Ahh that makes a bit more sense now. So if you collect seeds from a hybrid then you may not get the exact same plant if you sowed them?
Is this the same with hardy geraniums? My mum has some pale pink geraniums in her garden, im not sure which type it is, and it self seeded into a raised bed. It flowered earlier this year but I noticed the flowers were not pale pink like the original plant, it was quite a vivid pink. So does this mean it hasn't come true from seed?
Yes, you've got it! The hybridization process has to be carried out in sort-of sterile conditions so that no pollen from any plant can get to the parent.
The geraniums in your mum's garden have had pollen from various other geranium sources and will therefore be a cross between your mum's geranium and the geranium from which the pollen arrived on an insect of some sort - so only they know
The plant that grow from the seed may not resemble either parent, or it might.. that's why there are professional seed-breeders who back-cross plants for years hoping to find a special one, one day. nut mentioned Pritchard's Variety of Campanula, which I imagine was either bred by or was a stable chance cross that he found
Last edited: 20 November 2016 16:21:19
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Whilst on the subject of Hardy geraniums. I have dug up some of my mums geraniums and have divided and potted them up ready for planting in my garden in the spring. I would like to know how deep do you plant the little crowns? I have potted them a couple of cm below the compost but is that too deep or should the crown be above the compost?
I agree with nut. Plant so they're the same depth as in your mum's garden - that's what they're used to.
Some of the older specimens in my garden have their crowns about 2" above the surface because I've not split them for so long - something else to add to the never-ending list.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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The process of hybridisation produced Nepeta x faassenii. The seed produced from that cross could be much the same or more like one of its parents.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Ahh that makes a bit more sense now. So if you collect seeds from a hybrid then you may not get the exact same plant if you sowed them?
Is this the same with hardy geraniums? My mum has some pale pink geraniums in her garden, im not sure which type it is, and it self seeded into a raised bed. It flowered earlier this year but I noticed the flowers were not pale pink like the original plant, it was quite a vivid pink. So does this mean it hasn't come true from seed?
Yes, you've got it! The hybridization process has to be carried out in sort-of sterile conditions so that no pollen from any plant can get to the parent.
The geraniums in your mum's garden have had pollen from various other geranium sources and will therefore be a cross between your mum's geranium and the geranium from which the pollen arrived on an insect of some sort - so only they know
The plant that grow from the seed may not resemble either parent, or it might.. that's why there are professional seed-breeders who back-cross plants for years hoping to find a special one, one day.
nut mentioned Pritchard's Variety of Campanula, which I imagine was either bred by or was a stable chance cross that he found
Last edited: 20 November 2016 16:21:19
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Whilst on the subject of Hardy geraniums. I have dug up some of my mums geraniums and have divided and potted them up ready for planting in my garden in the spring. I would like to know how deep do you plant the little crowns? I have potted them a couple of cm below the compost but is that too deep or should the crown be above the compost?
Last edited: 21 November 2016 18:44:15
I think too deep. The potential leaves don't want to be buried. Have a look at your mum's and see where they are, that's where they want to be
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks nutcutlet. I will repot them tomorrow as I think the little crowns were at soil level and I don't want them to rot.
I agree with nut. Plant so they're the same depth as in your mum's garden - that's what they're used to.
Some of the older specimens in my garden have their crowns about 2" above the surface because I've not split them for so long - something else to add to the never-ending list.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.