RE: gypsum (iris nutritional requirements)

The Santa Rosa Iris (and eating) Society did a scientific study of the entire question of fertilizing irises. They even developed their own fertilizer blend. The Region 14 Bulletin had a least one intermediate report of the results to that point. (Sorry I don't know the issue and my files are not organized so that I can find it in a reasonable time frame.) The study is now considered complete but very unfortunately the principle person involved died recently and before the final results were written up. I suspect some outside interest might persuade someone else to prepare the final report. (This was a round-about way of  saying I don't have a good answer to the question of the best way to provide calcium and sulfur.)
 
I do know that limestone is a good source of soluble calcium. There are foliar fertilizer formulations that contain calcium. The  commercial 15-15-15 fertilizer sold at the local fruit growers association has 10% sulfur. I fertilized my entire iris planting this year with the15-15-15-10 and the plants never looked nicer. I had a smidgen of rot but it was very tolerable since the weather was dry and the problem went away on its own.
 
Harold Peters
Beautiful View Iris Garden
2048 Hickok Road
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
h*@directcon.net  www.beautiful-view-iris.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Kitty [mailto:kitty@ojai.net]
Sent: Monday, June 14, 2004 11:59 AM
To: iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [iris-photos] gypsum (iris nutritional requirements)

What is the best way to replace calcium and sulfur?
On Jun 14, 2004, at 11:44 AM, Chuck B wrote:

Harold,
Your recent comment that iris are heavy calcium and sulfur feeders is new and interesting information for me.  I use gypsum for my clay soil as you do.  I knew that it didn't have an effect on soil pH, but what I didn't know was the low solubility and, thus, availability to the plants.  Thinking back I realize that it does not dissolve well in rain, for instance.  I had heard that calcium was beneficial to iris, but nothing about sulfur.  I would like very much to get more information on nutritional requirements for iris.
thanks,
Chuck Bunnell
Lafayette, IN
Region 6 
Zone 5a-5b
 
P.S.  I'm sending this thread to the Iris Talk forum too.
----- Original Message -----
From: Harold Peters
To: iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Sent:Monday, June 14, 2004 7:48 AM
Subject:RE: [iris-photos] gypsum

Irises are heavy feeders including both calcium and sulfur. Plant nutrients have to be dissolved in water for the plant to be able to adsorb the nutrient. Since gypsum (calcium sulfate) has a very low solubility, neither the calcium nor the sulfate are readily available to the plant. The low solubility also means gypsum has a very minor effect on pH. The gypsum package gives the application rate for loosening the clay. The rate  is high enough that the ground is white before tilling it in.
 
Harold Peters
Beautiful View Iris Garden
2048 Hickok Road
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
harold@directcon.net  www.beautiful-view-iris.com
-----Original Message-----
From:Sandra [mailto:bardraj2003@yahoo.ca]
Sent:Sunday, June 13, 2004 10:47 PM
To:iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Subject:Re: [iris-photos] gypsum

Oh, and I was blaming it for the poor growth in that bed the first year.  I though I had put too much.  What
about the sulfate part could that have any bearing ?
 
Sandra
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Harold Peters
To: iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Sent:Sunday, June 13, 2004 9:38 PM
Subject:[iris-photos] gypsum

My understanding of gypsum is that it is good for loosening clay soil but of minimal value as a source of calcium because of its very low solubility. I have clay so use gypsum routinely when rototilling beds.
 
Harold Peters
Beautiful View Iris Garden
2048 Hickok Road
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762
harold@directcon.net www.beautiful-view-iris.com
-----Original Message-----
From:Sandra [mailto:bardraj2003@yahoo.ca]
Sent:Sunday, June 13, 2004 10:22 PM
To:iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Subject:Re: [iris-photos] RE: IB Agatha Christie (gypsum)

That's what I had added to the soil, too - gypsum, several years ago.  Hmmm, perhaps an experiment is in
order.
 
Sandra
----- Original Message -----
From: Chuck B
To: iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Sent:Sunday, June 13, 2004 5:59 PM
Subject:Re: [iris-photos] RE: IB Agatha Christie

Sandra, Sharon, et al.,
Agatha looks more like Sandra's version.  In fact, that's exactly the way I remeber it colorwise.  That grew in pretty good soil which may have had some gysum (calcium sulfate) added several years ago, but I can't really say that the soil was calcium rich.  Don't know.
Chuck Bunnell
Lafayette, IN
Region 6 
Zone 5a-5b
----- Original Message -----
From: slengst@aol.com
To: iris-photos@yahoogroups.com
Sent:Friday, June 11, 2004 12:04 AM
Subject:[iris-photos] RE: IB Agatha Christie

Sandra,  et al
 
Attached is a combo of my Agatha Christie, top left and yours, bottom right.  There really is a difference, probably soil conditions.
 
Sharon



 








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