It's frustrating to see a seedling grow and increase well, then have all
those fans bloom without any subsequent increase. It's something a see a
lot. Here's one. The seedling put on five increases, then the seedling fan
and all those increases bloomed. No increase. I dug them out today and
they are all solid. No sign of rot, dry rot, pithiness - and not a hint of
any 'eyes' to make new increase. You'd think a seedling that had the
genetic code to put on that many increases to begin with would follow
through with more increases. Not so all too often. I've wondered if this
isn't similar to balding, but am not at all sure it's the same thing since
it seems to only occur in seedlings. In this case, as I often am, I'm
disappointed. The cross was Heart Stealer X (Childsong x Zerzura) - or
Heart Stealer X Feeling Sorta Blue since Elm Jensen registered the pollen
parent. It had a sibling I considered the best new seedling of a good crowd
this year for many reasons, but I actually liked the colors better on this
one (2nd photo). Sort of iris as an annual, I guess. But they aren't
supposed to be annuals. There are several more out in the patch that are
probably going be just like it. The shovel did its part after bloom,
attrition is adding to the thinning out among others. That's just the way
it works. It's just the attrition falls where I'd prefer it didn't all too
often.

Any ideas on provoking those rhizomes into putting on some increase?

Donald Eaves
d*@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7b, USA