Versicolor seeds...exception to the rule

I know we have all agreeded that when a seed pod starts to turn yellow at the stem and the pod gets a little soft where you can feel the seeds that makes the pod ready to pick.....well guess what....the attached Versicolor Peach picture didn't do that. The pod was still very firm and there was no sign of yellow at the stem....the seeds inside as you can see were very dark in color. I also had the same think happen to two pods that was on Whiskers. I like Cala couldn't stand it anymore and made a small hole to look inside...that is when I saw the dark seeds.

They certainly look ripe to me. Tragedy grew from a seed that was white when I picked the pod. Who knows. I'm starting to get more confused than ever. Can't wait until next year in hopes that I can do some of this, not that I'm looking forward to all the waiting for the seeds to ripen. :-)

I can rarely wait for the peduncle to change color either. Lol, perhaps one day well get this mess all straightened out. Of course many species like vulcanicola one has to judge on a time basis..ie 8-9 months from the time of pollination. Personally, I judge when to pick mine not on the yellowing,the softening, but on a hunch. Not the best idea I know....and I do still try to stick by the yellowing rule...when I can talk myself out of peeling a new pod.

Brugman,
It took the Whiskers pod 5 months to ripen and the seeds are very large. I peeled a few and the seed inside was two or three times the size of an Isabella seed.

Glory,
Aurea and aurea hybrids do typically have much larger seed. Suaveolens has some of the smallest type seeds. You can clearly tell that whiskers has a lot of versicolor in her background though. She has shown me a very versicolor type calyx-thin with a single slit...although the flower itself is very short denoting a candida type hybrid. Still, gets the impression that Whiskers is simply much more aurea than anything else and your description of the individual seed would seem to confirm this although the seedpod does not clearly seem to state this. Funny how traits get so intermixed in these multiple crosses. My DxS L,M,R crosses show the same elongated thin calyx only with teeth. Still, this points clearly to heavy versicolor genes as well as the overal shape of the seedpod, although the seedpod on my crosses are much shorter than the versicolor genes would suggest in its makeup. Still, I like your whiskers hybrid much better than my DXS hybrids and think that my DXS hybrids are much better suited for those trying to hybridize the impossible. Of course the are early blooming and were selected for other desireable traits...and your Whiskers being such a mixed up hybrid itself....well it is equally suited for trying to outcross to the impossible arborea as well. I personally can't wait to cross Whiskers to Amber Rose. Although, crossing Amber Rose to an Aurea or Aurea x suaveolens and then to Whiskers would probably give me a much better and more varied approach to what I am after....Still waiting on your other hybrids to bloom...can't wait as one of your very special hybrids is unfolding as we speak....

Glory, Now I will HAVE to go make another slit in those pods!!! I did good today, I only touched one of them!!! Now, I will have to take a razor blade with me tomorrow and some of that bandaid stuff CC was talking about.

Cala,
you are so funny...leave those pods alone. LOL

Glory, i had some VPX (eric's) seeds that looked so tiny but it seemed they were all seed with no cork material. i took a bowl i had used to coat seeds with watersorb powder and added water to it, put those tiny seeds in. was really funny cause they all stuck to the top and i had to add more water. the seeds swelled up about 8-10X the size they had been in no time, have to get them planted.
i harvested another pod off this last week, and the seeds looked so good, mostly dark that i harvested another but the seeds weren't as mature looking, but the interesting thing i read in the Book later was that sometimes the ends don't really have good seeds but there are some good seeds in the middle and these could be special seeds, which reminded me of that second VPX pod.
also had valley white SX seeds in water for 2-3 weeks, the stalks looked terrible, i harvested the last 2 pods yesterday and the seeds looked really good, don't know if they are. have that one last pod, guess i'll find a sharp object and take a peak.

This message was edited Monday, Jan 14th 11:31 AM

Arlene,
This is almost like a hunt and seek mission with these seed pods. I do know if all the seeds grow that I have planted I will have enough Brugs for everone in the state of Mississippi.LOL