MED: 'Suslik' = MDB (long)

	Lloyd Z. wrote:

> SUSLIK was sent to me by the Burtons, John and Lucy. They told
>me how well it grows. But I seem to be south of the area in which it does
>so well. Last year I moved it into part shade, and it is still alive, but
>did not bloom.

> Members of iris-L should be told that I pumila and its derivatives do
>not >like hot climates. If anyone can tell me how to grow it like you grow
>it, >(SUSLIK), I would be ever so grateful.

	As inadequate as I feel giving Dr. Zurbrigg *any* advice on how to
	grow irises, I will feebly attempt to do so. :))

	You, of course, are mainly correct about the specie I. pumila needing
	some period of cold to do its best. Re SUSLIK, I bought it at the
	auction at the MASS Medley in June '96 when John Burton offered it
	in a pot. It remained in the pot outside for about five weeks and
	received no special care except for a watering very occasionally when
	it was dry. It liked the pot and did well and this ties in with
	a  statement in a recent DIS Newletter.."that some 'Northern' growers
	set out MDBs in pots since it seems to be a way to reduce first winter
	losses". I interpreted this (perhaps erroneously) to mean folks who
	didn't have much snow cover and experienced the 'thaw, freeze,
	thaw' cycle.

	This is not your case living in my old Southern area of NC. :)
	But, you might try potting a piece and move it around and see what
	happens. It does seem to need more water than most bearded irises.

	I did not do anything to my SUSLIK except divide it in late summer
	of '96 - it was growing out of the bed....it is now three plants. :)
	We have soil pH of 5.7 and don't add anything to the bearded irises
	and don't spray at all. SUSLIK I is mixed in with other bearded classes
	NOT planted in a raised bed with just peat moss added during prepar-
	ation. The other two SUSLIKs are in a raised bed and receive no
	special attention - they are in a perennial border (dominated by
	bearded irises and lilium).

	This little gem likes the sun up here in the mountains where the
	summer temperatures hover around the mid-seventies. I also have found
	the it is almost deciduous, one died back completely and two still had
	some green when the snow hit in early November. All look healthy and
	have prodigious new growth.

	Ada Godfrey of Hermit Medlar's Walk is offering it for sale as
	was mentioned earlier in a post. She is online at:

	hmwalk@fcl-us.net

	Cheers,

	Ellen



























~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ellen Gallagher  / e_galla@moose.ncia.net
Siberian iris robin   /   sibrob@ncia.net
Northern New Hampshire, USA / USDA Zone 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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