{Disarmed} RE: Re: Shade for seedlings

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Randall,

> Wish mine looked this sweet. We to are in a drought and I do not
> water but it sure makes it easy to cull the weak they just disappear.

If I don't water seedlings, none will grow here. Those that escape
and come up otherwise will not grow if they survive. Not much else
gets that expensive water, though. Also, I learned the hard way to
make sure they are planted in shade. A couple of years ago, I planted
some seedlings in full sun and they started out great and looked
really good until the summer sun got going. I lost more than half.
They cooked in two at the soil line. Seedlings are just too small to
handle it. Mature plants sometimes lose the battle, but stand a
better chance. This year, the more shade the iris have, the better
they are surviving. It seems the competition for water and food with
the oak roots is preferable to the baking. I'm revising where I think
iris beds should be located as a result.

Donald