Re: RE: HYB: Test the seedling toughness theory

May Lou Iris seedlings are babies. In life under adverse conditions the young and the old are the first to die. Have you heard the term "Baby It". If you can give the seedlings close to the same conditions as they would in the spring when they normally germinate they might have a chance. The more you push it the wrong way more will die.

I would never try the burrito method because I can not give them those conditions. With all the work getting seeds I would not want to kill them. After the first year you can sort out a lot of weak ones. Even tough native plants will die under adverse conditions.

All iris need light, water and nutrients. Like all babies iris babies need more. When they get bigger they have rhizomes and roots as a buffer and backup.

Experiment: we know a tough iris can survive a light Roundup spray. Try that on your seedlings. You can lay a tough iris rhizome on top of the ground and it will grow. Pull up the seedlings and lay them on top the ground. They should take an early freeze. Put them in the freezer for an hour.Just don't dig a big seedling bed to line them out.

My Opinion

Mike Greenfield
----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Swann-Young" <MryL1@msn.com>
To: "iris" <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 8:12 PM
Subject: [iris] RE: HYB: Test the seedling toughness theory


How would you test the theory that young seedling survival in adverse
conditions is an indicator of toughness when the plant matures?

If it dies, you'll never find out whether it would have been tough as an
adult. If it lives, you get to see it, and we all know it can still be a
weiner.

How would you identify ones that would have died if you hadn't taken
extraordinary measures to insure survival?

I'm serious! I really enjoy doing experiments, if they seem meaningful. But
I can't think of any way to test this theory.

Mary Lou, near Indianapolis, Zone 5 - 'only' 94 days to earliest medians

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