Re: iris DIGEST V1 #1189
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: iris DIGEST V1 #1189
  • From: K*@aol.com
  • Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2011 13:45:35 EST
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In a message dated 1/8/2011 12:55:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
iris-owner@hort.net writes:


iris  DIGEST         Saturday, January 8 2011     Volume 01 : Number 1189



In this  issue:

[iris] Re: CULT: Bearded iris  myths
RE: Re: [iris] CULT: Bearded iris  myths
[iris] Answers to Kelly's  Question
Re: [iris] Re: REB: "summer" reb from  ROM  EVENING?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:  Sat, 08 Jan 2011 06:39:19 -0500
From: Linda Mann  <lmann@lock-net.com>
Subject: [iris] Re: CULT: Bearded iris  myths

Kelly, I'd be careful putting this one in the myth  category.  Depending 
on climate (both macro and micro), soil &  cultivar, this is not a myth 
in certain locations, and will cause the rest  of the list to lose 
credibility for many readers.

For example,  cultivar selection is a major issue the hotter and wetter 
the climate  (i.e., Florida), not to mention here in what Keith K calls 
iris hell &  Neil Mogensen named the Vale of Despair.

There are a lot of experienced  gardeners in this area who have ordered 
collections of irises from  reputable sellers (i.e., Schreiners) only to 
have 2/3 of them not bloom  and/or die.  Our club orders collections of 
fairly new introductions  every year to grow for sale in subsequent years 
so we can promote what we  sell as being proven to do well in our general 
area.

The ones that  survive definitely make this a myth, but there are many 
more that make  this one true.

> 3. Bearded irises have a lot of problems and are  hard to grow.

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 7 Jan  2011 18:58:07 -0600
From: "Kelly D. Norris"  <kellydn@frontiernet.net>
Subject: RE: Re: [iris] CULT: Bearded iris  myths

Thanks to everyone for sharing your responses.  I have most  of these so 
far,
but here's the list as it stands (in no particular  order):

Myths:
1. Bearded irises are so much work.  You have to  trim the foliage back 
every
summer!
2. Bearded irises dont play with  others and thus need to be kept separate
from companion plants.
3.  Bearded irises have a lot of problems and are hard to grow.
4. Bearded  irises attract grass (a personal favorite from an audience  
member
once).
5. Bearded irises change colors (even though we all know  this as absurd,
completely rational, intelligent people sometimes fail to  be convinced
otherwise!)
6. Bearded irises are bulbs (this is the part  where I'll talk about 
depth--I
remember a woman with a terrified look on  her face after a talk of mine
reporting that because she thought bearded  irises were bulbs, she'd planted
them 6-8" deep.)
7. Bearded irises are  too big for small gardens (told to me rather
matter-of-factly after a talk  on medians no less....)

Betty's recollection of irises "rising" to the  top is one that I can verify
also.  We were re-digging a production  bed (about 5,000 'Jesse's Song) a 
few
years ago and decided for  experiment's sake to just till the remaining
low-grade plants under (we  were replanting with the bed with 'Jesse's Song'
so "contamination" wasn't  a serious issue).  We used a large roto-tiller
that pulls behind a  tractor, cultivating the bed to a depth of 10-12".  The
next spring we  had PLENTY of re-sprouts, some from a full 12" below.  I've
got a  photo somewhere, but it's probably on an old slide.  These  gangly
fingers of rhizomes rose through heavy Iowa loam all the way to the  surface
to sprout--kind of amazing.

Anyone have any other juicy  myths I can dispel?  As for the hybridizing
"myths", I'll address the  particulars in the chapter on hybridizing and
development Betty.  I've  made a note in my journal to make sure I address a
couple of those  now--thanks!

Again thanks for your help everyone!

-  --kdn

Horticulturally,

Kelly D. Norris
Farm Manager, Rainbow  Iris Farm
Editor, Irises: The Bulletin of the American Iris  Society
Bedford & Ames, IA 
Zone 4b/5a
Read my blog at:  http://www.kellydnorris.com

------------------------------

Date:  Fri, 7 Jan 2011 17:31:28 -0800
From: "Robert & Linda Karr"  <rlkarr@povn.com>
Subject: [iris] Answers to Kelly's  Question

We agree with Christy and a number of the rest of the members  of list:  
the 
most common question is 'why did my iris turn (yellow,  blue, white).  
Also, 
why didn't my iris bloom?  After  questioning the person, we discover that 
iris were planted and never  divided for more than 10 to 20 years, or 
rhizomes, only they call them  bulbs, were planted like dahlias--deep, or 
the 
person planted in full  shade.  Also comments about iris never growing--and 
the person plants  in November.  Here in our cold Zone 4 NE WA climate, we 
find that  rhizomes not planted by Labor Day probably will not survive. 
Usually, the  person doesn't listen to the explanation or gives us a 
look--'I 
don't  think you know what you are talking about.'  Hum...we grow  
successfully 3000 varieties of iris in most classes.

Linda  Karr
NE WA State--about 10 miles E of Christy Hensler
>
> The  all-time most common question heard here is "why did all my (fill in 
>  the
> blank) colored irises turn white (or purple)"?
>
>  Christy
>  ----- Original Message -----
>  From: Kelly  D. Norris
>
>
>> Read my blog at:  <http://www.kellydnorris.com/> 
>>  http://www.kellydnorris.com

------------------------------

Date:  Sat, 8 Jan 2011 12:50:23 +0100
From: "loic tasquier"  <tasquierloic@cs.com>
Subject: Re: [iris] Re: REB: "summer" reb from  ROM EVENING?

Here is Paul's response about 'I'm Back':


"As  it blooms here, 'I'm Back' is usually late Summer.  It  reblooms
moderately.  It has never been a prolific rebloomer but  consistent with 
some
rebloom."

----- Original Message  -----
From: loic tasquier
To: iris@hort.net
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2011 5:12 PM
Subject: Re: [iris] Re: REB:  "summer" reb from ROM EVENING?


I remember it bloomed in late  august, but can't recall if it had bloomed in
the spring before as  well. Maybe it is one that reblooms but don't bloom...
Must ask Paul  Black, he'll tell me what it does in Oregon.
----- Original  Message -----
From: Linda Mann
To:  iris@hort.net
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2011 3:37  PM
Subject: [iris] Re: REB: "summer" reb from ROM  EVENING?


Thanks Loic.  Hmm, Ill have to check -  I think I got I'M BACK, but don't
remember seeing it bloom,  definitely no rebloom here.  So I'm wondering
if I'M  BACK is a California type summer bloomer?  Has it "summer"
bloomed for you in Netherlands?

I must go check  the pots, see if it's still alive.

I asked because the  seeds from "cloud shadows" cycle reb IC1: (IMM x
CSONG) X  SATURN seems to be sending up the most sprouts so far this
year.  Sure would be nice to get a "surprise" summer bloomer from  the
cross.  With clean hafts.  Preferably variegata  with saturated color.
And good substance, big blooms, tall  stalks ;-)

<Yes, Linda,

Tom  Johnson's 'I'm Back' is a summer rebloomer.

It is  Brazilian Holiday X Romantic Evening.>

Linda Mann east  TN USA zone 7

I don't know what causes my posts to hop  around from one font to another
the way they are stored in  the archives.  Supposedly have outgoing
messages all set  to plain text.

------------------------------

End of iris DIGEST  V1  #1189
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