Re: I. missouriensis
- Subject: Re: I. missouriensis
- From: L* P* <p*@peak.org>
- Date: Wed, 28 Feb 96 11:19:56 MST
>> Yes! There is one species of iris native to the North American Rocky
Mountains:
>> Iris missouriensis. It grows from Canada to Mexico. It is a beardless
species,
>> 2 to 3 feet tall, with delicate blooms of lavender, blue, violet, or white,
>> often with contrasting veining. It is not a show stopper, but it is still
>> Happy irising, Tom.
Hi Tom et al.
Our postings suggesting I. missouriensis were crossing, its bound to happen.
I have had limited luck germinating the seed. It takes at least a full
year's worth of warm and cold cycles and when I tried to beat the system,
results were zero.
I have gotten a limited number to germinate by placing the seeds (after at
least two weeks of soaking in water which was freshened daily
("water-cleaning"), in a clear plastic pastry box with some tiny drainage
holes punched in the bottom in a SOIL (not soiless!) mix of sterile
builder's sand, sandy loam, worm castings, pumice and peat.
The soil in the box should be damp, but not so wet as to cause too much
"rain" in there. I then placed this box on the north side of my house out in
the elements, but where it gets only good strong light with no sun. I only
cover the seeds very lightly with a little of the soil and a layer of grit,
but try to keep it from getting bone dry
In general, I have found that "cactus mix" type of soils which contain the
above-mentioned ingredients, with some extra peat added, work best for
species germination. If you have a bulb frame or plunge bed, so much the
better. In this kind of a system pots are sunk up to their rims in a bed of
sand or grit. The emerging seedlings do best when protected from excess
heat- the soil must be kept cool as it would be in their natural environment.
Do any of you have any other tips for germinating species iris. Let's trade
tips.
Louise H. Parsons <parsont@peak.org>
1915 SE Stone St.
Corvallis, OR 97333 USA
USDA zone 7 (at least!) Emerald NARGS, transplanted Oregrowian
