Mike Berrigan pointed out that 25 years ago the A. D. S. Approved List of Miniatures had about 75 names on it. Of those 75 names roughly 15 were scarce as hen’s teeth; either extinct or nearly so. That list was short enough that many daffodil enthusiasts pursued the Miniature flowers on the list with almost religious fervor. It was a real challenge for ANY exhibitor to assemble enough of a a collection to enter a Watrous (12 Miniature cultivars from at least 3 Divisions) as an example.
Cursory show results analysis leads me to believe that some exhibitors now seem to load up one year on the mass market type of commonly available Miniature cultivars, enter a Watrous, and seem to fade away from entering Miniatures. This tactic simply was not possible in the past. I guess that it is a good thing that more Miniature cultivars are available than ever before at low, popular prices. This may expose even more people to the true joys of Miniature Daffodils. However, that joy can easily turn to disenchantment if the cultivars do not grow and perform as well as their Standard counterparts.
As of the Fall of 2012 there are 209 names on the Miniatures list. My sense of the matter is that the current list of 209 will easily increase to above 300 names over the next decade plus or minus. Far too many for most exhibitors to acquire and grow in terms of expense, physical space, and time. Far too many for the limited market. Far too many that have been grown for a short time period and then named. Simply put, Far Too Many!
My response to this explosion of new Miniatures has been just the opposite from that which I see in the overall market. I have pulled back on their Naming and Introduction. I have greatly extended the length of the most necessary evaluation period. My hope (probably very naive and idealistic) is that those that I do choose to Name and Introduce will be really, really good and recognized as such. Quality remains after all else has faded.
Steve
Steve,
I concur with your summary of the miniature situation. When I my interest in miniatures began we mostly showed species and the well performing Grey hybrids. Because there was great opposition to miniatures in the show schedule few people hybridised in this section. Indeed the major hybridisers of the time mostly limited their breeding to Divisions 1 – 3. Some still cannot see that anything beyond Div 3 belongs in the show schedule. Fortunately for us all there were visionaries who were the exception.
At that time to raise and flower a miniature was an amazing and rare feat. Therefore many miniatures were named and registered because of their size and rarity rather than their quality or durability. The same happened in Div 11. It was only until we were able to cross with superior quality parents did we have splits with perianths equal to those of the other divisions.
Miniatures now have to be good to be named.
David Adams
Hi David,
Thanks so much for your comments. Gratefully received and really appreciated. Further discussion on this topic (posted as new topic due to Search ability) in a similar vein: Miniatures – Too Many List & Too Many Opportunities List
Steve
I agree that we have too many average and short lived miniatures. They certainly need to be evaluated for durability longer, before registering and offering for sale. I certainly disagree that we have far too many miniatures overall. We need new and different types, colors, forms, and better liveability to hybridize with. I feel we are still in the stone age of miniature hybridizing. We need more thinking out of the box hybridizing, more visionary thinkers as Dave mentioned. We can’t wait and depend entirely on commercal growers to achieve this. Their hands are tied somewhat, in that they have to make a profit to stay in business. Hybridizing, growing and selling miniatures at reasonable prices, is probably not a money making venture at the present time. Doing some hybridizing myself, I can understand some of the problems they face. Sure am glad I am not depending on my seedlings for my existence. I would be starving. I have bloomed some really nice things, but I had better enjoy them the first year they might not be around the second or third.
It seems to me we have fewer opportunities to order miniatures from commercial dealers. Only 2 or 3 here in the states, (with very few new offerings) harder and more expensive to import from Europe and downunder. Some growers are not shipping to the US at all now. We all need to step foward,hybridize ourselves and do what we can to improve the overall quality and selections of miniatures. In my opinion there Is LOTS OF IMPROVEMENT TO BE MADE IN ALL DIVISIONS.
Interest has improved greatly the last few years, lets keep it moving foward. There are some visionary hybridizers out there NOW, doing some really great things. Lets keep it going, the future looks great.
Thanks Steve, the other commercial growers and hybridizers everywhere for your work at improving the the miniatures.
Regards,
Larry
Larry,
I agree with you on miniatures that are short lived. I have bought several that has been one year and gone wonders. I will not name them in public like this. However, I wonder if some miniatures need to come with growing instructions to keep them viable.
e.g., I named one of Graham Fleming’s (for Graham) Div 5 miniatures that he gave me the naming rights to as I was the only one that had that strain. For me it grows like a weed, but when I sold it to others it didn’t do very well. I found that the miniature does not like improved daffodil beds, fertilizer, or watering and likes to go “bone” dry during the summer. It likes to grow in unimproved soil (red clay in Maryland and sandy loam in NC) and left alone. For me it multiplies rapidly by bulb division, and sort of reminds me of one of our old cats that just likes to be left alone. I’ve won a number of mini- Rose Ribbons with it and several times it was up for Mini Gold (I naturally being biased thought it should have won).
Maybe miniatures should come with instruction with them as provided by the hybridizer and they may stay around longer.
My thoughts
Clay,
Thanks Larry!
I agree completely. Well said indeed.
Steve
I think Clay’s comment is an important one. If there were a way on Daffseek, for example, to have a section on optimal growing conditions for a cultivar, that would be splendid, and a great contributor to grower satisfaction and success.