Re: monoculture (was nasty Cygon and borer)

Hi All,
Glenn wrote: <But I am thinking that maybe iris beds devoid of all but iris
may not be the best thing for the iris.  Any thoughts on this from you all out
there?>
Well, I've really noticed this year that my irises planted out in my mixed
beds have little to no leaf spot.  My irises that are planted in iris-only
beds have much more leaf spot and the two other iris nurseries around here,
which have long wide rows of irises,  have been really having a hard time with
it.  
So I'm wondering if my irises in the mixed beds are spot-free because they are
farther apart from each other, or if it's because of something happening with
the plants surrounding them (calendulas, roses, coreopsis, bulbs, penstemons,
shastas and so on).  
The other possible clue is that all the bare ground in the mixed beds is
mulched.  Maybe it has to do with keeping the soil from splashing up on the
leaves.  I don't allow any mulch in my iris-only beds, but after this year,
I've been wondering if I could.  However, it's important to note that I live
in a dry-summer area of California so rot is not usually a problem.  Just some
thoughts.
Mary Forte, Atascadero, CA  USDA Zone 9, Sunset Zone 7 nearing peak bloom
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