Sharon McAllister is a member of the Mesilla Valley Iris Society and a well known Arilbred hybridizer. For the most part, she use enhanced germination techniques for arils, arilbreds, and wide crosses alike. “I start with warm stratification, follow it with cold stratification, then alternate the warm and cold treatments until the seeds germinate. I grow the seedlings under lights over the winter and line them out in early spring when the mature arils and arilbreds have broken their winter dormancy. I’m still experimenting with the temperature and duration of the various cycles, trying to improve my survival rates.”