Daylily Paradise

Hybridizing Daylilies

The art of hybridizing daylilies can be as complicated as you want to make it. Regardless of how detailed you want to be, hybridizing daylilies is very exciting and enjoyable. To pollinate a daylily, one needs to simply take the pollen from the stamen of one daylily and touch the pistil (the center part of the daylily that protrudes out about 2-3") of another daylily. If a successful pollination occurred, a seedpod will begin to form at the base of the flower within 3 days. The seedpod will grow to a length of 1/2"-2". Once the seedpod turns brown and begins to crack open at the top, it is ready for harvest. To learn more about seeds, click HERE. Most of the well known hybridizers have a specific goal in mind when they are pollinating daylilies. These goals may include the following: flowers with gold, black, purple, red or double edges, flowers with great substance, flowers with a round/full, double or unusual form, flowers that hold up well in 100 degree F temperature, flowers with eyes, and halos, and plants with strong re-blooming characteristics. The best way to determine if you are nearing your goal is to mark all your crosses. This will help you determine which characteristics are passed onto which seedlings. When marking your crosses, the first name is the pod parent and the second name is pollen parent. (Example - "Always Afternoon" X "Pirates Patch", means the pollen of "Pirates Patch" was used on "Always Afternoon" to form a seedpod on "Always Afternoon"). To get the most enjoyment out of growing daylilies, we strongly recommend you try your hand at hybridizing.

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