What if? Reblooming Iris Breeding in Zone 6:KY

by Betty Wilkerson

My current goal, for breeding better rebloomers in my garden, is to use a handful of good looking seedlings as pod parents.  Two of my introductions, which I plan to use for this purpose, are 'All About Tranquility' and 'About Tomorrow.'  'All About Tranquility' is 'Chinese New Year' X 'Theme Master.'  The color pattern is one of my favorites and the branching is very good. 'About Tomorrow' also has great form and branching. It is from 'Treasured' x 'Renown.'

'All About Tranquility' (Wilkerson 2011)

 'All About Tranquility' was growing at the UT West Tennessee Research and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee in a bed maintained by JAIS.  Photo shared by Sue Ann Barnes former Region 7 RVP.

'About Tomorrow' (Wilkerson 2011)

Below are some of the seedlings I would like to use with the above pod parents.  Some have been used and others will be if things ever fall into place.  Sometimes Mother Nature steps in and stops your best plans.  Buds are frozen back. Pollen isn't fertile.  Seed rot.  Many things can happen to thwart your plans, but most of the crosses have around a 50 % chance of taking.                                                                                         

'1605-02re' (Wilkerson seedling)

I've used fall or cycle rebloomers with some of the summer rebloomers.  1605-02Re is such a fall rebloomer, and these are the irises represented:  0915-01:(((Victoria Falls x Vanity) x Immortality) x Love Lines) X 1025-03 (Feed Back x Champagne Elegance).

2410 (Wilkerson seedlings) 

'2410'contained several tall seedlings with a variety of colors, white, purple, and bitone blue.  1624-01re ('Sweet Addiction) is ('Star Gate' x ('Bridge In Time' x ('Feed Back' x 'Titan's Glory))) X 2019-05 (Lunar Whitewash x Romantic Evening). Both seedlings used in this cross were white.  

1907-10Re (Wilkerson seedling)  

This seedling is the strongest rebloomer from 1907 ('Blatant' x 'All Revved Up').  This cross produced several rebloomers, two summer bloomed.  'Cool Character' was introduced from this cross.  

Rebloom breeding is more difficult than trying to improve a color or pattern.  On the plus side, you are already dealing with strong, healthy plants.  Always a good thing.

What would you use with these in an attempt to create good rebloom in the inner continental areas?