Re: seedling soil
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: seedling soil
- From: R* T* D* <r*@sierratel.com>
- Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 11:59:16 -0700 (MST)
Merle and Linda Roberts wrote:
>
> In the AIS bulletin (April'96) Hooker Nichols wrote a wonderful article
> titled "Hybridizing". In this well written article he explains some of his
> views to encourage new people to hybridize and have fun growing iris. I
> would like to comment on a small segment of this article to get a
> discussion going.
>
> 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'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?
>
> I'm 43 years old and my back is still ok. I do have a son that's 12 , he
> has his shovel with his very own name on it.
>
Merle & Linda,
Here in my garden in California if I don't get 95% bloom the first year
I'm surprised. I don't use manure, but grow a cover crop over winter on
one half of my 2 acre garden. I rotate each year. I form my beds each
May/June after the cover crop is tilled in. The only other additive is
some commercial fertilizer (6-20-20). Last summer I solarized the beds
and most weed seeds were destroyed. I'm hoping most bacteria and fungus
were destroyed also, but will not know this until this summer.
Rick Tasco
Central California
Zone 8
