Re: Re: CULT: iris in Tahiti

Hi Linda:

Many thanks for your response.  The dirty pearlite is definitely
something I can conjure up.  In fact I have 10 TB's (5 reb)
started in less dirty pearlite, i.e., 50% pearlite and 50%
composted stable droppings, i.e., sawdust and horse manure.  So
far only 5 of the 10 are showing life, but slowly I think most of
them will come along. I'm already conjuring up mental images of
what they are going to look like and how they might perform in
our climate.  Seems we frequently long for the things that aren't
adapted to where we live, but that is part of the challenge that
makes success even more rewarding.

Tahiti is indeed volcanic, but the islands are old enough to have
developed coral reefs around the perimeter.  Hence the eroded
basalt on the mountains has resulted in an acid based clay soil,
while the beach plateaus have a high calcareous sand content.  In
Hawaii and Sicily where I recently visited, the crumbled foam of
lava is called pumice and would be ideal, but Tahiti is so old
very little lava can be seen, let alone pumice.

I don't recall the name of the TB that bloomed the second year
here is Tahiti.  As I recall there were two, a solid yellow and a
lavender.   It seems they may be like cymbidium orchids and
daylilies, i.e., some certain ones seem to innately have the
ability to bloom without a cold period while others will just
grow beautifully and never bloom.  So to a degree it is a matter
of trial and error and stumbling upon the right cultivar.  Of
course it helps to find the experience of others that have gone
down the same path to find out what has worked for them.  I'm
sure I will find some great TB's that will do well in our climate
in pots.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Warmest Regards

Dick Johnson, Tahiti

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Linda Mann" <lmann@volfirst.net>
To: "iris- talk" <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2006 1:36 AM
Subject: [iris] 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/>
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