If you know the basics (like tets vs. dips), the rest is up to you. If you're doing it just for a fun hobby, pick plants you like that also do well in your area. Certain color combinations tend to be more successful for resulting in clearer colors (you can't go wrong with two daylilies of approximately the same color, for example).

If you're serious about making "advances" or making money on introductions, you'll need to research a bit more into what other hybridizers have done and some of the finer points of genetics.

I've been crossing daylilies for two years now and my first ones are just about to start blooming -- it's a really awesome feeling (kind of like being a kid when it's almost Christmas).

Have fun!

Nate

Definately pick ones that intrigue you. Pay attention to the branching and bud count of the parents. If the parents have low bud count the babies most likely will also. You may get a beautiful flower but only 3 blooms. Disappointing when you have to toss a nice bloom because of preformance.

I had heard "Face of the father, feet of the mother." I'm finding this to be somewhat true. Than sometimes you just get who knows where that came from. lol.

Hybridizing is like Christmas everyday during bloom season. You can't wait to get out of bed and see what has popped open or is getting ready to open.

Have fun with it, and try not to over do it your first year or you will end up with way more seeds than you have room for. lol

Andrea

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'll research more and see what ones I'll purchase. Hopefully ones that I can use for hybridizing.

Janette

You might go to the AHS site, enter "art of hybridizing" in search field and read the article by Oscie Whatley. Should give you some insight beyond the mechanics. Link below.
Ed

Here is a link that might be useful: AHS

Dear Janette,
I just started hybridizing last year. I think it makes sense to look at what plants you currently have and really like, then ask yourself how they could be improved. Then look for new intros that can provide that improvement. Do you love a plant in all ways except that you wish it had better branching? And you'd like it to rebloom? Then find something that is compatible with the color and form of the daylily you love (probably you don't want to cross a spider with a round bagel or a yellow with a pink), something that has great branching and reblooms. Just looking at your list of your top favorite 5 or 10 daylilies and asking yourself what would make them better will help you create a description of the plants you want to buy. Then you have the fun of hunting down those plants!
If you can't afford a 2013 intro, look at the 2010 or 2011 intros. Their prices are lower, but the flowers and plant habit will still be more up to current standards. You want to have fun, of course, but it is very nice to also create something that takes advantage of all the hard work of other hybridizers.

When you find some daylilies you want to try hybridizing with it might be a good idea to check on Tinkers or the AHS website to see if it has any offspring. Some daylilies are much more fertile than others. Sometimes the hybridizers website will give you fertility information too.
Val

Hi everyone. Thanks again for the suggestions. I've placed an order and will be getting a mix of older and newer daylilies...can't afford the newest ones though. Hoping I can cross these next year with the ones I already have.

Janette

You don't need the newest daylilies to have fun and do good things in hybridizing.

For one thing, there is a lot more information available about plants that are 5 or more years old because so many more people have grown them (see the many threads on this board about favorites and disappointments, for starters).

And even if you do buy and cross 2013 intros, the hybridizers are still several generations "ahead" of you because they've been using those plants since the first time they bloomed. The only way to really "catch up" is to create your own lines to work with.

One thing that I've been surprised by is that some of the plants I thought I'd like best when I ordered them seem mediocre and some of the bonuses and freebies I've gotten are really wonderful. And this has greatly influenced which crosses I have decided to try.

Nate