Re: CULT: Cutting bloom stalks

From: Gerry Snyder <gcsnyd@loop.com>

Patrick Orr wrote:
> 
> From: "Patrick Orr" <PatrickJOrr@hotmail.com>
> 
> When I started planting irises and other bulbs I was told by an old nursery man to cut off the flowers when they fade, but leave the bloom stalk in tact until it fades on its own, or until time to divide the iris or pull the bulbs.
> 
> The reason he gave me was that the rhizome or bulb will take back the stored energy that is in the bloom stalk.

I have heard this about not cutting the fan in autumn, at least in areas
that don't get hard freezes, but not about the wtalk.

> 
> Since then, I have noticed a great effort on iris growers  part to cut the bloom stalks when the flowers have expired so as to "clean up their garden".

Many believe that breaking the spent stalks is better than cutting,
since a break will happen between cells, rather than through them (see
archives).

Gerry, with (finally) good growth on last fall's plantings
-- 
g*@loop.com
Gerry Snyder, AIS Symposium Chair
Region 15 Ass't RVP, JT Chair
Member San Fernando Valley, Southern California Iris Societies
in warm, winterless Los Angeles

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