CULT: soil preparation
- To:
- Subject: CULT: soil preparation
- From: C* M*
- Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 10:33:10 +0930
Hi
I remember reading several comments recently on how people prepared their iris beds.
After spending a wonderful Easter break in the garden, I thought I would share some results from our garden.
Our propagation area is nearly flat, light sandy loam over pure sand. We rotary hoed this and banked up rows. The initial lot we did 3 years ago, were very narrow rows and consequently the stock the stock is not performing all that well, as it's hard to get fertiziler washed in not off. (We used an Neutrog, an orgenic fertilizer, pelletized composted chicken carcasses and manure.) This area desparately needs replanting.
The next area (1-2 years ago) has rows about one foot wide. Those irises planted without fertilizer are doing OK, those with Neutrog are doing very well.
Our display garden is on a gentle slope. Here the soil is loam over clay with a reasonable number of small rocks. There area was sprayed off with glyphosate first. Because of the rocks and also pressures of time this area was not rotary hoed when we planted it, this time last year (autumn). We simply marked the beds out with pea straw, and planted the irises into the unprepared soil, and put a hand ful of Neutrog directly under each rhizome. The same with the roses, daylilies and other perenials.
Most of the bearded irises have put on amazing growth, and are bigger and stronger than those in the propagation area. Increases of 8 or more babies per rhizome are common, some have babies on their babies. Some that I have dug from this area for sale, have been too fat to tie the tags around. The down side has been a slightly greater tendacy to rot, but rarely losing a whole plant. (and we've had a realatively wet summer, and rot is not a huge problem in our climate.). When I dig rhizomes from the display area their roots extend a very long way, but only in the top inch or so of the soil. A few irises are struggling, but they aren't doing to well in the propagation area either.
Most of the roses are doing extremely well also and have put on a stunning show, I've been able to pick lots of very long stemmed flowers for inside.
The Louisianna's have settled in and are now making good growth (they were fertilized with cow manure), they are planted around the artifical creek and ponds. The Spurias are estactic, but then they're rarely a problem and my PC and Sibericas are also looking good. Now the daylilies have had a year to settle in they are coming on well.
I know I've not done things by the book, but the results have been fantastic.
Colleen Modra
Zone 8 South Australia, where it continues to be unseasonably warm during the day, but we've managed our first minor frosts.
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