Re: Why JI's in pots? (fwd)
- To: i*@rt66.com
- Subject: Re: Why JI's in pots? (fwd)
- From: C* H* <c*@inlink.com>
- Date: Wed, 28 Aug 1996 00:54:49 -0500 (CDT)
At 06:01 PM 8/27/96 -0600, you wrote:
>Maybe I missed the original message but I got the impression that
>people were putting their Japanese irises in pots in water baths
>for the winter. Could someone please fill me in. I overwinter my
>JI's out in the garden in their beds. The ground freezes hard with
>or without snow.
>
>Diana -- lots of growers will put newly acquired beardless iris in pots and
>put those pots in a tub of water (when does a pot become a tub??) and then take
>the pot out of the water every week or so to drain. The reason for this is
>to control the watering, and etc, while the rhizome grows a good root system.
>The soil in the pots can be controlled - fertilizer, etc. In your zone
>(4/5) or even in mine (5/6) I would not risk keeping them in pots over the
winter -- freeze thaw, etc.
>
>Carolyn Schaffner
Diana, We were discussing various ways to keep JIs with out having to move
them to new areas after you divide them. It seems that the JIs leave a
toxic substance/bacteria (unknown) in the soil that builds up so that you do
not want to replant them in the same spot. Several members have related
that water seems to dilute/wash away the toxin. You would put the JIs in
pots, then into a childs pool with water in it and change the water every
few weeks to a month. Then drain the water prior to winter and add mulch to
the pool to protect the plants until spring and start all over with the
water in the pool.
Craig Hughes
List Owner of LILY-L
chughes@inlink.com
St. Louis, MO.
Zone 5, where no more lilies are blooming this year :(
