Re: Iris-L

Rowaan,
Greetings, from a former Kansan, now living in the wilds of upstate NY.
 Carolyn's answer was a good one, if it worked, don't worry about planting in
fall.  It's probably a better idea to plant in late July or early August
here, so the roots have time to become established before winter.  But, if
you were successful, give yourself a pat on the back.  Sometimes Mother
Nature does cooperate!
  The main problem we have here in winter is rhizomes heaving out of the soil
as the ground freezes and thaws in late winter.  Mulching with evergreen
boughs after the ground is frozen solid helps keep it frozen, and reduces
heaving, and the cracked rhizomes that are susceptible to winter rot.

Mounding sand around (not on) heaved rhizomes, or pushing them back in and
putting a brick on them can keep them where they belong.  I had a newly
planted iris heave this January, and before I could fix it a child rode over
it with his bike, breaking it off its roots.  I brought the rhizome inside,
potted it, and put it in a sunny window.  It began to show new growth a week
or two ago, and I planted outside again this week (not realizing we have snow
predicted this weekend).
I think this is why many of us grow iris-they are tough, and even folks like
me with very light green thumbs can succeed with them!
Sand or well-composted leaf mold are great for lightening clay soil.  Sounds
like you have good instincts as to what works.
Welcome to Iris-L!
Kathryn Mohr, near Albany, NY
kemohr@aol.com
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