Collecting Louisianas/Was: Winter Kill
- To: I*@Rt66.com
- Subject: Collecting Louisianas/Was: Winter Kill
- From: "* A* B* <r*@jove.acs.unt.edu>
- Date: Fri, 5 Apr 1996 11:54:24 -0600 (CST)
Lonnie,
You wrote:
> I will be going the first week in June. Too late for bloom?? Too
early
> for seed?? What about those gators??
Yes to both! It would be a good time to transplant but you will be doing
it blind (not knowing what you are getting). As with other things,
collecting iris in the wild is generally to be discouraged. The LA iris
have lost a lot of their habitat and are threatened in some places, gone
in others. If your main interest is in getting started with Louisianas,
I'll be happy to get you started. I even have some collected varieties
which are guaranteed beauties and typical forms of the species.
If you insist on collecting, be kind. Don't take much, and only from an
area where they are plentiful. An increase (a new rhizome branch) here
and there will not do too much damage but will give you plenty of
irises. (They grow like weeds with a little care.) Cut the foliage and
roots back to a few inches. Wrap the rhizome in moist paper and put the
rhizome in a plastic bag (sandwich bags work well) with the foliage
exposed. Keep the rhizome moist until you replant. Replant at a depth
of about 1 inch.
I don't know any thing about transplanting gators ;+).
Rodney
Rbarton@jove.acs.unt.edu
