Re: German Batik Iris

Kris and Debbie It seems likely that both of you may have soild deficient in Calcium. County Extensions can often provide free soil tests that are well worth it. As one moves North and into rainfall area above 35 inches a year soils tend to be acidic. This is especially true if the underlying rock is granite or something other than limestone. Clay responds well to liming. It takes about a year but if a clay soil is limed it breaks up the particles so that it have better drainage and more air spaces between soil particles. Raised beds are a good idea to improve drainage and amending the soil with sand and organic matter can help but I think the lime is a very important part. If you don't want to change ph because you are growing azaleas gypsum will improve the clay without making it more basic. But Iris prefer a basic soil and will be more disease resistant in a neutral or basic soil than in an acidic soil. A word of caution do not fertilize the same week
 you add lime because it also releases soil nutrients.


----- Original Message ----
From: Kris Jensen <krisjensen@earthlink.net>
To: iris@hort.net
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 5:19:32 PM
Subject: Re: [iris] German Batik Iris

Debbie, I live in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and my soil is solid clay.  When 
I dig, it comes up in big solid lumps. 

I amend with peat, leaf compost, and sometimes sand.  I don't have a 
tiller - just spread it and then dig it in with a shovel, first in one 
direction, then perpendicular, then once more on a diagonal.  The iris 
are very happy in that, as long as I plant them where there is good 
drainage - on a slope (it only needs to be a slight one) or by creating 
a low mound. 

Another option is to build a raised bed for your iris.  Then you could 
fill it with your clay soil mixed with potting soil, or try the clay / 
peat / compost / sand combination. 

kris

Debra Winchell wrote:

>I live near Albany, New York in Albany County.  The original soil I don't think would work.  It had so much clay in it I think you could make a pot directly out of it.  It's very common in this area to have pools of water sitting around days after it rains.  When I mixed in the other elements, most of it didn't break up but made balls of clay instead.  
>
>I know what you mean about the soil, though.  I wouldn't have thought that our soil back home was good for iris, but I guess so. Unfortunately my parents sold the house a long time ago.  I'll have to put on my thinking cap and see what I can come up with.
>
>Thanks very much.
>
>Debbie

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