1736 Eagle Drive
Hixson, TN 37343
Phone: 423.842.4630
Email: lpickles4@comcast.net
Hixson, TN 37343
Phone: 423.842.4630
Email: lpickles4@comcast.net
| Greenhouse Growing . . . |
| Potted plants are taken into the greenhouse in December or January after having some good cold weather outside. |
| Potted plants are cleaned and fertilized. |
| Normally, I will start seeing scapes at 2 1/2 months. |
Utilizing a greenhouse for growing and hybridizing your
daylilies has several advantages. 1) You can do your
hybridizing early spring before outside work starts. 2) Seed
set is better in a greenhouse and some plants that will not
set seed outside will do so in the greenhouse. 3) When
outside work and evaluating seedlings starts, you are
through with hybridizing. 4) When garden visitors start to
arrive, you don’t have to interrupt hybridizing to visit with
them, and 5) you can get an early start on planting seeds and
growing seedlings through the winter.
There are probably as many ways of utilizing a greenhouse
as there are hybridizers using them. This is my way.
Plants are potted in August/September and held outside until
they have had enough cold temperatures to grow quickly in a
greenhouse environment. Normally that takes place in
December or January. In 2008, I started taking them into the
greenhouse in the middle of December.
Plants are cleaned, Marathon 1%, a granular systemic, is
spread on top of the potting soil to control fungus gnats,
thrips, aphids, etc. Next, Nutricote slow release 13-13-13
fertilizer with micro nutrients, along with a little Milorganite is
added on top of the potting soil for fertilizing.
daylilies has several advantages. 1) You can do your
hybridizing early spring before outside work starts. 2) Seed
set is better in a greenhouse and some plants that will not
set seed outside will do so in the greenhouse. 3) When
outside work and evaluating seedlings starts, you are
through with hybridizing. 4) When garden visitors start to
arrive, you don’t have to interrupt hybridizing to visit with
them, and 5) you can get an early start on planting seeds and
growing seedlings through the winter.
There are probably as many ways of utilizing a greenhouse
as there are hybridizers using them. This is my way.
Plants are potted in August/September and held outside until
they have had enough cold temperatures to grow quickly in a
greenhouse environment. Normally that takes place in
December or January. In 2008, I started taking them into the
greenhouse in the middle of December.
Plants are cleaned, Marathon 1%, a granular systemic, is
spread on top of the potting soil to control fungus gnats,
thrips, aphids, etc. Next, Nutricote slow release 13-13-13
fertilizer with micro nutrients, along with a little Milorganite is
added on top of the potting soil for fertilizing.
| Can you imagine, on a snowy, cold day in March, walking into a greenhouse full of daylily bloom? It really lifts your spirits. This picture was taken in our original greenhouse. |
We start seeing scapes in 8 to 10 weeks, and bloom starts approximately
three weeks after that.
Temperature in the greenhouse is important when you start hybridizing. Dr.
Bob Carr always said, “Trying to set seed at a temperature under 60° or
above 90° is futile.” So as bloom starts, the thermostat gets turned up to
65° and the exhaust fan is set for a high of 80°.
Seed set is much better in a greenhouse because you can control the
temperature. Ideal seed set temperature is 70° to 75°. When hybridizing
season starts, a 30% shade cloth is draped over the greenhouse to help
keep temperatures more stable.
There are four growing benches in our greenhouse, the two on the sides
are 4' wide and 40' long and are used for growing seedlings. The other two
are in the middle and are 4' wide and are 36' and 32' in length. These two
are used for growing the potted hybridizing plants.
We have a misting system set up above each growing bench. However, it
will not sufficiently water the plants. Misting is primarily used to help keep
down spider mites. Otherwise, potted plants are watered by hand as
needed, the more sun, the more hand watering.
There are two moving 1000 watt high pressure sodium lights on rails above
each of the two hybridizing benches. The lights are turned on for one hour
each night about 1:00 A. M. just to break the sleep cycle.
I use Attain TR micro total release insecticide. One can will take care of
3,000 sq. ft. Other miteside's that can be used are Floramite and San Mite.
My thanks to Dan Trimmer for his review of this page.
three weeks after that.
Temperature in the greenhouse is important when you start hybridizing. Dr.
Bob Carr always said, “Trying to set seed at a temperature under 60° or
above 90° is futile.” So as bloom starts, the thermostat gets turned up to
65° and the exhaust fan is set for a high of 80°.
Seed set is much better in a greenhouse because you can control the
temperature. Ideal seed set temperature is 70° to 75°. When hybridizing
season starts, a 30% shade cloth is draped over the greenhouse to help
keep temperatures more stable.
There are four growing benches in our greenhouse, the two on the sides
are 4' wide and 40' long and are used for growing seedlings. The other two
are in the middle and are 4' wide and are 36' and 32' in length. These two
are used for growing the potted hybridizing plants.
We have a misting system set up above each growing bench. However, it
will not sufficiently water the plants. Misting is primarily used to help keep
down spider mites. Otherwise, potted plants are watered by hand as
needed, the more sun, the more hand watering.
There are two moving 1000 watt high pressure sodium lights on rails above
each of the two hybridizing benches. The lights are turned on for one hour
each night about 1:00 A. M. just to break the sleep cycle.
I use Attain TR micro total release insecticide. One can will take care of
3,000 sq. ft. Other miteside's that can be used are Floramite and San Mite.
My thanks to Dan Trimmer for his review of this page.
In 2008, I had 15 pots of H. 'Wonder Of It All'
in the greenhouse which is shown above.
Each pot had from 2 to 5 fans in it. WOIA
also reblooms prior to the first set of
blooms fading. I counted toward the end of
the season and I had 165 pods set on
WOIA. I stopped hybridizing on it at that
point.
in the greenhouse which is shown above.
Each pot had from 2 to 5 fans in it. WOIA
also reblooms prior to the first set of
blooms fading. I counted toward the end of
the season and I had 165 pods set on
WOIA. I stopped hybridizing on it at that
point.
| Plants are taken into the greenhouse in December after some good cold weather and have started growing in early January. |
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I am in the process of replacing all of the
benches in the greenhouse. The previous
ones had been in use over 12 years and
were beginning to show rot. The benches
on each side are 4' wide and 40' long, made
up of 4 10' benches. The "legs" are
concrete blocks. I like to keep things
simple!
benches in the greenhouse. The previous
ones had been in use over 12 years and
were beginning to show rot. The benches
on each side are 4' wide and 40' long, made
up of 4 10' benches. The "legs" are
concrete blocks. I like to keep things
simple!
As a bench is completed, what we used to
call snow fence in Iowa is used to cover the
benches. Do you know how hard it is to find
snow fence in the south?
On the far right is a completed bench with
seedlings growing in pots and in water.
call snow fence in Iowa is used to cover the
benches. Do you know how hard it is to find
snow fence in the south?
On the far right is a completed bench with
seedlings growing in pots and in water.
The benches have a frame on top which is
lined with plastic sheeting. In the
foreground are some potted hybridizing
plants. Behind are some seedlings growing
in No. 38 seed trays, then seedlings
growing in trade gallon pots. The bed is
then filled about 1" with water.
lined with plastic sheeting. In the
foreground are some potted hybridizing
plants. Behind are some seedlings growing
in No. 38 seed trays, then seedlings
growing in trade gallon pots. The bed is
then filled about 1" with water.
| A closer view of the seedlings in trays and pots growing. They are growing in about 1" of water. As the plants root, the roots grow out of the containers into the water. A weak solution of water soluable fertilizer is used for the water bath. |