Re: Iris Cristata
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Iris Cristata
- From: B* S* <B*@hsc.edu>
- Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1998 08:48:51 -0600 (MDT)
>I finally have a good clump growing... but it worried me that all the stolons
>(<--I'm guessing here) are above the ground. Shall I throw some soil on top
>or assume the plant knows that it's doing??
This seems normal. The stolons don't root until after blooming is
finished. I usually add a very light topping of well-decayed leafmold to
cristata clumps in the very early spring, before they emerge. The stolons
work to the top anyway. I suspect this is an adaptation to get above last
year's mat of autumn leaves in the natural woodland habitat.
Because of this habit, the best time to move cristata or divide it is a few
weeks after bloom. I usually dig up a "sod" of rhizomes and move them to a
shallow excavation elsewhere (the soil at the bottom of the new hole should
be loose and well mixed with leafmold; water the "sod" in well and keep
moist for a few weeks). Refill the gap left behind with leafmold.
Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
