(1). When is the best time to make crosses of lilies?
Morning - Afternoon - Evening
(2). Do you make a cross on the first day of the bloom?
(3). How long do you have after the bloom is open to make a cross?
Day of the opening - 2 days etc....
(4). How can you tell if your lily is a tetraploid?
(5). By information on this forum, I know you can try and make crosses on:
Oriental x Oriental Trumpet x Trumpet Asiatic x Asiatic (What else?)
Thanks,
Mike
Questions on making crosses
Mike I am just beginning in this area and have learned a lot this summer, so I will wait and hope somebody with greater knowledge drops in here.
I will say pretty confidently that in order to make a cross not subject to other pollen, just as the flower begins to open, I place aluminum foil over the stigma and pull off the anthers gently. You can either save the anthers (for other crosses) or toss them. At this time the pollen is not quite viable as the powder has not come out yet, but within a few hours it will be.
Tetras are usually noted in the description in serious lily catalogs/listings, like B&D, the Lily Garden and Buggy Crazy.
More info here.
http://www.lilies.org/hybridizing.html
Hi, Mike
1 My way of crossing lilies is to open the flower that much,when its opening,so i can polinate and cover the stigma with aluminium foil. I don`t even take away the anthers since they are not open yet. But i harvest and saves pollen for next year from all the exiting sorts.
2 When the flower have been open more than a day the stigma is covered with its own pollen, so i think the best time to polinate it is just when it`s opening and not more than a day after.
I don`t think it make a difference if you polinate it in the morning or in the afternoon.
5 You can cross the American species and hybrids, martagon, orienpets. The last one is not so easy to get seeds from. Next year try to polinate some asiatics and trumpets and get experience from that.
Good luck
(1). When is the best time to make crosses of lilies?
Don't know. But I have done it at all times (except dark), and haven't noticed any difference. On the other hand, I haven't been keeping track of it either.
(2). Do you make a cross on the first day of the bloom?
Sometimes. But if I can, I will first peel open the ready to open bud, and protect the stigma from contamination with a folded square of tin foil. I may remove the anthers or not, depending on whether I need the pollen for something else or if they will be in the way of successful hand pollinating. Then a day or two later I will hand pollinate. It helps to know how big the pistil should be when mature. Take note of how the other flowers on that particular cultivar (or species) bloom. I believe that leaving some (or one) anthers on will help determine when the stigma will be receptive. In general , the stigma is suppose to be optimally receptive a day after the pollen is ripe. You will find that some lilies will have ripe pollen even before they open, while others' don't rippen for a day or so after.
Remember, if you don't protect the stigma before the bud opens, you risk contamination with an unknown pollen source. Not necessarily a bad thing, but just be aware.
Andy, did you find something on heat aiding pollinating?
(3). How long do you have after the bloom is open to make a cross?
Don't really know that either, but I'm sure it must vary with the species or species parentage, and vigor of the plant. A flower that is not pollinated will last longer and be receptive longer, than one that was pollinated early in life. So one with a protected (thus unpollinated) stigma should have a longer window for pollination than a flower that was pollinated in the first hours of life.
If a flower lasts five days, I would guess that pollination would be possible for the first four days, with the second day being optimal. Remember though, that pollen does not die immediately. I see no reason why a first day pollination could not result in actual pollen germination the second or third (or fourth) day.
(4). How can you tell if your lily is a tetraploid?
Just be looking at it, you could never be sure.
(5). By information on this forum, I know you can try and make crosses on:
Oriental x Oriental Trumpet x Trumpet Asiatic x Asiatic (What else?)
Start with this:
http://www.liliumbreeding.nl/breedingresprojectcrossing.html
But don't let that stop you from making kooky crosses. You never know what might happen . . .
Also, take a look at this:
http://www.the-genus-lilium.com/images/basics/lilium_phylogeny01.jpg
The closer the relation, the better chance of a pollination being successful.
Thanks everyone for the great information. Next year I will be ready......
Mike