NOTES ON HYBRIDIZING

 We have been having a vacation. However, I was able to visit my test field 3 or 4 times to continue working on the budding of my most promising seedlings. The rootstocks are totally stressed because of drought… although I tried to water them whenever I could. Still, there is no other way, and I have to use what is there. I‘am afraid, I will be facing some failures in budding, because the rootstocks were way out of the appropiate condition for budding.  Bottom image: Here is one seedling I want to bud — Golden Celebration x Louise Odier. It is a budded version from the last year, but I have to propagate more.

 Well, the drought has been keeping us hostages for many weeks.  It is hard to make any report because nothing is going on (except for endless watering).  The lawn is burned. I pruned my roses a little bit to make them save water. I usually drive about 220-230 l water in cans a couple of times per week, and try to water, water and water plants which needed it desperately… And certainly, it isn’t even slightly enough. Last time I had about 270 l in my car. However I managed to water two hedges which looked very poorly. When I glanced at them a couple of hours later, they already looked better. Some daylily seedlings popped up. Really, resilient plants! No watering!  Back at home, I started to collect pods. The ripening beginns. I am really thrilled to see that many of my crosses worked.