q
Comments (14)
Cindy T > Not very fancy, but serves the purpose quite nicely. Here's what I've planted so far probably forgot a couple... Lobelia Southern Charm English Lavender Lobelia Cascading Marigold Snowball White Snapdragons Yellow Snapdragons Maroon Snapdragons Bellis Lupin Bells of Ireland HollyHock Chinese foxglove Crown Of Snow Obedience Plant Party Girl Sidalcea Red Salvia My seeds Yellow Flower in Canada Dry Planter Four O'clock Redabeckia (Single Flower) Asters White Center Pink by the rock Ornamental Millet Daisy Cape Buttercup Marigold Pink Monarch Morning Glory Bunny Cotton Tails Catchafly Verbena Brazilian Rudbeckia (Goldilocks) Lobelia Cascade of Color Old Fashion Climbing Petunia (Blue) TomatoÂs that I saved from last year :) PeteÂs Pumpkin Seeds Green Peppers Vegetable Marrow Cucumber Little Dillicious Brussels sprouts Eggplant Pepper Chile (Pepperoncini Greek) Most everything is up and growing like weeds! I'am still banking on a early planting season with this rain we should lose quite a bit of snow, and last full moon is May 23rd. Keeping my fingers crossed! :) Be Well Bev
...See More
How do you keep track of your collection?
Q
Comments (26)
I use an app called List Master. It's sort of a cross between a spreadsheet and a database. I downloaded the free app and paid ($9) for the full version within twenty minutes. I can sort on any value and I keep pictures of what each one looked like before I planted it in the list. I'm also keeping my lists separated by year. I can copy what the seller said about it into a note field. I also track date, origin, location, color, size potential and price. It's easy to add another field if I think of something else to track. Kathy
...See More
Ed
15 years ago
Hi BT4M,
Happy to be of help.
Safe Haven Gardens used to sell pda software, may still. You might email them. Seems like there was another but I don't recall who. I emailed a friend who I think bought a program. I'll get back to you.
Ed

What data do you track on your seedlings?

Comments (3)

Ed

berrytea4me
Original Author

Related Discussions

Ed

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

What data do you track on your seedlings?

Comments (3)

Ed

berrytea4meOriginal Author

Related Discussions

Ed

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

berrytea4me
Original Author