Re: TB: Rot Question

Deeper planting may be more likely to induce rot.  The rot often gets in where
soil touches bug-chewed tissue, and the bark-like rhizome is not as tasty as
the green (or white, if underground) leaves.  When I have rot problems, it is
often from earwigs nesting inside the pocket of the outer leaves, nibbling on
the soft tissue inside (although they don't really seem to eat it), exposing
the open wound thus created to their waste material (always a source of
bacteria).

Do try the mortar mix/lime if you are not satisfied with the results of the
bleach.  I have tried both, and will never use the bleach for that again.

John Reeds
lamegardener@msn.com
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Matthew Booker
  To: iris@hort.net
  Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 3:13 PM
  Subject: Re: [iris] TB: Rot Question


  I think my problem may have been that I took the "don't bury your
  rhizomes too deeply" advice too far. I think I may have left them too
  exposed considering my climate. Next year, I will try to find a better
  balance (and mulch a little more heavily than I did last fall).

  I spent two weeks in Taipei late January (about the same latitude as
  Miami), and I'd check the local Boston weather forecast every few days.
  There were days where the temps in Taipei & Boston were quite close. So
  much for my escape from cold weather.

  -Matt

  DWiris@aol.com wrote:
  > In a message dated 4/3/2006 9:31:12 AM Eastern Standard Time,
  > apetala2@yahoo.com writes:
  >
  > All my  irises (both those w/ symptoms and w/o) started
  > to grow early this February  because of the mild winter
  > weather. Then, we had very cold, below normal  weather
  > for the rest of February and much of March. I suspect
  > that may  have to do with the problem, but I am not
  > sure. I have irises w/ symptoms  and w/o in the same
  > beds, so it's not an obviously  location-centric
  > problem.
  >
  >
  >
  > It sounds like the sharp weather variations caused the rot.  I am
surprised
  > you had that much growth in February.  Here in northern Ohio we  had the
same
  > temperature swings, but didn't really see active growth.  We  have found
one
  > iris that apparently tried to send up a bloom stalk in late fall  which
rotted.
  >  The rest of the plant seems OK after we clean out the  blasted stalk.  If
  > your varieties were newly planted in 2005, they may  not have become well
  > established before winter.  Also, some varieties are  just more suseptable
to rot,
  > especially those originated in hot, dry  climates.  Some type of winter
mulch,
  > such as evergreen branches, helps  minimize the affects of temperature
swings.
  >
  > Dorothy Willott
  >
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