Re: Japanese Iris

 

Anner, Rod,
      Thank you.  The topic came up on a Daylily group.  This makes sense because I had some Japanese Irises in Kentucky and when I divided and replanted them, they died. 
 
Mark A. Cook 
 
From: C*@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, June 08, 2013 8:44 PM
To: i*@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [iris-species] Japanese Iris
 


Mark, it has long been thought by some people that the ensatas, or some of them, tend to poison their own soil.
 
It is not an allelopathic situation per se as they are believed toxic not to other genera, but to themselves. This is also not a case of their "exhausting the soil", but of exuding some compound which is to their own mortal detriment.
 
This tendency to toxicity is also said to be characteriztic of roses, where it is supposed to be nonsense, and of some Primulas, where it is supposed to be true.
 
The long and short of it is the best place to plant JI--other than pots-- is in an area where moving water covers the crown for some portion of the year, ideally at bloom time, for the aesthetic effect, but then moves off, taking mysteriuos evil compounds with it so often that the plants in winter have their roots in moist soil, but no water covers their crowns, and freezes there, which is said to kill them. They are not true aquatics.
 
So, that is the story I had from a distinguished expert some years ago. It may or may not still be considered good science, Wht is absolutley true is the fact that they don't like lime, do like a moist soil and moist air, and don't like to be divided down too far.
 
Cordially,
 
AMW  
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark A. Cook <bigalligator@bellsouth.net>
To: iris-species <iris-species@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sat, Jun 8, 2013 4:14 pm
Subject: [iris-species] Japanese Iris

 
      On another group, a couple people mentioned that they had heard that when Japanese Irises [Ensata] are dug and divided, they cannot be replanted in the same spot otherwise they will die.  Do any of you know if that is true?  I ask because when I lived in Kentucky and divided and put Japanese Irises in the same spot, they died.
 
Mark A. Cook
b*@bellsouth.net
Dunnellon, Florida.  

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