CULTURAL DIARY   2016
Michael Richardson's Diary  2016

National Society Cut bloom Champion 2014

2016 Diary Episode 1    Hybridising – the Quest for Pollen and Seed part 2

Tuesday 1^st December – My ninth Disaster
The cross of Alana Hamilton over Tom Brownlee that was done on 23^rd October, and 30 days later on 22^nd November the petals fell. Well today the base of the stem that leads to the seed pod has started to rot back,

Thursday 3^rd December –
In less than 48hrs I could not believe how fast it has rotted back as you can see by what’s left of the stem that held the little stem to the seed pod (see the picture to the right).
I was not going to give up on it that easily, so I cut it off back to some clean stem and took into the house and placed it in a small vase on the kitchen window sill with a teaspoon full of sugar as you can see by the picture to the left.
For some reason that I cannot really explain this cross is the one I am most excited about and have been looking forward to, but twice now it’s got the better of me.

Update on other crosses still ripening –
    • Powder Puff over Tom Brownlee, cross made 21^st October
    • Powder Puff over Tom Brownlee, cross made 24^th October
    • Joyce Mihulka over Beryl Rhodes, cross made 25^th October

Friday 11^th December – possible 10th Disaster!!!!
The Alana Hamilton over Tom Brownlee cross’s stem has started to rot – It lasted 8 days stood in water.
Today the seed pod has been ripening for 48 days…. So close.
So with the last throw of the dice I left the seed pod on some kitchen roll to see if it dries out.

Saturday 12^th December – possible 11th Disaster!!!!!
I found a lower “segment” on the stem that had the Joyce Mihulka over Beryl Rhodes cross seed pod on starting to crystalize and rot, a sign the plant wants to go down and “hibernate” for a couple of months.
This seed pod has been ripening now since 25^th October 2015 that’s 51 days – now I am preying it starts to turn “papery” quickly!!!!!, as you can see by the picture to the left.

Both the Powder Puff over Tom Brownlee cross’s made on the 21^st & 24^th October 2015 are still ripening and looking good after 55 and 52 days respectably (see picture to the right).

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

Saturday 19^th October – a miracle…….
Remember the Alana Hamilton over Tom Brownlee cross that I had given up on Friday 11^th December, well I found the shrivelled up seed pod on the kitchen roll where I had left it and picked it up to throw it in the bin when what looked like some dust fell from it so I gently took a “wing” off it and as by magic, dare I say it but pollen fell out….
See the picture to the left, what I could also see is one of the x3 pod segments and gone little a “brownie rot” in colour whilst the x2 other segments had ripened as one whom expect.
• So from the initial cross to the petals falling of the seed pod took 30 days
• X2 days later the stem to the seed pod stem had rotted back to before the stem to seed pod had started to ripen.
• It then lasted 8 days stood in water before the seed pod stem rotted back to the un-ripened seed pod.
• X9 days the green seed pod sat on kitchen roll and was forgotten about.
This cross has nearly broken every guideline set down for hybridising. Wether the seed is viable or not I do not know yet – but I have learnt to throw the growing handbook out of the window and try anything as you have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Cancel my eleventh Disaster - Against all odds the big fat seed pod was beginning to ripen on the cross I made by crossing Joyce Mihulka over Beryl Rhodes so I attached a paper bag under the seed pod as you can see by the picture  to the left.
Good job really as you can see by the picture to the right, the bottom of the main stem as nearly rotten through.

Sunday 20^th December – My tenth Disaster revised (Alana Hamilton over Tom Brownlee was not the tenth).
The side shoot that was holding the x2 Sweet Dreams over Tom Brownlee crosses had rotted through at the base where it meets the main stem, again it’s just down to the time of year and the plant wanting to go to sleep….
Luckily one of the pods has started the ripening process however the second is still green as you can see by the picture to the left.
So just like the Alana Hamilton over Tom Brownlee cross I cut it back to some clean stem dissolved some sugar in a small jug of water and put the stem in it hopefully it will complete the ripening process on at least one of the seed pods. As you can see by the picture to the right.

Monday 21^st December –

 As you can see by the picture to the left I have cut the ripened seed pod off the Joyce Mihulka over Beryl Rhodes cross – now that is drying in a paper bag.

Tuesday 22^nd December –
x1 off the Powder Puff over Tom Brownlee crosses has ripened (picture to the left) and I have took it off as the little stem to the pod itself has dried out and is of no use to the seed pod. The seed pod now resides in a paperbag.
That now leaves the 2nd Powder Puff over Tom Brownlee crosses seed pod still green and ripening in a jug of water and sugar (picture  to the right).

Saturday 26^th December – The Sweet Dreams over Tom Brownlee Cross that I have stood in water is still alive – I just keep cutting slices of the bottom of the stem as it starts to go “funny”.
The best of it is its starting to ripen!!!!!!
See pictures to the right and left.

Monday 28^th December –
 The little stem to the seed pod has gone brown and is of no more use so I have cut the seed pod off Sweet Dreams over Tom Brownlee cross (see picture  to the left) and its now in a paper bag drying out.
This seed pod has spent the last 8 days ripening in a jug of water, and if needed it could have lasted another week as long as I kept cutting thin slices of the bottom of the stem as it went slimy.

Well that’s that all my seed pods ripened – I set of with a plan and succeeded beyond my wildest expectations.
Obtaining seed completed, now for the exciting part – Germination and Growing Seeding’s……

Summary by the numbers

My first successful cross by the numbers -
                                                                                      Burnout over Tom Brownlee
27^th August to 9^th September = 14 days – The time it took from pollen from a male flower from a cutting of Burnout put across a female flower on a plant of Tom Brownlee to the female petals to drop.
10^th September to 19^th October = 40 days - From when the petals fall off the female flower to when the seed pod turns papery and is cut of and stored in the house in a paper bag.
In total = 54 days - from the cross being made to the seed pod ripening.

My second successful cross by the numbers –
                                                                                     Joan Bryce over Tequila Sunrise
8^th October to 20^th October = 13 days - The time it took from pollen from a male flower from a cutting of Joan Bryce put across a female flower on a plant of Tequila Sunrise to the female petals to drop.
October 21^st to 16^th November = 27 days - From when the petals fall off the female flower and the seed pod turns papery and is cut of and stored in the house in a paper bag.
In total = 40 days - from the cross being made to the seed pod ripening.

My third successful cross by the numbers –
                                                                                    Burnout over Tequila Sunrise
1^st October to 11^th October = 10 days - The time it took from pollen from a male flower from a cutting of Burnout put across a female flower on a plant of Tequila Sunrise to the female petals to drop.
12^th October to 17^th November = 37 days - From when the petals fall off the female flower and the seed pod turns papery and is cut of and stored in the house in a paper bag.
In total = 47 days - from the cross being made to the seed pod ripening.

My fourth successful cross by the numbers –
                                                                                   Alana Hamilton over Tom Brownlee
23^rd October to 22^nd November = 30 days - The time it took from pollen from a male flower from a cutting of Alana Hamilton put across a female flower on a plant of Tom Brownlee to the female petals to drop.
23^rd November to 19^th December = 27 days - From when the petals fall off the female flower and the seed pod turns papery and is cut of and stored in the house in a paper bag.
In total = 57 days - from the cross being made to the seed pod ripening.

My fifth successful cross by the numbers –
                                                                                 Powder Puff over Tom Brownlee
21^st October to 26^th October = 5 days - The time it took from pollen from a male flower from a cutting of Powder Puff put across a female flower on a plant of Tom Brownlee to the female petals to drop.
October 27^th to 22^nd December = 57 days - From when the petals fall off the female flower and the seed pod turns papery and is cut of and stored in the house in a paper bag.
In total = 62 days - from the cross being made to the seed pod ripening.

My sixth successful cross by the numbers –
                                                                                 Joyce Mihulka over Beryl Rhodes
25^th October to 7^th November = 12 days - The time it took from pollen from a male flower from a cutting of Joyce Mihulka put across a female flower on a plant of Beryl Rhodes to the female petals to drop.
8^th November to 21^st December = 44 days - From when the petals fall off the female flower and the seed pod turns papery and is cut of and stored in the house in a paper bag.
In total = 56 days - from the cross being made to the seed pod ripening.
See ripen seed pod and hopefully viable seed in there paper bag to the picture on the right.

My seventh successful cross by the numbers –
                                                                                 Powder Puff over Tom Brownlee
24^th October to 28^th October = 4 days - The time it took from pollen from a male flower from a cutting of Powder Puff put across a female flower on a plant of Tom Brownlee to the female petals to drop.
October 29^th to 28^th December = 62 days - From when the petals fall off the female flower and the seed pod turns papery and is cut of and stored in the house in a paper bag.
In total = 66 days - from the cross being made to the seed pod ripening.

My Own Observations (continued)

Observation 7
A have found that the later in the year it gets, the longer it takes the seed pod to ripen….
That means you have to fight against the plant's natural urge to go to sleep – and fight to keep it going.
Observation 8
Don’t be afraid to go against the “Do’s and Don’ts” written down in books – you will be surprised what you can do that you’re “in a good way” not supposed to be able to do – I for one have.

Until next time….