why did your crosses fail

17 years ago

i don't know... but i would like to discuss the reasons ...

please address the following.. and add your own ....

in other words... you plant scientists .... why do crosses fail ...

would it be true that if the two plants are so genetically different ... that the genetics themselves may defeat the attempt?? in other words... can momma simply reject the daddy pollen????

which would lead to the question of whether you researched the heritage of your cross .. actually thought it all out.. or did you just run around the yard doing whatever struck your whim .... lol .. which is what i probably would do ... lol

if it is too hot for a bee to do his work ... is it possible it is too hot for momma to accept the pollen .... maybe the bee is smarter [or lazier than we think] ....

i am trying to use the simplest words i can .. so novices can understand ... and i am using momma and daddy .. because i would think that genetics is genetics.. and it shouldn't matter if its human or plant .... we all know more than we think .. if we can use words we know.. we wont get lost in the technical jargon ....

ken

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

highjack
17 years ago
Heat was my problem. During the hottest days, even the bees couldn't get the pollen to take. I could almost track our temps from either no seed pods on the scape to lots of pods on the scape.
hostajim1
17 years ago
Ken, I did 592 crosses this year and I taged them and logged all of them so any crosses that didn't take I logged that also. I had around 20% success overall, with some super performers and some low performers,and some complete failures, lots of open pollenated pods, the bees succeded where my efforts failed. but I learned a lot and wrote it down I have had a lot of help from Ron Livingston. and the Boys at Naylor Creek.I'm germinating under lights now and what is coming up is about as successful as my pollination efforts, but I'm seeing some real winners already and some really nice people have sent me some of their hybrid seeds to germinate. I hope I can double my crosses next year. some of my hopeful breeders didn't flower, because they were too young. and I'm increasing my collection to include more parent stock. good luck to everyone else on their hybridizing, Jim King
Related Discussions
Why did the box turtule cross the road?
Q
Comments (15)
laura- believe your dh. he's right- unless you get them by the end of their long tail, they can bite you. they're the only kind of turtle that doesn't have me coming to a screeching halt to help. and a lot of the bigger sliders & such can and will bite, but they can't reach near as far and are pretty safe to pick up. just stay away from the beak and those sharp, sharp claws. they don't try to hurt you, but as they are flailing trying to escape, the claws can really scratch up your arms. i infected my kids, too- liv got off the bus one night last year all upset because they almost hit a turtle, and wanted me to go rescue, even though it'd been like 10 mins. so we did, and it was already gone- some other samaritan must have escorted it. my favorite save was a little spotted turtle right in the middle of the road. sadly, they are pretty rare now. bog or musk turtles are really cute, too.
...See More
winterization of fig failed...why?
Q
Comments (19)
I had limited success overwintering with my hardy Chicago fig I planted last summer. Most of the fig died except for the fastest part of the trunk. Basically I have a stump that is about 1.5" in diameter and maybe a foot tall. I have been thinking that instead of wrapping the plant vertically it might be better to keep it close to the ground and cover it with mulch. My question is how much of my fig can I cut back every year and still have it produce reliably? I want to encourage the fig to grow laterally main trunks just above the ground and cut off the new vertical growth after every season. Kind of like this http://figs4fun.com/fpix/FP739-01.jpg this way I can cover the tree in a deep pile of leaves and throw a tarp over it to winterize it. Do you think this will work and how much of the new growth should I leave?
...See More
Failed at calibrachoa rooting, why?
Q
Comments (4)
Well I just thought I'd post a followup. I tried again with 3 cuttings. I have them in the same little rotisserie chicken container as the first time but this time no bottom heat. I think perhaps they just got too hot last time. So far, there is new growth on them already, even one I thought wasn't going to make it! But it hasnt been that long though, tomorrow will be two weeks only. What if they start to grow flowers? Should I pull them off so they can put more energy into growing roots? I'm also growing some coleus too. I'm so excited that its working but I want to make sure they have good roots before doing anything with them, does anyone know how long it takes? Am I able to overwinter for next year this way?
...See More
Why did my spinach crop fail?
Q
Comments (4)
You planted it *outside* 6 weeks before last frost? As seeds or plants? Either way, in my opinion, leads to sloooow growth. Many 'spring plants' do much better in the fall (in my zone). Take a look at days to maturity from seed and work backwards from your average first frost date. Also, with a new bed, particularly one made from Mel's mix that has no nutrient value whatsoever beside the compost will take a good year of supporting plant life before it becomes fertile enough to get good, rapid growth of spinach or lettuce without some supplemental fertilization. Fish emulsion would be a terrific fertilizer for a new SqFt bed. It isn't that compost isn't great, but my experience particularly with store bought compost is that it is like cheap whisky compared to a fine, aged liquor. It can become garden gold, but initially I think it is just quick composted, bagged up and left to sit outside in full, hot sun on pallets until someone buys it. Give it a few months after supporting plant life and give the biology of the new bed some time and things will only improve. I suggest putting in a fall crop and supplement every couple weeks or so with some diluted fish emulsion and I bet those beds grow you some really tasty spinach and lettuce.
...See More
maryann_____chgo
17 years ago
Highjack is right on. During the week of our 100 degree plus days, none of my blooms set seeds. The scapes were barren toward the middle.

Great subject, Ken. Next, you want to delve into why my streakers don't bloom?
justaysam
17 years ago
Heat must play a role here. If I can get to the flowers as they open in the early am, even if it is hot, above 87 degrees, they still will take, but not always set seed. It just swells up and then the flower will fall off. I think if it were not for the heat, that those swollen flowers would set seed. Almost any pollen I use early in the late spring, before the humidity sets in will take and produce seed pods. I like using the streaky seedlings that have been growing over winter because they flower very early, and I get a lot of streaked seedlings from my seedlings every year.
Mary Ann, my named streakers did not flower this year well either. I think it was because they were moved last year, and I am hopeing for some bloom from them next season. If not, I am cutting back tree limbs for more sun. The only streaked seedlings I got were from Liberty Bell, a streaked NOID from Foxwillows, and my streaked seedlings from 05/06 winter seed starting.
jerry_br
17 years ago
Ken,

I have a copy of a program that Stephen Zolock gave at a Michigan Hybridizers meeting back in 2003. In the program it talks about crossing a Diploid with a Tetraploid will result in a Triploid (which are sterile). An example of this would be to cross Sum and Substance (Dip) with Niagara Falls (Tet), would result in a Tripoloid. The article goes on to talk about ways of converting Diploid into Tetraploids through the use of chemicals, which from my understanding is how some have crossed Dorothy Benedict with Sum and Substance.

So to your comment of momma rejecting daddy pollen, in some cases the answer is yes, according to this research.

BTW I had several people tell me this was one of the most informative programs ever given to the group.

Regards
Jerry
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Original Author
17 years ago
jerry ...

all i remember about the chemicals converting Diploid into Tetraploids ... is that it can do the same to the applicator ... meaning you .... THEY ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CHEMICALS .... ergo ... i ignored the suggestion that I need to fool with them ....

maryann .. streakers.. which are moving away from solid green ... are inherently weaker .... ergo ... they take longer to mature .... [which means if you move them they recover slower] and that they probably need more sun to overcome the white tissue [but not too much or they will burn] ... etc ... i really cant say why yours didnt flower this year ...

ken
jerry_br
17 years ago
Ken,

Agreed the chemical to transform from Di to Tet are some nasty stuff. I'll never use them, but some have, with the desired effect.

why did your crosses fail

Comments (7)

highjack

hostajim1

Related Discussions

maryann_____chgo

justaysam

jerry_br

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Original Author

jerry_br

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

why did your crosses fail

Comments (7)

highjack

hostajim1

Related Discussions

maryann_____chgo

justaysam

jerry_br

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5Original Author

jerry_br

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
Original Author