Increase from pieces

>A few years ago a friend lifted an iris border and replanted with something
>else - she gave me bags full or rhizomes, and tilled the area for the new
>plants.  Subsequently she had many, many new little iris everywhere -
>assumed from the pieces of iris chewed up by the tiller.

After it was devastated by borers last summer, I dug up my Louisiana Iris
bed and carefully tried to remove every piece of rhizome I could find.
Evidently I didn't, because nearly 50 small plants have sprung up over the
winter.  These are connected to little chunks of old rhizome sometimes as
much as 6" underground.

A rhizome is actually a stem.  All along that stem, wherever a leaf was
attached, are dormant buds.  Ordinarily these are suppressed by hormones
from the main growing points, but when that point dies or is destroyed, the
buds awaken and begin to grow.  The same thing happens when rhizomes are
broken up or cut.  This works so well with Louisianas that you can take
old, bloomed-out rhizomes and split them lengthwise, plant them in a pot,
and reap a harvest of increases from the lateral buds.  Some of these can
reach blooming size in one year.

>Does this mean a piece of a rhizome will eventually make new iris
>plants?  Would I dare, for example, purchase the $40 Honey Mustard TB
>rhizome and slice it into several pieces for several plants sufficient to
>make a statement?  Is this method as sure as, or any faster than, the
>natural seasonal increase?  thanks for any comment.  Sharon

I have never tried this deliberately with a TB, but I suspect that it would
work.  The problem would be the much greater chance of the pieces rotting
with TBs.  I would allow the cuts to dry and then dust them with cleanser
(like Comet) before planting.  I think the piece would have to be
completely buried also as my experience with other irises suggests the new
buds break more readily if they don't see any light.  Could this be done
with a bloomed-out TB rhizome?  I bet it would work since bits of old
rhizome sprout when we leave them in a tilled-up bed.

Before cutting up a $40 rhizome, I would try it with something a bit cheaper.

I wonder if any commercial growers use this method.


Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
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