Re: CULT: borers

Hi Rolla,

That is a good idea.  Then the sand works into your soil.

Char, Region 8

ROLLA EICH wrote:

> We have cold weather here and we have used only, course creek sand, for the
> last 12 years ,because anything else can and does cause rot. We have tried
> them all,,, before we got onto using sand. about 1 inch after , or around nov.
> before the real deep freezes get here.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Char
> Sent: Monday, April 28, 2003 4:55 AM
> To: iris@hort.net
> Subject: Re: [iris] CULT: borers
>
> Hi,
>
> One of the tricks is to mulch after a week of hard freeze.  That generally
> means
> after Christmas here in southeastern Wisconsin, near Milwaukee.
>
> Then when you are ready and that is after a week of spring weather and that
> was
> the week before Easter take SOME mulch off but not all, let everything warm
> up
> and with an eye on the weather take some more off.  I leave the mulch lay
> along
> the beds for a week or so.  We can get killing frost up until May 30 but not
> usually.  I just took a between the plants layer off today, a week after
> Easter,
> but not necessarily Easter.  Rather about the first week of April for me.  Now
> I
> will watch the weather every day and if it seems to be going for a freeze I
> will
> lightly recover.  The Iris do not seem to grow too much until they get the
> direct
> warm sun.  Then watch out.  You can get 5 inches in a week.  I don't have any
> pregnant fans at this time.   Just pretty fans looking at the world.
>
> Char, Region 8, New Berlin, (Milwaukee) WI
>
> laurief wrote:
>
> > >I have found that I get quicker growth in the spring if I cover my Iris.
> >
> > Ah, but quick growth under artificial cover is not something I'm looking
> > for here in early spring.  While I do need irises that grow vigorously
> > once temps warm up, irises that do so before weather dictates are
> > particularly vulnerable to freeze damage and rot.  I have tried mulching
> > before with evergreen boughs and straw, and rot was rampant under the
> > mulch.
> >
> > Where exactly are you located within Region 8, Char?
> >
> > >One more thing I do is cut the leaves after the first frost down to an
> inch.
> > >Less to clean up in spring and the plants seems to do well.
> >
> > In the fall of '01 when the deer were particularly problematic in my iris
> > beds, pulling up a number of that summer's new transplants and trampling
> > others, I cut all the fans off all the new transplants so the deer
> > wouldn't have anything left to grab.  99% of those new irises were dead
> > the next spring.  I don't know exactly what combination of factors served
> > to kill them, but it was enough to convince me not to clip back fans in
> > the fall.  I have now gone back to doing my big clean-up in spring once
> > active growth has started. Survival of new TBs isn't great this year,
> > either, but it's certainly substantially improved over last year.  Again,
> > it's difficult to pinpoint the exact cause(s) of this year's increased
> > success.
> >
> > As I have already mentioned, this spring is progressing in a much more
> > amenable fashion than last year.  The deer haven't significantly bothered
> > my irises at all so far this spring, and I doubt they will.  Grass is
> > actively growing out in the hayfields, and native brush is already
> > leafing out.  I am seeing deer in the hayfields every night now, but they
> > seem uncharacteristically disinclined to wander into the yard.  My two
> > new canine kids could have a little something to do with their
> > reluctance.  These active youngsters don't ignore Bambi the way our
> > geriatric canines do.  ;-)
> >
> > I no longer allow myself more than a moment of disappointment when I come
> > across a lost iris in my beds.  I now just look at the empty spot and
> > eagerly anticipate who its next occupant will be.  I think perhaps I get
> > as big a thrill out of seeing a first year iris send up a fan after its
> > first winter here as many of you get out of seeing a first year iris
> > bloom.  Bloom to me is the inevitable ... if not eventual ... reward for
> > keeping an iris alive.  The primary goal here is survival. All else will
> > come in time.  Iris gardening is enjoyable for me on a level of personal
> > challenge rather than guaranteed success.
> >
> > Or maybe all of that is just so much hot air and I'm just really excited
> > with all the little fans I'm uncovering during my bed clean-up.  ;-)
> >
> > Happy irising, everyone!
> >
> > Laurie
> >
> > -----------------
> > laurief@paulbunyan.net
> > http://www.geocities.com/lfandjg/
> > http://www.angelfire.com/mn3/shadowood/irisintro.html
> > USDA zone 3b, AHS zone 4 - northern MN
> > acidic clay soil
> >
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