Re: CULT: iris in Tahiti

Welcome to the group, Dick.

I've been delighted with results growing TBs in 3 or 4 gallon pots of
what we've been calling 'dirty perlite' - about 90% perlite, the rest a
mix of composted manure and commercial potting soil.

The 45% fir bark, 20% pumice, and 35% peat moss mix sounds to me like it
might hold too much water for such a warm wet climate.  ?

What's the geology of Tahiti - is it volcanic?  Maybe crushed volcanic
rock <brain won't provide the name at the moment> would work as a
substitute for pumice/perlite?  Tef?  Charcoal might work - certainly
worth experimenting with.

I just re-read your note and see you said the soil is clay, so I guess
that means Tahiti is coral/limestone, not volcanic?

A couple of folks have posted about growing TBs in pots in Florida and
Louisiana in the past - might search the archives (see link below my
signature) to see what they had to say.  They did have success with some
of the rebloomers not needing any cold period below freezing, but my
experience says that most do need some time colder than your 65o to keep
blooming.  So the refrigerator might be necessary.

I had never thought of putting bare root rhizomes of rebloomers in the
refrigerator to trick them into earlier fall bloom.  Might be another
way to be able to make crosses with cultivars that bloom so early and
rebloom so late that they get hit by freezes here.

Do you remember the names of the cultivars that went on to bloom the
second year without chilling?  Interesting that there are some that can
tolerate year round heat and humidity.
--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
photos archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/>
online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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