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REPOTTING G1 PLANTS - August 2004 |
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The first generation Marion Tiger seedlings are now large plants and were repotted in the second half of August.
About a dozen have been kept of which four were given local names with two BANK ERROR and FLEET STREET named properly, having won at the shows. Offsets from the better plants have been taken, but most have just been reduced to a single crown for a chance to be shown. Some varieties (stripes seem particularly prone) need a year or two to settle down and show their true form. As an insurance BANK ERROR'S only offset of any size was previously given to another grower. To recap the life of probably the best G1 seedling FLEET STREET - Initial cross (Marion Tiger with Red Self seedling from Red Admiral) Spring 2001 - seed harvested late Summer 2001 - stored in fridge - Sown end Jan 2002 - Pricked out into cell Summer 2002 - Moved to 9cm pot Feb 2003 - Flowered Spring 2003 - Crossed with best of siblings - G2 seed harvested Late Summer 2003 - G2 seed sown start Feb 2004 - Pricked out into cells - Moved to 9cm pots Summer 2004 (25 G2 seedlings as seed parent plus similar pollen parent) - Plant of FLEET STREET - Moved to 3.5inch pot Autumn 2003 - Shown as seedling fancy April 2004 winning a First and being named - Crossed in early May 2004 with WARWICK, BORDER BEAUTY and STAR WARS producing over 300 seeds - Repotted August 2004 taking 4 offsets. |
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MOVING ON SEEDLINGS - to September 2004
The 2003 second generation Marion Tiger crosses were sown on 1st Feb 2004 and due to a cold February were slow but germination was very good in the end. | Three seed trays full of seedlings resulted. The strongest seedlings from about one and a half seed trays were pricked out into cells. One seed tray of (as would turn out) Bank Error seedlings was given away. The seedlings in cells were moved on to 9cm square pots in late July to early August, about 300 in all. Hopefully most will flower in Spring 2005 and some will be the target Red and White Stripes. Not long to wait now! or perhaps we will find out why auricula breeders rarely continue to the second generation? This time I have pricked out and moved on the seedlings as early as possible to try to flower most seedlings in Spring 2005. Currently Strand seedlings are the largest and Fleet Street seedlings (that could potentially be the best) are unfortunately the smallest, but that's life I suppose. |
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SEED HARVEST - July to September 2004
All but one of the crosses produced seed.
The majority being 2004 G2 Marion Tiger crosses, the second generation should see great variation.
While similar to 2003 G2 Marion Tiger crosses these were made with more choice and knowledge of the quality of flowering of the parents and should be a little better.
The other crosses are more speculative and may be the start of producing blue fancies and stripes or edges with grounds other than black. | Some seed was lost due to carelessness and clumsiness, such as cutting potential seed bearing trusses off when routine dead heading after flowering! Anyway three hundred seedlings on the go at any one time is about as many as I can reasonably manage. So I will keep some seed from the small packets and the bulk will end up in the seed exchange. STRAND
| x
| Mustard and Grey Fancy
| G2 Marion Tiger cross for different stripes
| KEEP | 40 seeds Mustard and Grey Fancy
| x
| STRAND
| 200 | seeds STRAND
| x
| Mixed G1
| G2 MT cross to improve form
| 200 | seeds Mixed G1
| x
| STRAND
| KEEP | 40 seeds STRAND
| x
| TRAFALGAR
| G2 MT cross for red and white stripes
| 100 | seeds TRAFALGAR
| x
| STRAND
| KEEP | Some 80 seeds TRAFALGAR
| x
| BORDER BEAUTY
| For red and white stripes
| 100 | seeds BORDER BEAUTY
| x
| TRAFALGAR
| KEEP | 40 seeds FLEET STREET
| x
| WARWICK
| For red ground grey/white fancies or edges
| KEEP | 40 seeds WARWICK
| x
| FLEET STREET
| KEEP | 20 seeds FLEET STREET
| x
| BORDER BEAUTY
| For bright red and white stripes
| KEEP | Some 60 seeds STAR WARS
| x
| FLEET STREET
| For red ground grey/white fancies or edges
| KEEP | Some 200 seeds Orange and Green Fancy
| x
| Tawny Red Self
| For different stripes and fancies
| KEEP | 40 seeds Tawny Red Self
| x
| Orange and Green Fancy
| KEEP | 10 seeds MARION TIGER G1 | (best selected) x
| MARION TIGER G1 | (best selected) G2 MT crosses for stripes and fancies
| 300 | seeds Striped Leaves selfed
| G2 MT cross for striped flowers and leaves
| KEEP | Some 100 seeds BORDER BEAUTY
| x
| STAR WARS
| For stripes and fancies with better form
| KEEP | Some 100 seeds NIGHT and DAY | (stripe) x
| STAR WARS
| For stripes and fancies
| KEEP | Some 200 seeds S13 Grey-Blue Self
| x
| STAR WARS
| For blue fancies
| KEEP | 40 seeds ROYAL MAIL
| x
| COFFEE
| For red ground edges
| KEEP | Some 60 seeds THE PURPLE THING
| x
| SNITCHED
| And now for something completely different - yellow paste?
| KEEP | 40 seeds
The seed from those crosses that produced the most seed has been given | to either the American Primrose Society or the National Auricula & Primula Society Midland & West Section for their seed exchanges. The crosses that produced the least seed have been kept and will be sown at the end of January 2005. | ||||||||||||||
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BACK EXPERIENCES WITH BREEDING AURICULAS - Page 1 - The Early Days BACK EXPERIENCES WITH BREEDING AURICULAS - Page 2 - Autumn 2003 to Spring 2004 NEXT EXPERIENCES WITH BREEDING AURICULAS - Page 4 - Seedlings 2005 ALSO EXPERIENCES WITH BREEDING AURICULAS - Page 5 - Summer/Autumn 2005 |
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