We've been responding to a previous thread regarding plant size we prefer when purchasing. Those that have preference for compots, have made comments regarding culling. So here's my question - Do you cull plants before blooming? If so, what makes you keep a plant? Obviously is easier to cull once they've bloomed, can you pick out a winner before that?

You can in a way by looking at the leaves to tell what colour they will be. Dark undersides for more pigment in the blooms. For some complex hybrids shorter wide leaves are better than long narrow ones because they will give larger blooms. Perhaps in you have a primary cross and you want desired characteristic of a certain species parent you can look for the leaves that resemble the desired parent. Leaves can determine other things too. Leaves can be misleading sometimes too. I'm not expert yet though because I haven't gotten a compot yet for culling.
I am sure mail order nurseries do sell us their leaf culls unfortunately, but sometimes the leaves mislead and we get something good.

I asked this once a ways back being concerned that the slower growing and otherwise first cut could turn out to be the alba telapathic mutants!! (or other rare resesive traits worth keeping).

But most of the responses were along the lines that the better growing plants were generally going to have the superior flowers.:confused:

Since I haven't grown a compot out to flowering yet I couldn't tell you either, but I'm interested.