GSTQXSS_09_01
GSTQXSS_09_02
GSTQXSS_09_03

Where the seedling was planted out in 2009.

If I select a seedling, it gets a number that starts out with the last digit of the year and then a three digit number representing its order of selection. So the first seedling selected in 2009 would be number 9001. If 9001 has any full sibs, I give them 9001A, B and so forth. Record all pertinent data for this seedling number at this time so you can compare it to subsequent years.

That's how I do it.
Ed

09/1
09/2
09/3

and so on I keep a log of the crosses with the number. I plant in rows and there is a tag at the beginning of each cross in the row, when you get to the next tag, it is another cross.

When I select a seedling or use it for hybridizing later I add a letter to indicate the specific plant from the cross and it gets a marker of it's own:

09/1a

I label seedling photos with the same number of course.

Ex: 09-123a, 09-123b, etc. and when transplanted outdoors, they are planted in a row.

Nancy

I don't think I can evaluate fully in 2010 so it won't be till 2011 before I will give the keepers a definite number, SS X WI 09 1A, SS X WI 09 1B, etc and mark my spreadsheets. I'm afraid I may not have the guts to throw away a daylily.

I'm not limited by space but for others they may need to cull and label each one sooner.

Julia

Because I'm new and want to learn how the plants breed and where my processes need improvement, I keep track of each seedling but don't give them individual numbers until they bloom.

So my system looks like this
I assign a number to each cross as I process the seeds for germination:
2009-001
2009-002 and so on.

On the labels in the garden I put the cross number at the top and then an abbreviation for the cross along with a d or t for ploidy. Because I'm putting them in my landscape I don't always plant in rows but always in blocks with obvious boundaries and a marker for each block.

I create a slide deck that has photos of both parents along with the cross number. Sometimes I put notes in it for what I think might happen from the cross. As the seedlings bloom I create another slide for each cross with photos of the resulting seedlings.

It takes several years in this climate before knowing what to cull so as the seedlings bloom I label each one using a plastic knife. I write the full cross and then add a dash & seedling number after it so it looks like 2009-001-001, 2009-001-002, etc. I just write it on with a sharpie, then stick the knife in the ground with the seedling.

I will photograph each seedling several times during the season and following each flower shot I photograph the knife marker with the seedling number so I can keep the photos straight.

I also track every seedling of each cross in a spreadsheet so that I can see which die due to something I can control & which are culled for being just plain ugly.

Eventually I'll feel more comfortable with knowing how different plants breed and will drop this level of detail. It becomes very cumbersome when you are dealing with large volumes of seedlings.

It also costs more in label supplies the more information you track on tags.