Cheerleading Reblooming Iris Hybridizing: Zone 6

by Betty Wilkerson

It's winter.  Time for me to grab the pom poms and start cheering for irises and reblooming irises in particular. I tend to think of myself as the number one cheerleader for raising and breeding rebloomers for the colder zones!  Many of the things that rebloom freely in Australia and the west coast of the US of A, will not rebloom in my zone 6 garden.  I've tested many throughout the years.

Once again I will attempt to encourage and support young people to join the small group of people working toward better rebloomers and better acceptance of rebloomers in the colder zones .  Why not grow irises that provide a second, and sometimes more, round of blooms?

After some 31 years of trial and error and lots of research, here is what I propose might be the best avenue to pursue in a breeding program.  Since most, if not all, of the plant habits come from the pod parent, it is important to start a program with a healthy plant that is disease resistant with good branching and required bud count.  Use strong rebloomers with good form, like 'Lunar Whitewash,' 'Gate of Heaven,' and Wilkerson seedling # 2130-01Re, as the pollen parent.  It is thought this is the best way to pass on form while having a good chance of rebloom.

'Lunar Whitewash' (Innerst 2003)

'Lunar Whitewash' and a seedling (Innerst 2003)

'Gate of Heaven' (2004)

2130-01Re (Wilkerson seedling)

Some of my best parents for rebloom have been seedlings 2130-01Re and 2025-01Re and also 'Star Gate' and 'All Revved Up.'  

2025-01Re (Wilkerson seedling)

'Star Gate' clump (Wilkerson 2004)

'Star Gate' (Wilkerson 2004)

'All Revved Up' clump (Wilkerson 2007)

'All Revved Up'  (Wilkerson 2007)

Some irises with the strongest rebloom characteristics, like 'Over and Over' and 'Immortality' have a more tailored form. The solution to this problem is to use the irises with good form as the pollen parents, as stated above, while using the more tailored ones as the pod parent.  It's also fun and educational to do reverse crosses, or do the cross both ways.   'Over and Over' can give good form, too, if used with a more modern formed rebloomer.  I've a spot that 'Immortality' likes and I'm happy to have blooms each fall.

We would like to see more advancements within the rebloom group, by bringing them closer to the wonders of the more modern oncers.  It's a tough goal, but we need it to be done.  Just make sure your seedlings are an advancement of the rebloomer in your garden.  Keep the parents in your garden and compare yours to the best currently available that perform in your garden. I stress "in your garden" because only you have your growing conditions.

'Over and Over' (Innerst 2001 )

'Immortality' with Dahlias (Zurbrigg 1982 )

'Immortality' (Zurbrigg 1982)

Another reminder.  Rebloomers are going to be judged as garden irises, the same as the Dyke's Medal contenders. It will be rare that an early blooming rebloomer will make a show bench other than in the fall shows.  Typically we only have three fall shows: one in Region 4, one in California, and another in Georgia.  None in region 7.

If you choose not to work with rebloomers, at least make some regular crosses. One or two rows of seedlings across the back of your regular iris planting.  Some of the best irises have come from a small backyard.  You never know when something great may show up. 

In summary, I'd like to urge all people to remember the plant first and then their special interests.  It's really difficult, and frustrating, to bring plant health, branching and bud count back to your lines, so use a quality plant as the pod parent.  Some feel that rebloom counts as more or extra bloom. Personally, I think it's good to get a decent bloom count in both the spring and fall.  Will I hold back an otherwise good introduction due to slightly lower bud count?  No.  

Winter is a good time for research.   Read everything you can find about iris and rebloomers.  We need help!

2016 Summer Rebloom in KY, Zone 6

by Betty Wilkerson

In my zone 6, Kentucky garden, summer rebloom is anything that blooms between the end of spring (approximately the third week in May) until the beginning of cycle rebloom in the fall (approximately September 15).  My last post discussed the late stalks, which I consider to be rebloom.  Now, on to the full summer bloom.  

The very first summer stalk I found was on 'Artistic Showoff.'  It is a sibling to 'Echo Location' and usually starts rebloom late, some six weeks after the spring bloom is over.  This year an established planting is also producing stalks later in the summer.  

'Artistic Showoff'' (Wilkerson 2013) 

After sending up a late beautiful stalk with over 11 buds, 1907-10Re has four more stalks. Unfortunately the last two, blooming in the extreme heat of July, have heat stunted stalks.  The stalks do not reach full height and the blooms are stacked on top of each other.  

1907-10Re (Wilkerson seedling) 

 'Summer Honey' has won "best specimen" in a fall show in Virginia.  The exhibitor was Mike Lockatell.  It has two stalks on one clump this summer.  One row was used and the other row is a bit under grown as the adjoining field imposed upon the plants.  It is usually well branched.  The first stalk was hit with a strong thunderstorm so the first couple of blooms were a bit mauled.  I am lining out the rest in hopes of more stalks next summer.  

'Summer Honey' (Wilkerson 2013)

'Over and Over' is really dependable in my garden when it comes to rebloom.  It's been in three different beds over the course of nine years and has rebloomed in all three locations. It has very clear and clean white standards and falls with a trace of blue/lavender along the edges.  Currently, a new clump transplanted in the fall of 2015 has two blooming stalks.  In the fall it is a very good foil for my own 'Star Gate', so I try to keep them planted together.  

  

  

'Over and Over' (Innerst 2003)

There was another stalk on 2611-04Re.  This is a total of eight stalks in approximately ten months, two stalks in the fall of 2015, four in the spring of 2016, one late stalk right after spring bloom ended and another in the early summer.  Another sibling, 2611-06, is showing color and should be open in a couple of days.  It appears to be much like 04Re.  

2611-04Re (Wilkerson seedling)

We've had a hot summer, but it's also been wet.  There have been about three weeks in which the night time temperatures have not been below 70 degrees.  This may have an effect on the fall rebloom.  If night temperatures are as important as we've come to believe, there may only be late fall rebloom, which can be frozen back unless the freezing temperatures hold off.  

My primary goal is to have rebloom before the late fall hard freeze.  Although I'm not really crazy about having blooms open in extremely hot weather, I can see cutting some stalks to bloom indoors.

Inside or outside, I've found my garden to be a wonderful place this year. Hope you have all enjoyed your gardens, too! 

Children of 'Over and Over'- Pt 1 -Breeding Rebloom Iris zone 6 KY

by Betty Wilkerson

In the world of iris hybridizers we often hear "you can't do that!" Gather information, learn all you can about the possible results, and forge ahead.  Even though some say "it can't be done," don't let them deter you from following your iris dreams.  Two beautiful parents may not produce exactly what you visualized, but you will make progress, and most important, you will learn.  One of the most important things you will learn is the type of children your parents will produce.   Whatever your goal may be, stay focused, stay aware of other advancements, and keep making those crosses. You can't plant them if you don't cross them!

Over the past 10 years 'Over and Over' is the strongest rebloomer here in my zone 6 garden.  I've asked several people if they were working with it.  Most replied that the iris was too plain or old looking.  I thought I'd encourage some, maybe, by showing some of the children I'm getting by using 'Over and Over' as the pollen parent.

'Over and Over' (Innerst 2001) (pollen parent)

2130-01re (Wilkerson seedling) 

The pod parent of 2130-01Re is a seedling from 'Again and Again' X 'Echo Location.' 'Again and Again,' and has some plicata in the parentage, while 'Echo Location' is from two plicatas.  I did expect plicata seedlings, and there were three.  Two rebloomed, but didn't add anything new to the vast group of purple plicata rebloomers or my knowledge of their genetic makeup. There were several interesting things in pale yellow with lavender splashes and streaks. The seedling above (01Re) was saved because the maiden bloom was a deep plum colored self. The next year it bloomed in August, but the color was more pale. The following year it settled into the above pattern and color.

2612-01re (Wilkerson seedling)

This seedling, 2612-01Re, has a bit more modern look than 'Over and Over.' Since this was maiden bloom, it will be years before the final determinations are made. By then I plan, and hope, to have many more seedlings blooming from this cross and others like it. On first glance it appears the seedling has better form than either parent.  Not all will be good enough for the world to see, but things are definitely looking up.

This is not enough to make any big declarations, but I suspect there will be more to come.  I'd like to branch out into other colors, as this is not my favorite.  Stay tuned.  Next, I'll try "Over and Over" as the pod parent.

If you have questions or comments, please add them below.

Reblooming Iris Program in Zone 6: "But That's Too Old!"

by Betty Wilkerson

Over the past thirty years, I've grown most of the irises reported to rebloom, and used many of them in breeding. I've produced and grown many iris seedlings that I thought would rebloom, but most have not.  Over the past ten years, as I've tried to encourage others to breed rebloomers, I've often suggested certain strong rebloomers. Ninety percent of the time or more, I'm answered with, "That's to old." or "That's to plain." Of course, they are right, but if we want rebloom, it seems this is the path we must take in zone 6. Most of the rebloomers, introduced in the past thirty years, either don't ever rebloom in my garden, or miss most years. In order to breed rebloomers you may want to use some of the older and more tailored rebloomers.  

My advice would be to grow a handful of strong rebloomers, and experiment with the crosses.  Grow some known rebloomers that are strong in the type of rebloom you want to produce, even fall rebloom if that makes you happy.  Add a few good color genes if you can, but know that the closer you stay to strong rebloom, the more rebloom you are likely to get in your seedlings. Mainly, be happy with your crosses, otherwise there is no point.
  

'Blatant' (Byer's 1990)

'All Revved Up' (Wilkerson 2007) 

Several years ago, John Van Hook visited my garden on a regular basis, and he often urged me to use 'Blatant' as a reblooming parent. Like everyone else, I didn't want to use it because it was "older & plainer." Eventually, I put pollen from 'All Revved Up' (Wilkerson 2007) onto 'Blatant' (Byer's 1990).  I lined them out, fertilized well, and watered on a regular basis.  The cross is approximately 75% plicata so I got plicatas, selfs, saturated variegatas, one white with yellow standard rims and fall rims, and one white glaciata.  A total of 13 rebloomed, including the glaciata.  

'Cool Character' (Wilkerson 2013)

1907-10Re (sibling to 'Cool Character'

1910-10Re (sibling to 'Cool Character.') 

Another rebloomer that I've been reluctant to tell people to use in breeding is 'Violet Returns' by Earl Hall. It's a half sibling to 'Feed Back.' It's both older looking and more tailored, but it produced one of my best reblooming seedlings, 1625-01Re.  'Star Gate' is the pod parent and my 'Violet Returns' X 'Breakers' child is the pollen parent.  Again, it's plainer and shorter than desired.  

2006-01Re is from ('Chinese New Year' x 'Theme Master') X 1625-01Re.  All this one really needs is a touch more form.  It has great height and branching which I attribute to 'Chinese New Year.'  

2006-01Re seedling

2008-01Re Wilkerson seedling

Another child of 1625-01Re is just above, 2008-01Re.  It's not particularly modern, but did rebloom a lot. Yes, it is hard to get modern form when using these more tailored varieties, but this is where the reblooms seems to reside.  Also, rebloom passes most easily when working with plicatas.  I've had really good luck with 'Earl of Essex,' and 'Over and Over.'  'Earl of Essex' is good for working with fall/cycle rebloomers, while I expect 'Over and Over' to work better when working for summer/whenever rebloomers.  More work with 'Over and Over' is in the future.

I've recommended 'Over and Over,' since it's one of the strongest rebloomers I've grown. Most people say they don't want to use it.  Few say it's because it's too plain, but don't offer other reasons.

'Over and Over' (Innerst 2001)

The picture above is not one of the best pictures, but does show some of it's potential faults. It would probably be best to make the cross both ways, just to satisfy your own curiosity as to which way is best.  If you have better pictures of 'Over and Over,' and you are willing to let me use them in my blogs, please send them to me at bridgeintime@aol.com, with permission to use.  

Keep in mind that my reports are from work in my own garden in south central Kentucky.  I'm on a ridge, above a creek. The garden was a former pasture. Your results may be different than mine.   

Breeding Reblooming Irises: An Eye to the Future-1

by Betty Wilkerson

Zone 6, KY

Crosses in 2013

My labor of love is to create unique reblooming irises for cold climates, but nothing is reblooming in my garden right now, so I thought I'd take you into the reblooming fantasy garden of my mind.  How can I do that?  By showing you irises I have hybridized that have reblooming genes that I intend to cross again to get reblooming irises in a wider variety of colors.  

A few years ago, Australian hybridizer Barry Blyth recommended that hybridizers take pictures of the parent flowers as they make crosses.  Such a brilliant idea that I should have thought of it myself! (insert smiley face)  So now I carry a digital camera in my hybridizing bag, along with notebook, pen and hybridizing tags. The trick is to remember to take the pictures when I make the cross!  So the photos below are my field pictures, part of the documentation of the painstaking and lenghty hybridizing process of producing better flowers for your garden.

People say they are tired of the "default" rebloom colors of yellow, white, and purple.  These are basically the result of dominant genes.  Other colors and some patterns require the use of recessive genes.  Over the past ten years, I've worked to fold in patterns and colors that did not exist in older cold climate rebloomers.  Recessive genes are required for the tangerine factor.  This is how we get pink, orange, yellow with a red beard or white with a red beard.  Certain patterns, like the Emma Cook pattern, are recessive.  Plicata is even recessive to selfs or single colored irises.  For the past ten years I've been working hard to fold these recessives into my seedlings.

This year, I'm crossing back for rebloom.  It's going to be difficult since the summer rebloom genes appear to be among the most rare!  I've crossed my reblooming irises and seedlings (irises that have not been registered or introduced) onto each other, and to a few seedlings with half rebloom genes that refuse to rebloom for me, in an attempt to achieve this goal.  

One such cross is, well, YELLOW.   Although I'm not crazy about all yellow irises, I'm fond of most of these 'Summer Radiance' children, due to their improved form and  their intense colors.  This 2013 cross will be used to get a nicely formed and vivid rebloomer.

                                                                       

1802-01P (Wilkerson Seedling) 

2151-01 Wilkerson Seedling

Once again, 'Summer Radiance' was outstanding, and its pollen was very fertile and it took on several things.  From the rebloom perspective, there is a lot of potential in these new seed pods!  

'Summer Radiance' clump (Wilkerson 1996)  

I have a number of seedlings I call "The Kitchen Sink Kids" because they have so many different genes in them that come from a reblooming iris numbered 1810.  ( 1605-01:9415-1Re((('Victoria Falls' x 'Vanity') x 'Immortality') x ('Latest Style' x 'Glistening Icicle'))) x ('Feedback' x 'Champagne Elegance') X 'Light Rebuff.' for those of you who must know.)   It seemed like a good idea to hit them with a bunch of rebloomers.  There were several good takes on 1810-15Re below,  the best rebloomer, and one take on 1810-01Re.  There were over twenty rebloomers, some summer and some fall,  from this cross.  Sadly, none met my requirements for introduction.  Here are two of the parents from 1810 I am using to get better form and color in rebloom.

1810-15Re (Wilkerson Seedling) 

                                                                  

1810-01Re (Wilkerson Seedling)  

Pollen from ‘Summer Radiance,’ a known parent of rebloomers, took on 1810-01Re.   I have several more to share with you on my next post, so stay tuned!  

I'm finding 'Renown' to be a good parent for plant qualities, but unfortunately, none of its children have rebloomed.  Pollen from seedling #2310-02 ('Decadence' X 'Renown,') ‘About Tomorrow,’ and ‘Returning Chameleon’ took on 1810-15re, which is exciting, because 1810-15-re often blooms all summer and into fall.  'About Tomorrow' is from 'Treasured' x 'Renown' and gives beautiful and diverse children.  I just can't wait to see these babies.  

                                                                 

2310-02 (Wilkerson Seedling) 

                                                                   

'About Tomorrow' (Wilkerson 2013)

  

'About Tomorrow' Top View (Wilkerson 2013) 

                                                                       

'Returning Chameleon' (Wilkerson 1995) 

Even though it was a bad year for hybridizing,  I was able to get a dozen good reblooming crosses for the future.  For the next step, I stripped blooms from the large plantings of my strongest rebloomers, 'Returning Chameleon', 'Summer Radiance,' 'Echo Location,' 'All Revved Up' and 'Star Gate' and carried them from bed to bed looking for good mates.  More about these later!

I also used a number of seedlings that are rebloomers, but haven’t met my criteria for introduction.   But hope springs eternal in the world of reblooming iris creation.  Wish me luck! 

Do you have any questions about how your lovely rebloomers are created?  Leave your questions and comments below and I will do my best to answer.