Re: Seedling Soil
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Seedling Soil
- From: S* M* <7*@CompuServe.COM>
- Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 09:57:23 -0700 (MST)
Merle and Linda Roberts wrote:
: Hooker writes "I get a very small percentage bloom the first year but
: nearly 100% the second year"
: Is this typical for all the other hybridizers on iris-L?
I usually get about 25% first year bloom, with the second-year bloom percentage
comparable to the overall rate for the type of iris.
: I've been hybridizing eight years with growing iris seedlings in soil with
: 3"+ of old manure and get 90%+bloom the first year. I hardly have any
: disease, the health and growth has been almost as good as a Salem iris.
: Has anyone else used massive amounts of manure in iris seedling culture?
Yes. But it goes into the bed BEFORE it is topped off with soil, not used as a
top dressing, so it's kept well away from the rhizomes. The growth spurt is
remarkable when the roots reach the buried manure. Manure is a no-no in some
climates -- but where it works, it REALLY works.
Climate also has a significant effect on first year bloom rates. I remember a
West Coast hybridizer remarking many years ago that he considered first year
bloom normal and often discarded things that hadn't bloom their first year to
make room for the next crop of seedlings.
Sharon McAllister (73372.1745@compuserve.com)
Southern New Mexico
