Often one grower that I buy from sends me big beautiful looking rhizomes that are that seasons new growth, with no increase yet showing. These I can have trouble with, in that some bloom out. My other major supplier has had drought problems. I get smaller rhizomes, with multiple shoots. These establish better and don't bloom out.

Colleen Modra
Mt Pleasant 
South Australia

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As a grower I would want to know when a customer is unhappy! I had one lady in Tennessee express her disappointment withÂa fewÂof the Iris I had sent believing they were on the smallish size. I refunded the money for those varieties she felt were inferior. When possible I will send double fans of those varieties which are smaller than I feel are up to proper size. This year when haven't had any rain to speak of and the rhizomes didn't put on much growth at all. No matter how much we watered it wasn't enough to compensate for the natural rainfall we so dearly missed. Now I do treat my Introductions a little differently since I feel they should be expected to larger and be able to produce a flower the first year for the price which is being paid.Â

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What is the proper size? Eggs are graded by size and priced accordingly. The NW usually will produce a beautiful plant larger than that which is produced in the Mid West or East Coast. This year for the first time the product coming from the NW was smaller due to the tremendous amount of rain they received during the Irises growing stage. Should their product have been priced less because of size? It still was in the ground just as long, just as much maintenance went into the care (maybe more because of the additional rain). The loss of rhizomes was greater due to the rain maybe next year they will have to charge more because of the rain this year and the loss of revenue. Should an Mid-West Iris be priced less because it doesn't reach the same size as a typical NW Iris? If a grower carries an Iris you want and no want else has it shouldn't that grower be able to price the Iris, no matter what size they are producing at any price they feel is necessary to cover the cost of their operation? If the grower has exceptional customer service should they be able to charge the price they feel is necessary to cover the cost of their operation and as long as someone is willing to purchase the product. Supply, Demand and Customer Service in the Market Place isn't that what makes the economy work.Â

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Oh, since this is Iris Photos I'd better post a photo to make this legal. Photos from 2009 when we had great moisture and produced a very nice plant. This year the product was smaller due to the great bloom season where the main fan plus increases were producing flowers then no rain so the increases remaining didn't put on as much growth.Â

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Bob

Iris4u Iris Garden

Denver, Colorado

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----- Original Message -----
From: "STEVE KELLY" p*@msn.com
To: i*@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 9:44:37 PM
Subject: Re: [iris-photos] Re: Quality Standards

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I'm just curious as to why no one wants to mention where these inferior iris are coming from. I would like to know so I don't order from them. I know of several places I will never order from. We should be helping others from making the same mistakes.

Â

steve kelly

new mexico

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----- Original Message -----

From: r*@clas.net

To: i*@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 9:27 PM

Subject: Re: [iris-photos] Re: Quality Standards

Â

Loic-

ÂI agree with you, I recieved the same kind of rhizomes this summer - paid a quite significant price for new introductions that arrived the size of my small finger and thumb. I was very disappointed to recieve such small, fragile starts for the amount of money invested. To date 2 of them have fully dried up without any attempt to set root or foliage.

They were planted with care and given extra attention but failed to even attempt to grow. I was/am greatly disappointed that a professional grower would send out such stock-I would have preferred to be told they were not available. I should have sent them back, but felt that would surely be the death of them. My order was for about 15 different varieties and I suppose I should be pleased that only 2 of the small things have died.

It does make one wonder about how the quality vs quantity standards of some growers are determined. And, my rhizomes did not have to travel more than 4 days-they were small, dry, with browning foliage when they arrived-leaving me to believe they were in this condition when they were dug for shipping, or were dug way to long before shipping time. 2010 introductions costing more than $40 each should not look like that in my opinion.

Â

Rose Kinnard

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----- Original Message -----

From: t*@cs.com

To: i*@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 10:34 AM

Subject: Re: [iris-photos] Re: Quality Standards

Â

Linda, i totally agree with you, rhizomes that weight 250 grams are bound to be full of water, and have very high chances to rot here too.

The decent size of 100 grams is what i am after, with A very dense structure, hard to cut with the knife.

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But the pictures i have put on iris-photo show irises between 5g and 30g;

They can't go in the garden yet or they would be lost, Âthey have to be potted and spend a year in the placeÂin the garden i call the kindergarten, and sometimesÂthe hospital.... where 'potatoes' (used up rhizomes) are kept for extra shoots, and fragile irises that start to rot are kept under scrutiny after cutting and bleaching.

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It is not the place i want to see the newly arrived irises ordered from professionals.

Â

LoÃc

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----- Original Message -----

From: l*@lock-net.com

To: i*@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 3:53 PM

Subject: [iris-photos] Re: Quality Standards

Â

Loic, I'm hesitant to say this (again) because it annoys some to hear
it, but I have problems with the big robust (sappy) rhizomes that many
others seem to like. They don't adapt to my growing conditions well at
all. I bought a batch like that last year, and I think all but one of
them died - more susceptible to freeze/thaw/rot damage over the winter.
The only blooms they produced were on small increases, most of which
did not survive past bloom season. If I buy from that grower again (and
I may, just as an experiment), I may store them indoors in cool place in
a paper bag until the following March after the worst of our freezes
(usually), then pot them up outdoors.

One CA grower who used to send sappy rhizomes has quit watering in the
summer (at least the ones I get) and they seem to survive here <much>
better than previously.

From the photos you posted, it does look like the smaller rhizomes had
a bit too much moisture or too little air circulation for the length of
time they had to be closed up for shipping. But I wouldn't object to
the size for my growing conditions, as long as that is blooming size.

My two cents.

Linda Mann
east TN USA zone 7
wondering if it's suddenly going to go from months of 95oF to 20oF any
day now...no rebloom other than IMM & Belvi Q, & they are done for now.