Telmarc Gardens
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Telmarc Gardens
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Seed Analysis November 18, 2009 20:00 We have just compiled the data on out seed from last summer. We did 567 crosses and obtained 286 pods with 4,144 seeds. That was a 50.5% pod yield from crossing. Not bad since the year before we had about a 20% yield since we lost 60% of our crop to deer attacks. This summer there were no such attacks. The chart below shows the seeds per cross per crossing for this past season. One can see the range goes all the way to 45 seeds per pod which is the greatest we have seen. We have obtained many H citrina crosses on good plants to attain what we have been seeking. Our goal in this cross to follow many of the Mahieu crossings.
The chart below shows the same as above but for 2008. Note the loss of seeds. Also last year we used the plastic Petri dishes that we have used for years but they held moisture and grew fungal material. Thus we had a very low yield. This year we used small jewelers packets and they worked superbly. We also noted that we needed to use waterproof pens on the tags since this summer was quite wet and cool.
One question we sought to understand was the relationship between time to mature and seed count. We have shown this for the 258 crosses we had grow to seed. There is no apparent relationship. Yet I will defer a definitive answer until we get the final data.
The density and cumulative distribution of seed count for 2009 is shown below. The median is about 8 seed per pod but there is a long tail to the density. In fact there appears to be a bimodality to the density peaking at 6 and then again at 20.
The same distribution and density for 2008 is shown below. One should compare the charts to see the difference. Again 2008 was a bad year due to deer attacks.
Last Flower September 1, 2009: 09:00 The last flower cam out yesterday and is shown below. It was a Roycroft from this spring's plantings. All of the Roycroft plans were slow growers, they must have been highly stressed in transport, and have been poor bloomers to say the least. Now for some results: 1. The use of the fences has allowed no loss at all to deer. This means that we may get over 400 pods averaging 20 seeds per pod for a potential of 8,000 seedlings at 100% yield. 2. We are waiting until the pods break apart just a little before picking, This yields health seeds and we then place them in paper envelopes, the small jeweler types, and label with cross number, number seeds and date of collection. This will allow us to analyze the data in some detail. 3. We suspect we will not have all pods in until after October 1 and this will be a record late retrieval date but with the fence we feel secure. 4. We have moved all display plants behind the fence, about 500 hybrids, all labeled and ordered. 5. We will leave the crosses in pots over the winter but in a raised bed with wooden sides and protected with oak leaf packing and covered with leaves and watered. All seedlings from 08' look good and hardy going into the fall.
Last Bloomers August 18, 2009: 09:00 The last bloomers seem to be the next two. It has gotten hot and humid as one would expect for August, mid 90s and 70% + humidity. Like Bangkok but no breeze but not as bad as DC. The deer seem to have gone by the wayside, we have moved all of the hybrids we have labeled behind the fence. There has been no attack thus far, except they have eaten everything outside the fence, including grass and the violets! They ate the Rudbeckia and Echinacea as well as the leaves off the new plantings. All new plantings have fences and coverings.
Late Bloomers August 9, 2009: 09:00 The late bloomers are beginning. Sandra Elizabeth is heavily budded and will bloom in late August, another two weeks. Here is Olallie Keith.
More Cells August 1, 2009: 09:00 We have been examining the plant cells and the results continue to amaze. Here are some with comments. As for these preparations, they are done as follows: 1. I collect the petals and sepals and bring them inside as soon as possible. 2. They are then sectioned and placed in a microtome for sectioning. 3. I use a razor to slide the sections across the petal so they are cross sections with the top of the leaf on one side and the bottom of the leaf on the other. 4. I use water to keep low friction while slicing. 5. I mount them with no further preparation on a slide and then place a slid cover on top and tap it down slightly.
August Begins August 1, 2009: 09:00 August begins today and the rain has stopped for a while. This may be the coldest summer in the history of New Jersey. Here is an update on some of the late bloomers:
We also have managed to get thru July with no deer attacks. Last year the final attack was on August 6th and was then we put up the barricades, so thus far so good. My Cell Helper July 30, 2009: 09:00 Today we spent time looking again at cells. The results are interesting as we look at color. One fact we did not see before was that the color is on the front of the petal. The back of the petal has no color variation. Now this should be kept in mind as we look at the slides. Here was my helper today:
Here are some cells and comments:
Back to the Cells July 25, 2009: 09:00 We have started the cell analysis again. Here are some samples.
We are Now on The Downside July 25, 2009: 09:00 The blooms are still there but new ones are not. Reports from New Hampshire are that they grow almost 8 times faster! Here are a few new ones.
It's Cool Again July 23, 2009: 09:00 Back down into the 70s. Very strange July weather. If we had one day above 90. Here we are for today.
Blooms Continue as We Move to Late Season July 22, 2009: 09:00 The last week in July begins the late season for us. This point is when we have full bloom and the early plants have gone by. For example Florham Peaches and Cream is gone, pods just left. The deer seem to wander outside the fence but so far so good. They have eaten everything including trees outside, the herd is large and fearless. They are destroying all the natural flora of this area by their grazing. This is what happens with no natural checks. Here are today's picks:
Peak Blooms July 20, 2009: 09:00 We have reached the peak blooms this summer. We have done almost 500 crosses and they seem to be doing quite well. Visitors continue to arrive and we walk them through. Several of my hybrids are doing exceptionally well, especially Maja's Tinkerbell which again this year wins the prize of most admired. Second is Princess Martina. Here are some from today:
Second Day of Open House July 19, 2009: 09:00 We finished the Open House on a wonderful day with lots of blossoms. Here are a few:
The First Day of Open House July 18, 2009: 09:00 We had a few guests today, new friends and old friends. The deer ate every last bud, spray notwithstanding, outside the fence. It was almost sadistic. The worst we have ever seen.
The Peak Is on The Way July 17, 2009: 09:00 We still have many buds to burst. The delay was the wet June weather but we have not had rain in three weeks now almost. Today it finally hit 90 F and the humidity was above 70%. It was July. Here is today's batch.
Two Days Till Open House July 16, 2009: 09:00 The hybrids continue. We have lots of crosses and the fence seems to hold the deer out. Unfortunately the deer have eaten every last one outside the fence in spite. I hope we can bring the wolf back! My friend Antnee may not like it but the deer would be well served.
Happy Bastille Day July 14, 2009: 09:00 The hybrids continue to grow. The temps are in low 80s and low humidity, cool nights.
Some Thoughts and Questions July 13, 2009: 09:00 The temps are still in high 70s and humidity below 50%. Some thoughts: We have seen many plants bloom strongly and the more sun the greater the bloom. The daylily require 6 hours of direct sun so you must work the shade at all times. However we see the following. 1. When moving a plant it requires a year to adapt, and that means even if you move from one place to another. 2. We see that plants with less than 6 hours will just not bloom. Thus we must move them. I have a bunch of great Apps plants which just will not grow as Apps had them because they are too close to a deck and get shade. Thus we must move them. 3. Some plants almost go through alternate years of blooming. Why I really do not know but now with almost 5oo hybrids I can see some patterns. 4. Some plant vegetative grow well and others poorly. I have looked at soil, water and other factors and suspect it is the plant. 5. Short plants are highly sensitive to being in the middle, They just go to sleep. 6. Plants like Decatur Apricot and Maja's Tinkerbell explode in growth while others limp along, just next to one another.
It's Like California July 12, 2009: 09:00 The temps is in high 70s and humidity below 50% and windy. Not bad for mid July. It reminds me of one summer when I was a Lifeguard in NYC when it never broke 90! It must be that Global Warming thing. The deer attacked the front last night after the rain. I sprayed again but there is not much out there since I moved all major hybrids behind the fences. Hope they do not break through. So here are some from today.
A Week Until The Open House July 11, 2009: 09:00 The hybrids are coming into full bloom and we have made over 250 crosses to date, about 25% ahead of last year. It was a year ago that we had the fatal deer attack, losing more than 50% of our plants. So far so good. Here are today's plants.
They Are Coming on Strong July 10, 2009: 09:00 We are now doing dozens of crosses per day and the deer are still at bay behind the fence. We see them walking, fawns and all, but the rain in June just made enough vegetation to keep they away I hope.
Happy Birthday July 9, 2009: 09:00 Always good to be working in your garden o your birthday, beats the alternative on laying under your garden, just a joke readers! Also we are running a streak of cool days, fifties in night and seventies in the day time. Strong sun and great growing.
Nice Blooming July 8, 2009: 09:00 The hybrids are coming out well at this point. I moved most from the front to the back behind the fence and it appears as if they will not bloom. They are sensitive to being moved, even for me. They got plenty of rain in June and the weather is far from hot, it is still in the upper 70s which is cold for July. Nights are down in low 50s. So here is the latest batch.
Now we are in full swing! July 7, 2009: 09:00 Each day we are getting more hybrids and the weather has been warm and dry and not to hot. Cool summer overall but welcome. Here are some from today.
Another Great Day! July 6, 2009: 09:00 The hybrids are now starting full bloom. Remember that July 18-19 is Open House!
Great Day! July 5, 2009: 09:00 The weather has cleared and we are now getting looms and hybridizing. So far so good with deer control. Here are some from today.
Sun Sun Sun July 4, 2009: 09:00 It finally got sunny. We had a deer attack last night in the front open space but so far the fencing on the hybridizing garden is holding. Here are some from today. The oranges do not come out well in some plants, all pics taken at 6-7 AM and often in low light. Pentax is better but is 4M per picture.
Rain and Some Sun July 3, 2009: 09:00 It appears as if we are beginning to get some traction. Open house in two weeks will be a good time, hope to see as many folks as possible. Here are today's new batch, as you will note it is still very slow. You can compare to last year.
Rain Rain Go Away July 2, 2009: 09:00 The rain still comes, sheets and sheets of rain, the temps remain in the 70s and the sun never shines. But alas, no one ever said this was easy....here are today's, enjoy the water...
They Keep Coming, Slowly July 1, 2009: 09:00 They keep coming but slowly!
Hybrids are at a Slow Start June 30, 2009: 09:00 The hybrids are at a slow start. I am glad we pushed the weekend back a week so that we can get a full bloom. The deer are still outside the new fence and we see them prowling each night. Below are the last two days of flowers.
More and More Rain! June 26, 2009: 09:00 We are still getting rain and I have seen a few buds just rot off. Not many but a few. Looks like this may be the rainiest June on record, probably over 12". This is all we have to date. Slow blooming but lots of buds. I have sprayed for the deer but we just pray and stay vigilant.
Some Early Reds June 24, 2009: 09:00 We have begun the early red and some of the standards as shown below.
Finally Starting June 23, 2009: 09:00 We finally are getting the regular hybrids after 10" of June rain and temps 15 F below normal. Al Gore where are you when we really need you. Flowers are great indicators of microclimate.
H flava ( Apps) June 15, 2009: 09:00 These are photos of H flava that I had obtained from Apps. They were blooming late last night, and appear to be a night bloomer. This is the first time they bloomed.
H minor (Siberia, Apps) June 3, 2009: 12:00 The first bloom of this plant occurred today. It is bright yellow and there are two scapes. We have had this for two years and we had to reposition the plant so that it would be by itself to bloom. It does not "play well with others", it just retreats and does not thrive. Set alone and with sun and good soil it prospers somewhat. I blooms 2-3 weeks later than my other H minor plants and the scape appears a bit stronger keeping the flower upright. Note the bracts on the pedicels of the flower, They are large and prominent. The leaves are a bit wider than my other H minor plants.
First Crosses of Season May 31, 2009: 12:00 Today we started crossing with Buckeye X H dumortieri. Buckeye looks a lot like H middendorfii but has the red eye zone as well as blooms a month latter. It is a great bud producer and anticipate blooming like that of Elfin. Frankly the more I see of the Stout hybrids the more I am impressed. They are truly worth the collecting. Buckeye Stout Hybrid May 29, 2009: 12:00 Buckeye is an interesting Stout hybrid and has just bloomed today. It is shown below. It is a large flower and has many buds with no visible branches. It has bracts and appears to be some mix of flava and dumortieri. This however has the reddish eye-zone and is quite attractive. We expect many blooms as we saw on the Elfin hybrid.
Some Interesting H dumortieri Flowers May 23, 2009: 12:00 We have been crossing H dumortieri for several years along with many other species. The results have been interesting. Whereas we have true and consistent color and form with H middendorfii, we have variations in H dumortieri. We show some below.
H minor Blooms May 20, 2009: 12:00 H minor bloomed today for the first time. We show it and two others below.
H dumortieri Blooms May 17, 2009: 12:00 H dumortieri bloomed yesterday. I have added the picture as of today. The details are below.
H flava Blooms May 12, 2009: 12:00 H flava has bloomed for the first time this year. It is fragrant and is shorter than Elfin. The two are side by side and they look a great deal alike except that Elfin is taller in its scape.
Some More Interesting Data May 10, 2009: 15:00 The following Table and Graphs present some interesting data.
First Hybrid, a Stout May 10, 2009: 09:00 Today we had the first hybrid, a Stout Elfin bloom. We had some F1 Elfin plants and they never did well, although they bloomed early. The Elfin is below:
Buds of Species May 10, 2009: 09:00 The following are buds of the early species.
First Bloom May 7, 2009: 09:00 The first bloom arrived today, and as usual it was H middendorfii. Here it is:
Note the sessile bud, it has three buds per branch, it is all yellow. I will try to get a better picture since this is in the middle of the species patch after 1.5" rain last night. But the season has officially started. Some More Statistics April 25, 2009: 14:00 We have gotten all the data from the past few years and present it here. The following two charts summarize the yields from 2004 onward.
The first figure shows the results in absolute numbers. Note the we had a continual growth in crosses but a smaller growth in seeds and a decline in seedlings. The reasons appear to be: 1. Deer attacks reduced the 2008 yield by more than 50% 2. Loss of seed by picking too early in 2007 and 2008 3. Loss of seed by sealing and having fungal infections 4. Loss of plants last winter due to the deep cold, was coldest winter in 20 years, and used pots and lost leaf cover. 5. Root rot on some seedlings due to reasons unknown. I am investigating. This was on pots only.
The following Figure is the same as above but in percent. Note the seeding drop in 2008. We have a drop of 50% in 2008 from 2007. I suspect it was a combination of all of the above effects.
We can reduce many of the above causes. We have put in a 6" plus fence around the area and added bamboo screen to not allow the deer to look through. Certain sections have a temporary 8' fence just for the summer. We have also removed the sealed box procedure and will wait until pods open to avoid picking too early. In addition seedlings in pots will be set to ground and insulated with the oak leaves as we had done before. Setting them on planks may have caused root freeze yet the frost line was in excess of 8" last winter.
First Bud of 2009! April 19, 2009: 14:00 The first bud, H middendorfii, has come out as of today. It is an H middendorfii at the end of the driveway, the spot where they always come first. It must be a micro climate.
Seedlings from 2008 are set April 17, 2009: 10:00 The seedlings from 2008 were set this am. The plot below shows the results. The yield was quite poor for the following reasons" 1. Deer attacks were severe. We have improved the fencing, and are adding bamboo blinders to reduce jumping. We estimate a 50% loss of crosses due to deer. 2. For some reason when i set the seeds in plastic Petri dishes and then set the dishes in plastic containers and then set the combination in the refrigerator we had a great deal of mold growth destroying 50% of the remaining plants. The reason for this is unknown. We have never seen this before. 3. We picked many pods early to avoid deer loss. This seems to mean that we lost the ability to grow which is why the crosses in August has no yield at all.
Plants are Starting April 5, 2009: 10:00 The plants are now starting to grow. We have good results in the pots and the new layout of the garden is doing well.
We have obtained the following list of new plants thus far from Roycroft and from Kirrchoff.
Some Data From 2008 January 10, 2009: 10:00 We always look at the data we have from past years and today we start with Temperature and Rain stats and Bloom time Stats.
The following chart is for Temp and Rain stats from 1990 thru 2008. The Temp show no appreciable change in this nineteen year period, some smooth fluctuations. Rain has increased appreciably for the past six years, however.
Now we look at H dumortieri as a sentinel plat for its flowering. We may also look at some of the others as well. Here is the plot of bloom date from start of year versus year.
There seems to be no significant statistical difference here. Thus the Global Warming concern may still be without merit using this metric. Remember that plants integrate all factors over long periods and are much better analyzers of data than anything else!
We have plotted above the dates of flowering from the start of the year for this collection of hybrids. Again no statistical trend. We also have calculated yields and yield percents. Note we get 1-2% introduction yield. Also note the drop in cross to seed for 2008 due to the attack of the deer.
We also have compared seed yields in seed per viable pod for 2008 and 2007 as shown below. The analysis is still in process but this is raw data. I have not seen data like this from any hybridizer. It is clear that I had a major hit from the deer last summer and we have added more fencing. They seem again to be all over and this cold winter id driving them to eat whatever they can.
The Season Begins January 1, 2009: 12:00 We have taken it as a right of winter to plant the seeds between Christmas and New Years each year. ًWe did so six days ago and this afternoon we saw the first green sprout, the official opening of the season. The temp has been near 10 each day and we have had heavy west winds, up to 50 mph, I guess it is that global warming stuff, you know, we wanted to plant the palm trees but the squirrels just laughed at us for more than an hour! Alas, we never got the Nobel prize, came close twice but no cigar, but a story for another day.
These are the seeds planted in one of the sets of racks. We prepare the flats for one to two weeks ahead by soaking and heating. Then we use a starter fertilizer and add a fungicide to reduce the damping off. It generally takes a week to get the first seedling to come out.
These are the species seeds we also planted in one of the sets of racks. We have about ten species and a few hundred seeds.
The squirrels have taken to placing the corn we fed them in the strangest spots. This one was placed in a ginkgo tree, seven feet high, 400 feet from where I had placed it. We have been finding them all over the place!
The winter moon has given us a chance to try out the new camera. This was taken in a time exposure with a 300 mm lens. It was at about 5 PM and at about 30 degree elevation and looking almost directly south. The west sun is shining on the bottom portion and the remainder of the moon's surface is visible.
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