Jessie's Song vs Stepping Out

I have been working on my database for our 600+ reblooming irises which we
grow here in zone 6 (almost heaven) in northern Virginia on a mountain ridge.
 Jessie's Song, which we grow, is listed as a rebloomer in Southern
California, probably gets it from Smoke Rings which also reblooms in frost
free areas.  We have observed that our rebloomers are more winter hardy,
resist insect damage and are basically more vigorous than the once bloomers.
 Even for the rebloomers which do not rebloom in our zone 6, but rebloom in 8
or 9 this still holds true.  We had over 130 cultivars rebloom for us last
year. Hoping for more this year since many of them are newly purchased so
haven't gotten settled in yet.  The only other irises that seem to be(almost)
as hardy and pest resistant are the historics especially 'Albicans'.

Someone mentioned they had leaf spot problems.  If you interplant (put
daylilies between the irises or something else) this helps a lot.  It seems
to stop the spread.  Members of the daisy family are great plants providing
food and shelter for beneficials.  If you want a mild spray I recommend Merit
(R) which has a low LDL rating and is very safe to use.  This controls
aphids, etc which spread the disease.  When we were in Oracle,  Arizona,
north of Tucson, for two years, we saw irises that had no leaf spot, no
borers and grew very well.  Maybe that was iris heaven.

                                                             Ginny
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index