I know its gonna hurt.

The pic is a drawing or sketch that I make of most new hybrids when they first bloom....notice the measurements of the anthers..their position on the staminal column and so on.I make notes of all characteristics of the flowers as well as the shape size and type of foliage...Yeah I know I'm no Piccaso!!LOL We must do accurate records of ALL hybrids we breed for future use. If we don't keep records we will waste years on recreating hybrids that have already been done.When you cross your plants keep a small spiral notebook with you and record what you crossed...when it was done, temps outside, any and all data.Tag every cross accurately too.Then likewise record ALL data about your new hybrids so we can get the better ones registered and named for the future.All this is terribly important..or all this breeding is just wasting time.You can save years of crossing by knowing what background a hybrid has...so you can get quicker results along a certain line of genetic qualities you are shooting for. Don't hate me for saying this..but its really important.Breed what you want..just keep records. :-)

Kyle,
We could never hate you for saying anything. I agree better and more accurate records need to be made. I'm one of the worst, as I used to send out seedlings and even seeds unmarked. My motto was, if I haven't seen it bloom in my yard then it wasn't mine. Not the correct attitude to have...but to a certain extent there is a certain amount of pride one gets from making a cross and then planting and watching that cross grow up. Still learning here, thats for sure. Thanks for all of your input and help Kyle. My other theory was...if I had several hundred of each hybrid growing, then surely I could identify one I had given away. Now, what makes this a bit difficult....I often make my crosses both ways...ie Frosty pink x Dr. Sues and DR.Sues x Frosty pink...that and the fact that sometimes you just get one that is a bit difficult to place. I personally grow my crosses in rows with a marker between each type of cross. Hence, I may have 200 of one cross left in the ground and then 200 of another cross next to that one. I do however plant much more than I intend to keep as I let the strongest weed out the weeker ones and only keep those that bloom the first year most generally. Still, there is much much that I am learning from you Kyle...Not to mention our dear friend Monika.

I tag each flower I pollinate. Date on one side of tag and cross on the other.In my note book I write size of pod, date pollinated, maturity date and how many seeds.

I'm the worst for keeping records of crosses. Last year I wrote with a sharpie and it faded before the pods matured. This year I'm doing a little better, still not good though.

But its a start....we never get to old or too wise to learn new things..especially ME!!LOL I jus keep getting better looking!! **COUGHING** LOL

you devil you!

He's so modest isn't he TiG? I'm like Arlene, there is a 19 year old, size 5 body hiding somewhere under all these layers, lol.

I'm going to take a picture of Johnnie and post it with Kyles and you'll see why I don't disagree with him:)

Excellent information.

Kyle, I think, you can go into real competition with Picasso. On your picture, I, at least, can recoignize what it is!

I have nothing to add to Kyles suggestions, he is right in every way!

Monikas my biggest fan club member! LOL ((HUG)) :-)