Re: Re: CAT: Survey of Iris Suppliers - Results

Hi All,
I do not know much about iris except that they are fairly reliable and easy to grow. I have not ever cut iris apart. My grandmother always told me to leave 2 years growth and preferably a Y to transplant. For years this is how I moved my iris with no ill effect. Perhaps it is the older ones that can exccept the dying material better, I do not know, or if I was just lucky. I find that most of the newer varieties the older section seperates quickly or begins to rot. For me the method that seems to work is to break rhizomes at their normal junction and let them dry a little while before covering up the broken end. I plant the roots but pull the soil away from the break for a couple days then go back and level it. But here rhizomes are only 1/3 into the ground, rhizomes planted with the top level to the ground do not usually make it.

Here again the difference may be with climate. I could see where in rainier climates a straight cut would be less likely to hold water. In this climate since the rhizome end is always above ground it is not damp as much.

I have also found here that few iris can tolerate to much humus in the soil or to much sand. I have the best luck setting them ontop of the gumbo and letting the roots settle them to the depth they prefer. I think that when it rains the gumbo holds too much moisture for to long for the rhizomes. 

Wendy Zone 5 Kansas. Hot today but ground still damp from all our wonderful rain.


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: John Jones 
  To: iris-talk@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, August 26, 2001 10:22 PM
  Subject: Re: [iris-talk] Re: CAT: Survey of Iris Suppliers - Results




  wmoores wrote:
  > 
  > 
  > In addition to the extras, Fred Kerr mentioned, here are some other
  > factors that might have affected the survey.

  > 
  >     Toe of rhizome cut to a smooth slice or just broken off.

  This brings up an interesting question. I remember a prevoius discussion
  on the list about whether we should snap off spent bloom stalks or slice
  them off. A comment made by Bill Shear was that snapping the bloom stalk
  broke it off along cell boundaries, while cutting it sliced through
  cells thus leaving the plant more susceptible to disease.

  I wonder if the same might not apply to separating rhizomes?

  John                     | "There be dragons here"
                           |  Annotation used by ancient cartographers
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