Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener : How to Create Unique Vegetables and Flowers

It’s the holy grail of gardening: a plant that perfectly matches your tastes and the conditions in your garden. The hitch? You’re not likely to find it at your local garden center. You’re going to have to create it yourself. But don’t worry—it isn’t hard. After all, gardeners have been doing it for centuries, simply by saving seeds of the varieties that tasted or performed best. But you’ll get even better results by following the advice in Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener . You’ll learn how to set achievable goals in your breeding program; the ins and outs of genetics; how to pick the best parent plants; how to cross-pollinate; the best techniques to use for popular vegetables and flowers; and how to harvest and store seeds. In no time at all, you’ll be producing a tomato perfect for your palette, a pepper with just the right amount of heat, or a more fragrant rose! It's the holy grail of gardening: a plant that perfectly matches your tastes and the conditions in your garden. The hitch is, you're not likely to find it at your local nursery or garden center. You're going to have to create it yourself. But don't worry - it isn't hard. After all, gardeners have been doing it for centuries, simply by saving seed of the varieties that tasted or performed best. But you'll get even better results by following the advice in Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener. You'll learn how to set achievable goals in your breeding program; the ins and outs of genetics (in non-technical language!); how to pick the best parent plants; how to cross-pollinate; the best techniques to use for popular vegetables and flowers; and how to harvest and store seed. In no time at all, you'll be producing a tastier tomato, a perkier pepper, or a more ravishing rose!--COVER It’s the holy grail of gardening: a plant that perfectly matches your tastes and the conditions in your garden. The hitch? You’re not likely to find it at your local garden center. You’re going to have to create it yourself.But don’t worry—it isn’t hard. After all, gardeners have been doing it for centuries, simply by saving seeds of the varieties that tasted or performed best. But you’ll get even better results by following the advice in __Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener__. You’ll learn how to set achievable goals in your breeding program; the ins and outs of genetics; how to pick the best parent plants; how to cross-pollinate; the best techniques to use for popular vegetables and flowers; and how to harvest and store seeds.In no time at all, you’ll be producing a tomato perfect for your palette, a pepper with just the right amount of heat, or a more fragrant rose! Brighter zinnias, fragrant carnations, snappier green beansPlant Breeding for the Home Gardener makes it easier than ever to breed and grow your own varieties of vegetables and flowers. This comprehensive and accessible guide explains how to decide what to breed, provides simple explanations on how to cross plants, and features a basic primer on genetics and advanced techniques. Case studies provide breeding examples for favorite plants like daffodils, hollyhocks, roses, sweet corn, and tomatoes. From teosinte to sh2: A brief history of plant breeding The blank canvas: Making breeding goals The birds, the bees, and the tweezers: How to make a cross Genetics made easy and why it matters Evaluating and selecting your favorites Beyond the backyard: Advanced techniques For example: How to breed select flowers and vegetables. All the aspiring amateur plant breeder needs to know on how to create their own unique hybrid vegetables and ornamentals.