1736 Eagle Drive
Hixson, TN 37343
Phone: 423.842.4630
Email: LeePickles@epbfi.com
Hixson, TN 37343
Phone: 423.842.4630
Email: LeePickles@epbfi.com
| Potted plants are taken into the greenhouse in December or January after having some good cold weather outside. |
© 2011 All rights reserved
| Potted plants are cleaned and fertilized. |
| Normally, scapes will start showing in approximately 2½ months. |
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.
We start seeing scapes in 8 to 10 weeks, and bloom starts
approximately three weeks after that.
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.
We start seeing scapes in 8 to 10 weeks, and bloom starts
approximately three weeks after that.
Our first greenhouse was built in 1993 and was 20' X 36' with an 8'
crown. After the fourth year, we decided that it was just too small so
we replaced it with the current greenhouse which is 30' W X 44' L,
with a crown of 14' 6", which doubled the square footage of the
original.
Utilizing a greenhouse for growing and hybridizing daylilies has
several advantages. 1) You can do your hybridizing in the 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 start seeds earlier and grow the
resulting seedlings in the greenhouse over winter, thus giving
them a head start when transplanting outside in the spring.
One of the reasons for having a greenhouse is to be able to hybridize
while it is still cold outside. We normally take our potted hybridizing
plants into the greenhouse in mid to late December after they have
been through cold weather. They will start blooming in March and we
can begin our hybridizing. We will have approximately 200 pots of
hybridizing potsgrowing in the greenhouse.
When potted plants are taken into the greenhouse, they 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.
Temperature in the greenhouse is important when you start
hybridizing. The late 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 to65° and the exhaust fan is set for a high
of 80°.
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.
We have been experimenting with growing everything in the
greenhouse in water beds. So far, we have been very pleased with
the results.
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 morning about 1:00 A. M. just to break the sleep
cycle.
We normally start between 3,500 and 5,000 seeds in September.
Late October and early November, we transplant some of those
seedlings to No. 38 seed trays where they will grow until being
planted in the garden in April. They will grow over the summer in the
field and stay there until the following spring when we will probably
get 90% to 95% bloom. Approximately 1000 of the seedlings will be
transplanted into trade one gallon pots to grow over the winter in the
greenhouse. They will go outside in the spring to bloom in the pots.
We have many newer daylilies from various hybridizers blooming in
the greenhouse from about mid March through mid May. If you are in
the area, this is an opportunity to stop and satisfy your bloom hunger.
crown. After the fourth year, we decided that it was just too small so
we replaced it with the current greenhouse which is 30' W X 44' L,
with a crown of 14' 6", which doubled the square footage of the
original.
Utilizing a greenhouse for growing and hybridizing daylilies has
several advantages. 1) You can do your hybridizing in the 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 start seeds earlier and grow the
resulting seedlings in the greenhouse over winter, thus giving
them a head start when transplanting outside in the spring.
One of the reasons for having a greenhouse is to be able to hybridize
while it is still cold outside. We normally take our potted hybridizing
plants into the greenhouse in mid to late December after they have
been through cold weather. They will start blooming in March and we
can begin our hybridizing. We will have approximately 200 pots of
hybridizing potsgrowing in the greenhouse.
When potted plants are taken into the greenhouse, they 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.
Temperature in the greenhouse is important when you start
hybridizing. The late 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 to65° and the exhaust fan is set for a high
of 80°.
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.
We have been experimenting with growing everything in the
greenhouse in water beds. So far, we have been very pleased with
the results.
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 morning about 1:00 A. M. just to break the sleep
cycle.
We normally start between 3,500 and 5,000 seeds in September.
Late October and early November, we transplant some of those
seedlings to No. 38 seed trays where they will grow until being
planted in the garden in April. They will grow over the summer in the
field and stay there until the following spring when we will probably
get 90% to 95% bloom. Approximately 1000 of the seedlings will be
transplanted into trade one gallon pots to grow over the winter in the
greenhouse. They will go outside in the spring to bloom in the pots.
We have many newer daylilies from various hybridizers blooming in
the greenhouse from about mid March through mid May. If you are in
the area, this is an opportunity to stop and satisfy your bloom hunger.
Our Greenhouse . . .
| Plants are taken into the greenhouse in December after some good cold weather and have started growing in early January. |
| Seedpods in the greenhouse. |
| Hybridizing daylilies is as easy as putting pollen from one daylily on the pistil of another daylily. |
| March greenhouse bloom. This was in our original greenhouse. |
| 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. |
| Our current greenhouse built in 1967. The ends are double walled polycarbonate. The top and sides are double sheet 6 mil. plastic with air blown between. |
| 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. |
| On the leftb bench, I am growing seedlings in trade one gallon pots. The middle two benches are used for potted hybridizing plants. Notice the two rows on the left are dormant and just beginning to emerge. The bencho on the far right, which you cannot see, is used for growing seedlings in #38 seed trays. |
| Imagine walking into the greenhouse on a cold, snow March morning to hundreds of glorious daylily blooms awaiting pollen to be dabbed and seeds to be set. This is what happens in a greenhouse. |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Greenhouse grown seedling. |
| A left click over an image will enlarge it |