[neilep (OP)]

"I spent two years cross breeding Lilies in a lab setting.." says Karen Mam in another thread.

Karen, I found this really interesting...Could you elaborate on what you did ?..

[Karen W.]

Your so silly!.. lol I worked at a flower farm for 4 years in a lab. We crossbred many lilies using Tissue Culture methods and Medium to grow the new starts. I would spend several hours in a refridgerator extracting the lovely juice from the stamens with a hypodermic needle and collecting many of them for use in the lab. At the time we were looking and working on A Lilly called the stargazer. It turned out to be a beautiful white and pink Lilly that is extremely fragrant. It took a lot of crossing getting to the point where My boss was happy with results. We took small pieces of one bulb and introduced them to the juices of the other Lilly and we worked with them under ultra violet lights in booths, in very sterile conditions, surgical clean. The pieces were placed in this gelatin medium and the jars laid on their side where we then cut pieces of the newly pollinated tissue into the medium to grow. We had two large rooms full of these bulbs in various stages for growth. Then at a certain stage I would then move them to the greenhouses and transplant them and watch them and nurse them for about 4 weeks. Then the greenhouse crew would take over the transplants until they bloomed. when they bloomed again I would enter the greenhouse Daile in the morning and collect all their juicy bits for new starts.. It was an interesting job... My boss was an excellent horticulturist ... I loved that job too.. I must say the refridgerator and I did not like each other as I had to be sterile, so could not wear bulky mittens or gloves. My extremities hated the cold!!! Come close to frost bite a couple times. had to come out often and run hot water over hands to get feeling back!! The flowers were beautiful. I don't know how they do it these days as that was 26 or 27 years ago!

[moonfire]

I would've loved doing that...despite the blaring conditions....very fascinating...did you deal with other types of lilies and crossbred them too?  LOL 

[Karen W.]

MANY different varieties! I did it for a long time . It was very interesting. I wish I could remember what they used in the medium for growing, we called it Auger! It was a gelatin like substance my boss would mix and pour into the french square jars and Test tubes and allow to set up! We Would work under a hooded Ultra violet light with special rubber gloves and were constantly having to refresh sanitize and sterilize the gloves if air got in on the gloves.. They were highly sensitive to germs.. as would a fetus be at  that stage!!..Yes we crossbred many many many lilies that are on the market today... Before I left a company from Holland had taken over and expanded the place is huge now.. You might find it on line..Sun Valley floral farms.. Pretty amazing setup these days. Things automated and such! Really amazing technology being applied..

AT the time I was there we also grew Daffodils Irises and status.. They do much more these days .. I worked in the fields picking for a year and then moved into the lab as it was a wonderful learning experience and I loved it! I was also head test tube and french square washer!! LOL LOL! I also sterilized the lab and did all of shut down procedures saying goodnight and bedding down the little starts, insuring no germs enter their realm of air!! LOL.. Of course I am exaggerating a smudge, but not much!! They were pretty precious cargo at the time and Top Secret to boot!! They were having trouble with someone trying steel the cross pollinated lilies and claim world renown fame for the Stargazer we worked our tail off on producing!! LOL Flower espionage! How about that!

[neilep (OP)]

MAM...

Ewe is  scientist !!...yes ewe is !!

This in itself is accolade enough that you enjoyed the rank of Head test tube and french square washer!!..me is impressed !

Ewe said it was all top Secret too.

Were you cross breeding Lillie's with spies ?...training daffodils in counter surveillance ?

Seriously....It really sounds like it was fun to do...did ewe just get bored with the subject ?..it did not spark your interest to further a career in Botany  ?

THANK EWE KAREN MAM

[Karen W.]

Frankly I quit when I was 7 months pregnant, I was carring five ft long two ft wide boxes of glass french squares filled with meduim up a flight of stairs. They weighed about 100lbs each with no hand rail on the stairs!The boxes were extremely heavy and awkward. The doctor said NO MORE lifting so I quit.. Wanted my baby safe.. Other then that the job was great!! Very interesting indeed! Steeling patents on flowers seemed to be a big deal back then.. they even had our lab tucked away in an old barn, and it was a bit weird to say the least. Not a single window in the place, dark, damp and cold!! The lab, however, was warm, bright and cozy!! YAYYYYYYY!

Cross breeding lillies, and hidden from spies, patent theives if you will!! LOL It was fun...

[Karen W.]

 I also have the brownest thumb on the planet! I have one plant in my house in the bathroom this is it's 2nd year of life hanging on by a thread as I seem to forget to water him and then sometimes I remember and someone else remembers too and we almost drown him Poor poor tropical PLant.. Needs much love and someone with a green thumb unlike me! If it grows out side without my assistance it will live and be my friend!! I do love roses but they need more love too!

[Karen W.]

MAM...

Ewe is  scientist !!...yes ewe is !!

This in itself is accolade enough that you enjoyed the rank of Head test tube and french square washer!!..me is impressed !Ewe said it was all top Secret too.

Were you cross breeding Lillie's with spies ?...training daffodils in counter surveillance ?

Seriously....It really sounds like it was fun to do...did ewe just get bored with the subject ?..it did not spark your interest to further a career in Botany  ?

THANK EWE KAREN MAM

Those test tubes and french squares had to be washed by hand three times after all the auger was dumped out of them. Then they were put through a high temp dishwasher then into a autoclave, ( a container for sterilizing, cooking, etc. by super heated steam under pressure ) which finished the process before they went upstairs.. It was a long process, but I did it and combined with everything else was quite interesting.. I spent alot of time with my trusted radio listening to cool tunes!!

[neilep (OP)]

Didn't they not have things like ' maternity leave ' in them days...?..did you never wish to return to work doing that ?

THANK YOU for your answers karen mam

[Karen W.]

Yes I did, But There were no policys in place at the time for maternity leave and unemployment at the time said if I quit no unenjoyment either.. And I was prepared to stay home and raise a family at that point! Was not me husbands cup of tea.. But it was mine.. I did Like the work, was very interesting... but as I say I don't have a green thumb!