TB: CULT: ?Louisa's Song

Linda,

You asked how 'Louisa's Song' has done for me.  I overfed a group of newly
planted rhizomes last summer and nearly lost both 'Louisa's Song' and 'Wearing
Rubies.'

Many years ago in my blow-sand (Owyhee Silt Loam) soil in Idaho, dry and
Calcium-rich, thirty feet deep root penetration by trees with extreme size and
growth given adequate water, I had tried an experiment.  I dug a trench
alongside the intended row, filled with half-compost, half soil, then covered
with soil.  The rhizomes planted on a low ridge between included 'Arabi Pasha'
and I don't remember what else.  The increase, bloom and health were
phenomenal!  The 'Arabi Pasha' one year sets sent up five bloomstalks and had
a lot of increase left over--the blooms, branching and substance were way
beyond what I usually had.

So last summer I dug trenches one-shovel wide between rows on a number of
things, each side, and filled with the same kind of mix in my dense, fairly
lifeless red clay, mixed the half-soil, half compost and filled 3/4 full the
trench, covered over with straight soil, and waited to see the results.  The
bottom third row included 'Louisa's Song' and 'Wearing Rubies,' and
'Dynamite,' which I've had three years and had one increase, no bloom due to
frost on the single possible bloom, and extremely slow growth.

The 'Louisa's Song' rot-surviving nubbin was reset about three feet away near
'Immortality,' which was getting some benefit from the experiment also.  At
first 'LS' was slow, but now is growing exhuberantly.  Keith Keppel sent me
another, which I am not drowning in nutrients to make sure of survival.

The surviving part of 'Wearing Rubies' I reset in a pot filled with the
Pfafard potting mix I use for germinating seeds, the rhizome sitting on top of
the potting mix and filled with sand.  It is now taking off and growing.  I
also nearly lost 'Kitty Kay' and 'Jersey Bounce,' so potted both of them as
well with the same sand cap.  They survive, but 'Kitty Kay' remains a single
rhizome.  At least it is alive.  I had plans for these, which so far are
unrealized.

The 'Louisa's Song' seedlings from sib 'J' to 'Paris Fashion' X LS and the
cross 'Plum Fun' X 'Silk Romance,' a LS sib, made for me in Keppel's garden in
2002, show strong growth on the first cross, very slow growth on the second.
The problem is here, my soil, light and fertility, not genetic in the iris.
Given adequate light and fertility they should have been bloom size this year.
It may be two more years for many of the seedlings.....

I thought I was losing the 'Dynamite' so dug it the other day to move it to a
better location.  I was astounded!  The surviving old mother rhizome was
"dynamite" with every possible leaf node putting out an increase rhizome,
several of which were forming their leaf structures.  I reset it in less
over-fertile soil.  A similar, disappearing old mother of 'Avalon Dreamer'
which was subjected to the trench treatment was reset--it also had loads of
new increase coming.

The experiment was a mixed success.  I have read a recommendation for this red
clay, that in preparing a bed mix sand, compost and clay in about equal
proportions before planting.  I didn't have the sand, and had also read that
sand-plus-clay could become concrete here, so I have limited sand to use as a
mulch on the surface in pots.

A soil flocculated with Gypsum and organics seems to open up and become quite
fertile if one can do the work.  I haven't been able for the last two years..
So I just plant and pray a lot.

Does that answer the question about 'Louisa's Song?'  In summary, I can say my
problem is soil fertility and excess rain to the middle of July both of the
last two years.  Oh my the rot!  The survivors in the less fertile ground are
full of leaf spot and bacterial blighted foliage.

In the "over-fed" area, the foliage is luxuriant and green, the increase
phenomenal.  'Immortality' is sending up three bloomstalks with the fattest
stems I've seen on it--and the first bloom should be open by this afternoon.
Not a leaf spot is showing in the area, and rhizomes are rutabegas a la "Iris
Heaven."  It's all a result of supplying needed nutrients it seems.  'Paris
Fashion,' 'Alpenview' and several others are forming beautiful clumps.

Neil Mogensen   z 7  western NC mountains,  red clay soil drained of some of
its nutrients it appears

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index