STEP 1 - selecting the flowers you want to cross
While professional daylily hybridizers go through a very specific selection
process when deciding which daylilies to cross, when just starting out, there
is basically only one thing you should be aware of:
There are 2 types of daylilies, diploids and tetraploids. They are very hard
to tell apart and pollen from one type will not set seed on the other. If you
do not know which type you have, plan on crossing several different varieties
in case some turn out to be different types and don't set seed.
When asked how she decided which daylilies to cross, the late Elsie Spalding,
a famous hybridizer noted for her excellent form and pastel colors, replied
...I just put pretty on pretty. I recommend that beginning
hybridizers use the same method. Just select daylilies that you like and
make your crosses with them.
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STEP 2 - make your crosses
Now you need to fertilize the flower to make seeds.
Coming from the center of the daylily flower are typically six stamens and one
pistil (they should be easy to identify - there's 6 of one and only 1 of the other).
The powdery substance at the ends of the stamens is the pollen and it should be
taken from one flower and placed on the tip of the pistil of the other flower.
The best time of day to do this is just after the pollen has dried and become
fluffy, usually about mid-morning. The later in the day you apply the pollen, the
less your chances are for successful pollination.
You may want to keep records of the crosses you make as this will help you
identify what works and what doesn't, but it is not necessary.
Do not remove the old bloom after applying pollen, let it fall off on it's
own accord. If the cross was successful, there will be a tiny green pod right
at the spot where the flower was attached. This pod contains the seeds and will
continue to grow during the next few weeks. Note that in some cases there may
be a green pod at first but will fall off after a short time. In that case,
there were no viable seeds forming in the seed pod.
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STEP 3 - harvest the seeds
Typically, the seeds take between 40 and 60 days to mature to the point where
they can be harvested. You can tell when it's time to harvest, when the seed
pods begin to split open. Sometimes I squeeze the pod gently to see if it is
ready to split. This is OK, but remember that seeds harvested too early will
probably not germinate.
Remove the seeds from the pods and let them air dry overnight. Then put them
in small plastic bags or other containers and place in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 weeks.
Seeds from dormant daylilies will germinate much better after refrigeration and seeds from semi-evergreen varieties also seem to germinate better after refrigerating.
Seeds from evergreen parents probably don't need refrigeration to help germination.
In any case, if the seeds cannot be planted
right away, they should be refrigerated to preserve their freshness. I don't
recommend that you freeze your seeds.
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STEP 4 - plant the seeds
Seeds can be planted directly in the ground, or started in either flats or pots
and later transplanted. Remember that seeds require fairly warm soil temperatures
for good germination. Plant your seeds between 1/4 and 1/2 inches deep. A good
rule of thumb for planting many types of seeds is to plant twice as deep as the seed is fat.
The best time to plant depends on what part of the country you live in. Here
in the deep south, I plant in early September. That
gives me three months for germination and seedling growth before the cool
weather sets in. Further north, seeds are often started indoors and grown under
lights during the winter months and then transplanted outside in the spring
when the ground warms up.
Plant spacing is dictated by the amount of space you have and the number of
seedlings you wish to grow. As I have only limited space, I plant fairly close
together - plants are 4 inches apart in rows about 8-10 inches apart. If I
had lots of room, I would plant about 12 inches apart in rows about 12 inches apart.
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STEP 5 - Wait
Actually there is more to this step than just waiting. While you are waiting,
you need to keep the beds weeded and water them regularly. Applying a balanced
liquid fertilizer on a regular basis is also beneficial.
In the deep south, where there is a long growing season and the winters are
very mild, well fertilized daylilies planted in summer or early fall will sometimes
bloom the following spring. Those that don't bloom the first spring will usually
bloom in the second. In the north where there are shorter growing seasons and
long winters, it may take as long as 3 years for them to bloom.
Many consider waiting the hardest step because we want to see the results of
our efforts immediately instead of waiting 2 or 3 years. To help combat this
problem, you can have 2 seedling beds. One bed for plants that were just planted
and a 2nd bed for plants that will bloom for the first time in the upcoming bloom season.
You could also have a 3rd bed so that you can leave the plants undisturbed for another year.
Sometimes seedling blooms will look different the 2nd year they bloom. Sometimes they are better and sometimes they are not as nice as the first year bloom. Because of this, leaving
them undisturbed until they have bloomed for 2 years can help you better determine if you like the daylily or not.
In the north where it may take 3 years before some new seedlings bloom, a 3rd bed is probably a good idea.
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STEP 6 - Enjoy
Now comes the time you've been waiting for. As the bloom season draws near, you
will probably want to watch the progress of the bloom scapes, checking for good
branching and bud production. The day before the first buds open will be filled
with anticipation as the buds swell in preparation for their first display to
the world. Early the next morning you will want to be at bedside to see your
new creation. For many of us, this is the grandest moment of all, seeing these
new daylilies for the first time. Some may be disappointing, but most will be
very pleasing to the eye. A few may even be exceptional, but they all will be
your creations.
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