re: varieties , rot, and the rot patrol


amy wrote - <I have four TBI's in 1 gallon containers that I bought as
<rhizomes last fall.  (Actually, there were six, but two succumbed to
<rot...one was Joyce Terry, and the other *might* have been Edith
<Wolford. They rotted despite being in well drained soil and in containers,
<which dry more quickly than the ground, all other factors equal.)

if it's any comfort, EDITH WOLFORD rots and/or sulks for everybody i have
asked in region 7 who has tried to grow it (maybe 10 people?).  and i have
never been successful with any of the JOYCE TERRY color pattern.  EDITH has
children who do better.

jim wrote - < So, unless I move, I need to give up on these things with
<the caterpillars in them, find a way to predict which of them are
<going to be rot resistant, or figure out a good way to build raised
<beds. Option A is unlikely due to catalogs and other gardens.  Option B
<has promise, but needs lots more information.  Option C seems to
<require either serious work or money.

i have been optimistic that option B would work for me, but have been getting
even more frustrated since being on this list server.  especially now that i
am beginning to get the impression that some varieties which may be
vulnerable to cold injury (followed by rot) may not be vulnerable to our heat
and humidity, and vice versa.  Clarence tells us 'who' the progenitors of
cold sensitivity were (mediterranean species), but i still don't know why
(physiologic or physical characteristics), or patterns of transmission in
breeding lines, or anything else that would be useful.  the only things that
seem to be working for me are 1) avoiding buying iris bred in areas of low
humidity and rainfall unless they are more than 5 yrs old and are for sale
from someone in a high rainfall area or have been grown by someone else near
me successfully, 2) buying from dealers who acknowlege the rot problem and
are willing to sift through a long list of what i think i might want and pick
out the ones they think will do best, 3) swaps with other rot watchers.

mike and others - thanks for the good words about CHAMPAGNE ELEGANCE - i will
give it a try.

linda mann e tenn usa, the rot zone
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