Rhododendrons 2016

[Robert]

John,

Heat tolerance, cold tolerance, horizontal disease and insect resistance, etc. are tough nuts to crack. In some cases it is genetically unfeasible. In other case, I am sure that some sort of progress can be made. Very good luck with everything!

Trond,

It is pouring rain still!    When I farmed, I not only maintained my own breeding lines, but I also maintained many seed varieties. I know how to maintain the purity of a seed line (I had to!). If you are not interested in wild seed, I can supply you with seed of R. spinuliferum and an excellent line of R. pubescens. They will not be selfs but controlled crosses of the best types all mixed together. This will give you much more genetic variation than a selfed seed line, while still maintaining the purity of the species.

[Robert]

Rhododendron pubescens at the farm. This is a selection from wild seed, JN988. This selection is 70cm tall x 150 cm wide after 15-16 years. As far as the Rhododendron world is concerned, it is most likely a mediocre specimen. Here in hot, interior California this is very acceptable. It may not smoother itself with flowers, but for our part of California this is a very good blooming performance. Heat tolerance, a relative degree of drought tolerance, and interesting and attractive foliage makes it a winner for us.



The following are some F1 hybrids. Above is a selected F2 inbred line of R. racemosum Forrest 19404 x R. calostrotum 'Gigha'. This is the best selection. Most performed very poorly with our heat. It is still a keeper as a breeder.



This F1 hybrid has performed much better. It is the same selected F2 racemosum dwarf x dendrocharis. The flowers are good, the foliage is okay, and it has acceptable heat tolerance. Once again this is only a breeder with a much more ambitious goal in mind.



This is a hybrid I call 'Rosa's First Kiss', it is a racemosum 'dwarf' (i.e. Forrest 19404 F1) x lutescens 'Bagshot Sands'. It gets somewhat tall, however it is extremely heat tolerant and has a nice color.

All of the above hybrids are male sterile.



This is an advanced generation F2 of 'Rosa's First Kiss'. It is fertile both ways. I have several lines I am proceeding with, hoping I can recover what I am looking for. I have not grown on enough seedlings. 200-300 will be good. Now when I grow on another batch of F2 seedlings I will cram them all together. I am only wanting to select a certain flower color and shape  at this time. Out breeding it with other specific inbred lines will be the next step.

[Robert]

This hybrid is R. racesosum x edgeworthii. So what! This has been around forever, except for in this plant the female parent is the dwarf F2 inbred line of racemosum Foreest 19404. This hybrid was created this way with a very specific intent. In the mean time it is pretty to look at.



This is an advanced generation racemosum dwarf Forrest 19404 F1 X polycladum. The original F1 hybrid is male sterile. The next generation plants are fertile both ways. The above pictured plant is an offspring of the F2's i.e. a F3 plant, and is also fertile both ways. This plant is a success, not because it is a beautiful hybrid, but because some of the theories I have worked out may indeed have some merit. Actually it is not such a terrible plant, 30 cm tall x 45 cm wide after 5 years and very heat tolerant. I am sure it would look a little better if it had not been neglected for the past 3-4 years. Based on its parentage I think it will stay very small. I will keep it around as it may turn out to be a good breeder.

As you can see, I am not producing award winning hybrids. I measure my success in terms of the technical progress I am making.  I guess one of those geeky things that does not attract much interest, however for me it is fun and very rewarding.

[Robert]

Oooppss. Here is a close-up of the above hybrid what what it is worth. 

[Hoy]

Trond,

It is pouring rain still!    When I farmed, I not only maintained my own breeding lines, but I also maintained many seed varieties. I know how to maintain the purity of a seed line (I had to!). If you are not interested in wild seed, I can supply you with seed of R. spinuliferum and an excellent line of R. pubescens. They will not be selfs but controlled crosses of the best types all mixed together. This will give you much more genetic variation than a selfed seed line, while still maintaining the purity of the species.

Robert

Hope it still is raining

I would be very pleased to try your seed! I have plants both of wild collected seed, selected crosses and open pollinated ones (and named varieties of course). Genetic variation is important and especially when I try plants which are less hardy. And I am no purist

Do you still have seed of your breeding lines from your farming days? You should deposit some in the Svalbard Seed Vault 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault

[Hoy]

. . . .
As you can see, I am not producing award winning hybrids. I measure my success in terms of the technical progress I am making.  I guess one of those geeky things that does not attract much interest, however for me it is fun and very rewarding.

Oooppss. Here is a close-up of the above hybrid what what it is worth. 

Very interesting Rober! Seems you have may irons in the fire

[Robert]

Trond,

We had a major wind - rain storm last night. The place is a mess! - both semi-flooded and broken branches everywhere. I will have to check the rain gauge this morning - we had over 50mm yesterday, maybe the same last night. More heavy rain is to arrive tonight. 

I keep all of my seeds (vegetables and others) in a dedicated refrigerator. Most are keep cool and dry, others can be frozen for very long term storage.

Here in the U.S.A. there is considerable controversy concerning the Svalbard Seed Vault. There are a few that believe that the seed storage facility is controlled by U.S. multi-national corporations such as Monsanto for nefarious purposes. Very silly stuff - like trying to convince folks that chickens have lips. It is hard to believe that such a small group can create such a large fuss as they do with no evidence to support their claim. Maybe this can only happen in the U.S.A.            

[johnw]

Nice to see a polyclaum/scintillans hybrid there, likely one that would do very well here. There is virtually no interest in hybridizing with the Lapponica Subsection east of the Rockies aside from here and Newfoundland, largely due to the lack of heat tolerance.  Your hybrid proves they've been missing the boat and should have been using racemosum, jury out I suppose on whether it can take heat & eastern humidity. 

johnw  - sunny & a chilly +4c.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Rhododendron christi.

[Robert]

Ralph,

"Vireya" type Rhododendrons can certainly be spectacular and the fragrance of some can be alluring.

Thank you for sharing.

Here are the first of the Deciduous Azaleas from our Sacramento bungalow.



Earl Sommerville's 'Angle Lace'. This variety has stayed very compact for us, 1 meter at the most. The flowers have a nice fragrance.



Rhododendron austrinum 'Moonbeam'. A tough, extremely heat tolerant species. For us, 'Moonbeam' is always the first of the R. austrinum types to bloom in the spring. On warm days, like today, the fragrance is divine. A tall grower - it is nice to have the room for at least one.



Rhododendron luteum 'Golden Comet'. A nice selection from the Rhododendron Species Foundation. Fragrant and beautiful autumn foliage.

[Robert]

I found the following Western Azaleas growing on a cliff ledge in the canyon of the North Fork of the Feather River. During the summer high temperatures in the canyon can be extreme. Temperatures of 110 F (43 C ) are not unusual. All the selections thrive in our garden. Another unusual feature is that they bloom 2 months before Rhododendron occidentale normally blooms in our area (at the same elevation). All have excellent bright scarlet autumn foliage and are very fragrant.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Very nice, Robert. The sky is very blue, nice to see given our usual grey!

[Hoy]

Robert,
lovely blooming

Although we have had sun and up to 12C the last days it is still some time till the rhodos flower.

[Robert]

Ralph,

Up to the last few days we have had plenty of rainy and overcast weather. We had close to 250 mm of rain in the first half of March. For the most part the flowers got all beat-up by the rain and wind (at times gales). The rain has been a blessing!    For our drought stricken land this is an understatement. Now that it has cleared out for awhile the new flowers are looking great.

Trond,

25 C today! This is the first wave of flowers in the garden. Out in the countryside where there has been no development or grazing the wildflowers are amazing this year. Absolutely stunning!

[Maggi Young]

I need help - I keep looking at these lovely azaleas and sniffing the air in hope!  How I would enjoy that scent if only I could!