Re: CULT: HYB: growability


I continue to be amazed (and annoyed!) by differences in growability
from one place to the next, even within my own garden!  But while there
are differences between what thrives here vs what thrives for Neil, and
even within my own region (i.e., what thrives for me vs what thrives for
Betty, & for Waltah in Baja Region 7, farther south), there still is
more overlap between what dies for all three of us versus what thrives
farther toward either coast or in Oz.

So I'm always interested in hearing what has done really well in other
places - worth trying those bloodlines.

Neil, after reading your experience with re-setting and manuring (I
think?) IMMORTALITY and being rewarded with a lot of bloom, I piled a
<lot> of fresh horse manure around one of the clumps of IMM here.  About
a foot deep and twice that wide on both sides of that part of the row.
That was last spring.  No instant reward, but that clump is now sending
up one stalk after another.  Even tho it is still miserably hot and
humid, the sun isn't in the sky as long each day, so the soil must be
starting to cool off a little.

One big "advantage" I have here is the huge amount of rock and gravel
that makes up most of my "soil".  It's very deep, so drainage is never a
problem and some things that rot for Neil probably do very well here
when we get into these constant hot rainy summers.  Another two inches
of rain day before yesterday...

But I'm really curious, Neil, which cultivars & crosses are thriving for
you this summer?  Are you willing & able to post a list?

Is IMMORTALITY still doing well?  I still remember how healthy and
robust it looked compared to everything else in your garden.  Did the
seedling from it that I sent survive?  Since the other parent,
CELEBRATION SONG is reported to rot for a lot of people, I wouldn't be
totally surprised if the seedling is having problems.

Weeds have gotten really out of hand here this year - raining too often
to get out with Roundup as often as needed, and too hot, humid and
miserable to hand weed.  The knotweed is especially bad this year - it
thrives on all this wet weather, plus is fairly resistant to Roundup.
Seeing bloom stalks on IMMORTALITY has motivated me to try to excavate
survivors - remarkable how lush and healthy so many cultivars and
seedlings look.  Some have vanished, but that just makes room for more.

<I also believe that the genetics of growability, disease
                   and pest resistance are possible and necessary
goals.  My borers and rot
                   this year have given me a boost toward that goal, as
there are some
                   varieties not only surviving, but thriving.
Oddly, some of those that grow best for me fail entirely for Linda, even

                   though she and I share similar climates, and to a
lesser extent, soils......Neil Mogensen,  z 7  Region 4  western (wet)
NC mountains>

                   ---------------------------------------
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Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
photos archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/>
online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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