My swarm of Cordatotriloba is putting out variations on a theme on flower shape. So far they are small changes, not worth noting. I'd like some suggestions on how to isolate a flower in a swarm so I can collect seeds. Last year I tried a twist tie and never found it after a month of sitting in the elements. I need something more robust that will not succumb to sun, wind and rain.
The Canna leaves at the bottom shows what I'm up against.
X
This is what I'm after. The photo is from last year.
X, in the same situation, I isolated blizzard I. cordatotriloba last year by tagging the individual vines producing the desireable traits with international orange surveyors tape. I could easily find it several months later. This material is probably too coarse to use for individual flowers, but a variation of it will work. I have marked individual flowers in the "wild" by cutting a foot long piece of the surveyors tape and then tightly tying small diameter wire to the middle of it, leaving long tails of the wire to delicately attach to the flowers pedicel. String would probably work replacing the wire as well.
My neighbors probably thought it pretty strange....but it worked.
I am seriously debating if I should cut down the cordatotriloba vines I started this spring now while I can....I proved that the blizzard trait was genetic, but variable....but now I have these monster plants.. I don't think I will be doing any more experimenting with them as I have too many JMG projects to even complete!
- Arlan
Thanks .. I'll give that a try. After Ron said these guys can survive the winter I'm about to give up trying to control it. I'm still picking off flowers but I think it's a losing battle. On the other hand, I might have a better chance at seeing that form which reminded me of mandevilla, again.
X
X this is what I've been doing..I have a bad memory and am not to organized so if I like a certain flower I am using small pieces of mini blind(big enough for writing) and punching a small hole in it and putting it right under the flower with one of the zip-tie things and the name or characteristic of the flower. Maybe that will work for you...
Synthetic brightly colored thick yarn...long pieces that can't be overlooked...
