Re: German Batik Iris

Debbie; 'Batik' is a wonderful Iris. It is not too difficult but it is not as consistent a performer as many others. Nonetheless i think you are babying it too much. Bearded Iris like to grow best on clay-loam soils that are naturally basic. Most potting soils are a bit too acidic and lack the clay that retains some water in droughty conditions. Heavy mineral soils like clay provide the tight hold on some moisture that allows almost dry conditions without damaging the roots. Soils like most potting soils are almost all organic matter which often stays too wet and it it does dry is too dry. Since Bearded iris like a summer baking with an occasional week of drought, potting soils do not work all that well. Whatever soil you use it still needs to be well drained. Your original planting spot sounded good. I have many Irises I have grown temporarily in pots and they are not particularly fond of that culture and respond better to being in the soil. But Iris
 are tough and they will still grow and even bloom in pots. If you had mentioned the part of the country you lived in I could give better directions. Areas where the soil is acid really need some lime added to the soil. Lime will make a clay soil more friable. If you are in a neutral soil, Gypsum will do the same but won't shift the ph to basic.Good luck on your Iris.  Bob


----- Original Message ----
From: Debra Winchell <dldove22@verizon.net>
To: iris@hort.net
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2008 5:51:06 PM
Subject: [iris] German Batik Iris

I would like some help getting my German batik iris to bloom again.  They've
had a hectic beginning.  I bought two a couple years ago because they were so
beautiful.  This are the first iris of my own.  The first year I planted them
in the ground.  The ground was almost pure clay (I'm not exaggerating) that I
mixed in sand, manure and compost.  They survived their first year okay.  I
had to dig them up that fall and I put them in potting soil in large plastic
pots.  They didn't flower the next year.  Their fans didn't get really big,
but they stayed green almost all summer and they grew more fans.  I also
planted a groundcover in with them.  It's a long story about that, but I
wanted to see how it grew.

I know there may be different reasons why my iris didn't bloom.  It could have
been because they were repotted.  They're staying in their pots.  It could
have been because they weren't fertilized.  I think I read this fall that iris
need fertilizing.  They got bone meal last  fall.  I also read that iris like
to have their tubers/roots exposed to the sunshine.  I already plan to take
out the groundcover.  Would it take long for the iris to fill up all the room
in the pot?  I was wondering in the meantime if I could put in another flower
that didn't have a mounding habit.  I don't recall my mother's iris spreading
much, but we had stony soil without much nutrition in it.

Thanks very much for your help.

Debbie

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