Re: CULT: COLD HARDY "REDS"
- Subject: Re: [iris-talk] CULT: COLD HARDY "REDS"
- From: "Jeff and Carolyn Walters" j*@bridgernet.com
- Date: Tue, 20 Aug 2002 19:01:05 -0600
> From: birdwoman424@aol.com
> Would someone give me some feedback on cold hardy "red" irises? Has
anyone
> had an experiences with "SPARTAN" or "FORGE FIRE"??????
> Thanks for your input.
Margie,
I grew SPARTAN for 14 years and have grown FORGE FIRE for eleven. Both are
completely cold hardy in my Zone 4b climate. In fact, from my experience I
do not believe that sheer cold is fatal to any otherwise healthy Median or
TB irises in this zone. The minimum temperatures that I have experienced in
24 years at this location were -30 to -35 F for three days in a row in
1991. There have been other occasions when the temperature fell as low, but
it did not persist for so long. Low temperatures damage irises when they
are actively growing (late fall, early spring) or when there are
alternating periods of freezing and thawing during the winter. This means
that irises are probably at greater risk of cold damage in many areas that
are rated Zone 5, 6 and 7 than they are in Zone 4, or even much of Zone 3.
I do not consider either SPARTAN or FORGE FIRE to be among the best red
irises. For me, neither one was/is particularly free blooming. I have been
disappointed with the performance of most Schreiner reds I have grown due
to slow increase and lack of bloom. The best of the more recent Schreiner
reds for me has been WAR CHIEF. However, the best performing red TB by far
that I am currently growing is CLASSIC BORDEAUX (Ernst, 1996).
Jeff Walters in northern Utah (USDA Zone 4/5, Sunset Zone 2, AHS Zone 7)
jcwalters@bridgernet.com
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
4 DVDs Free +s&p Join Now
http://us.click.yahoo.com/pt6YBB/NXiEAA/Ey.GAA/2gGylB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
