SEED SELECTION:
Table
Of Contents::
Introduction:
Basic
Principles:
Hibiscus
By Design:
Additional
Resources:
INTRODUCTION:
Although the inheritance
of characteristics in H. rosa-sinensis, the tropical hibiscus, is subject
to the chance recombination of genes, many of the details of which are
beyond our present knowledge, there are basic principles as put forth
below which permit one to increase the odds of getting what they want.
Accordingly, hybridizing and the selection of seed, is not purely
a matter of chance.
You have no doubt heard
that tropical hibiscus seed does not grow true to type. Although that
is very true, don't believe for a minute that experienced hybridizers
don't have preferred parents. That in itself indicates hybridizers don't
believe the results are entirely random, for they know there are some
general principles for increasing the odds of getting what they are
looking for. HOT, Hibiscus Of Tahiti, seed is ideal for the connoisseur
who has some idea of what to expect from various crosses. However, there
is great pleasure in growing a world premier hibiscus (no two flowers
will be exactly the same) to first bloom from seed , and even beginners
can use the basic information below as a guide to desired results.
H. rosa-sinensis, tropical
hibiscus, is actually a melting pot represented by "type"
flower, a common double red, and many compatible species, including
H. arnottianus, schizopetalus, etc. Accordingly, the gene pool is so
diverse that seed do not grow true to type and most anything can and
does result. However, there is usually a percentage of offspring (can
be more or less, depending on the varieties used) that represent a blending
of the parents. It is this percentage that permits a principal means
for deriving desired results. It allows one to visualize the potential
of parents and realize a resemblance of those mental images in the progeny.
Accordingly, using the information below, even a novice can become a
hyridizer, without making the actual crosses. With HOT seed offerings
the crosses have already been made for you, and all you have to do is
exercise the same mental processes that any hybridizer goes through
in deciding which are the best to grow that will produce what you might
be looking for. If you want doubles, mini's or a specific characteristic,
don't waist your time growing just any seed, when you can select parents
that will give you a good probability of providing same. This is both
a challenge and a pleasure in that if one masters the basic concepts,
they are rewarded with something resembling their goals. If not, or
in the process, one will find many pleasant surprises along the way.
99% of tropical hibiscus grown from seed are beautiful flowers that
all but the most selective connoisseurs would be proud to own.
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BASIC
PRINCIPLES:
GENERALITIES:
Species Crosses:
When crossing modern hybrids
with species or near species, one typically gets a bloom more closely
akin to the species than the modern hybrid. The goal of such crosses
is to reinsert the floriferousness and robust bush habits of the species
into more modern looking fancier blooms. Accordingly, one is looking
for the exception with the allure of bringing the best of both together
in new hybrids.
Like
Begets Like:
This is perhaps the most
important single rule in hybridizing, especially as a guide for the
novice. Basically, probabilities are increased when one chooses characteristic
they like in both parents. If you want good texture in your seedlings,
it best to choose parents that both have good texture. If you want good
bushes, it is best to choose parents with good bushes. If you want lavenders,
reds or sunset tones, its best to choose parents with those colors.
If you want doubles, choose a cross with both or at least one of the
parents that are doubles. If you want large blooms, select parents of
the largest size and visa versa, if you want small blooms select crosses
with the smallest of parents, etc.
Beating The Odds:
The first inclination
of a novice it the tendency to want to grow one seed of as many crosses
as they can. That is fine if one is looking for maximum diversity from
which to choose what pleases them.
If on the other hand,
one has an idea of what they like, the above approach is like taking
one roll on a slot machine. Chances of striking out are greater than
getting a winner. Alternatively, growing every seed in the pod or even
several pods of the same cross significantly increases the chances that
one might find what they are looking for in a given cross. Same analogy,
put enough money in a slot machine and it will pay of.
For either approach, getting
a great new hibiscus hybrid is a bit of a numbers game, i.e., the more
you grow, the more likely you will find some impressive seedlings. One
can increase the odds by knowing what they want and selecting parents
most likely to provide those results.
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HIBISCUS
BY DESIGN:
In hybridizing there are
at least two basic approaches. One is to cross most everything available
and select from the results what one wants. The other is to have some
basic goals and using the knowledge that is available create a hibiscus
by design. Below is a list of some simple goals followed by an article
by Harry Goulding, renown hybridizer, indicating to what depths a hibiscus
bloom can be designed.
Double Makers:
Most any double crossed
with another double will produce a good number of progeny that are doubles.
Rosalind is a famous parent and a good one to get both singles and doubles
from. It additionally tends to produce progeny with blooms in sunset
tones and with good bushes.
White Rim Makers:
Byron Metts and Grand
Hyatt, often produce progeny with white rims. The former often produces
mostly white blooms with hues of pink, while the latter often produce
hues in the pink/lavender/gray spectrum.
Dark
Eye Makers:
Herm Geller will often
pass on a large dark eye as well as a number of brown progeny. Depending
upon the other parent it can produce different colors and interesting
color variations often with fancy form like ruffles and tufts.
White
Eye Makers:
Hot
Paprika, The Path on occasion pass on white eyes to their progeny.
Exotic
Eye Zone Makers:
Jazz, Lunar Dust, Ruby
N Pearl are just a few that can produce exotic or metallic looking eye
zones.
Vein
and Spiral Pattern Makers:
Oliver, Georgia's Pearl
and Dragon's Breath often produce progeny with veins in varying degrees,
and the latter two often with a spiraled pattern.
Spot
and Splash Makers:
Critical Mass, Sun
Shower and The Path are among a number of parents that often pass splashed
and spotted patterns to their progeny.
Blue/Brown Makers:
There seems to be a relationship
between the two, i.e., browns will often produce blue spectrum progeny
and visa versa, blue spectrum plants can produce brown spectrum progeny.
However, crosses of the same color are more likely to produce progeny
with colors in the same spectrum.
White Makers:
White although often though
of as the absence of color is actually quite the opposite, i.e., the
presence of all colors. Hence, white tends to dominate in their progeny,
but often with blending and, of course, as always with a good deal of
exceptions. Crossing any two whites is a good method for getting other
whites.
Long Bloom Duration Makers:
Certain varieties, tends
to have blooms that last more than a day. This is a trait often passed
on to progeny. Parents notable for passing on this trait are Fourth
Of July, Melody Morace and Santana.
Own Root Growers:
Although about 80% of
modern hybrids are considered capable of growing on their own root,
some must be grafted. These traits also tend to get passed on to offspring,
as always with a liberal amount of exceptions. Most garden varieties,
the kinds that flourish in gardens and public areas with minimum attention
that have withstood the test of time and persisted over many years,
often root and grow well on their own root. Wallflower, a more modern
variety, is a good own root grower and many of it offspring such as
Georgia's Pearl are as well. Remember the ability of hibiscus hybrids
to grow on their own roots is a relative thing. Some will grow on their
own root with a high percentage of cuttings growing successfully, while
other may only produce a few successful plants from many trials. Too,
even though a plant will initiate roots on its own, doesn't mean that
it will perform optimally on them. Some just persist without producing
up to their potential, i.e., the potential they might attain if grafted
onto stronger root stock.
Good Bush Makers:
Rosalind and Romeo are
two that are noted as often producing progeny with good bushes.
Multicolor Makers:
Romeo, Fifth Dimension
and its progeny often produce multiple colors in their offspring, while
Fifth Dimension can also produce a lot of light pastels with varying
color hues.
Dominant
Color Makers:
Cheo,
Midnight Blue, Silver
Memories, Tamibon, Twilight Glow, Tylene often
produce progeny with similar colors. This can be used to
ones advantage by crossing with parents that might introduce a interesting
variation to the basic them. A good example is Tahitian Princes, which
has the white rim and pink/lavender hue of Grand Hyatt overlaid on the
basic theme of Silver Memories.
Color Shift Makers:
Fifth Dimension
progeny generally exhibit color change or fade, sometimes gracefully
as in Fifth Dimension and sometimes not.
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Hibiscus By Design:
Above are parents that
can produce progeny with specific goals in mind, but at a fairly simple
level. One of the better examples of how one might design hibiscus progeny
I've run across was put forth in an article "Designer Genes"
by the renown hybridizer "Harry Goulding" which I found in
the AmHS "The Tropical Hibiscus Handbook". That publication
is a must have for any serious hibiscus enthusiast, which covers virtually
all aspects of tropical hibiscus, from history, culture, propagation,
hybridizing and much more. To get your copy, click on the link to the
AmHS on the home page and check out their publications. For your reading
convenience, please find this article below.
"DESIGNER
GENES by Harry Goulding":
All plants have
their dominant characteristics and their recessive characteristics,
both qualities of equal important to the plant breeder, and knowledge
of this theory will eliminate a lot of guess work in developing types
of plants and flowers. Simply stated, you need to know which plant in
your collection, when bred with any other cultivar, will usually exercise
a specific quality you desire such as a bloom characteristic or bush
growth habit, etc.
To make a hypothetical
example, lets say you have decided to make a good double lavender. From
your records you note Gray Lady, Joyce A, Romeo and although it is a
brown color, the cultivar Asato 178 usually produces lavender-toned
offspring.
All of these
are single varieties and will make seed, so first you must introduce
into you line a cultivar that you know to be dominant as the double
form but recessive as to color. Your records indicate that Carrie Ann,
being a very good pollen plant since live pollen is available very early
in the morning when the pod parents are most receptive, would be the
one to cross with your lavenders.
Now you have
the double genes in generation like "red hair" or "good
teeth. You now have obtained four double lavenders, three are too small
and the fourth is a bud dropper which you immediately destroy.
From you records
you learn the cultivar Lady Carol will upgrade any bloom as to size.
Your next generation would be the three little double lavenders as your
pollen plants with Lady Carol, a single good seeder, and also recessive
as to color. Presto you have your larger double lavender, but your bush
is low growing or twiggy.
You know that
"selfing" (pollinating
the bloom with its own pollen) could
improve this but your double is sterile as to seed production so your
alternative now is to back-cross on the best bush in the line, which
would seem to be Romeo, resulting in your wanted flower - a good double
lavender on a fine bush! (with a little luck)"
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ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES:
If one wants to get even
more serious about hybridizing and the selection of seed, a bit of research
can turn up valuable information. One might keep a look out or even
inquire of expected results on one of the cyber hibiscus mail lists
or search their archives. One can check various publications, for example
the AmHS "The Tropical Hibiscus Handbook" has a chapter on
the subject and specifically lists a number of good pod parents and
good pollen parents and what one might expect of the seedlings.
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Genealogy: If one looks
at the ancestors, one gets an idea of what might be found in some of
the offspring. Remember, the parents themselves, each providing 50%
of the genes, will have the greatest influence and what you see in a
given parent is a definite possibility in the offspring. The grand parents
provide 25% of the genes of a given offspring, the great grandparents
12.5% of the genes, etc. Perhaps the best source for a listing of parentage
is to be found on the IHS website under "The Global Hibiscus Library"
- direct link as follows: Global
Hibiscus Library, Genealogy Family Tree For example put the
yellow, Georgia's Pearl (without caps, i.e., Georgia's pearl), in the
search box and look at the 14 ancestors though great grand parents.
You will note one of the parents, Wallflower, is a brown, and a small
percentage of G.P. offspring do come out as browns. In addition to the
Genealogy Family Tree, check the various Nomenclature listings, and
see what the progeny of given parents look like. Again, on the IHS website
in Hybridizer's Corner, once can compare all the progeny of a given
cross for the crosses listed in that data base (limited for the moment).
For example at the link IHS
Hybridizers Corner scroll down
and in the box for "Hybridizer" select all and in the "Search
For A photo", put "georgia's pearl x fourth of july"
and click "find it". A window will appear with the individual
links to each of the progeny and a button comparative analysis. If you
click on the latter both parents and the progeny are listed for a comparison.
Even from that small sampling one gets the idea that lavender tends
to prevail in that cross. When that data base matures, it will become
a powerful tool for the study of inherited characteristics in tropical
hibiscus, but even at it present state, beginner and hybridizer will
find a lot of information.
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