Re: "Virgin" soil question
Sharon A. Ruck wrote:
>
> Now, to further the
> investigation... why do irises do "better" in "virgin" soil that has not
> had irises in it before? The area they were in was all grass before, and
> that is the same case now. Do they deplete the soil quickly, or is it that
> they just like all the bone meal I work in after the peat moss and manure
> tilled in? Since we dont have a rot problem here (not yet at least), in
> east Texas, zone 8, I have never worried about "over" fertilizing. The soil
> is more clay/"red dirt" than anything else, the amending helps keep loose.
>
Sharon,
My opinion (as a novice grower) from what we have been reading on this subject
recently is that no one knows for sure what irises do to the soil that seems to
diminish the plants ability to do well in the same spot after several years. It
may be different for different types of iris. For instance JIs seem to do ok in an
environment that washes the soil out with a lot of water flow (e.g., under a
downspout). Then there are the commercial growers like Maryott's that have been
growing in the same place for 15+ years and add lots of soil amendments each year
and seem to do really well.
Microbe? self generated chemical? No one has stepped up with a definitive answer.
I intend to till and "re-amend" the soil in my raised beds on a 2-3 year basis,
and fertilize and add trace elements on a yearly basis. Just basic good gardening,
and hope for the best.
--
John | "There be dragons here"
| Annotation used by ancient cartographers
| to indicate the edge of the known world.
John Jones, jijones@ix.netcom.com
Fremont CA, USDA zone 8 (coastal, bay)
