Planting too early

Julie Allen asks:

:  Sharon, it appears that this section of your answer refers to TBs as well as
:  arilbreds.  Frankly, I don't try to grow arilbreds here in our humid
:  Southeast, although I like them.  But I am wondering about TBs.  Do you
:  think this would apply to us here in TN and other areas where we have hot
:  and humid summers?

The TBs were certainly affected more adversely than the arilbreds.  Slightly
later planting might work in TN, as long as you don't wait so long that they
can't get their root systems established before winter sets in.

:   Would this
:   include replants from one's own garden and plants obtained from gardens of
:   similar climate, or are you referring only to iris from cooler areas than
:   one's own?  

It applied to both imports from the west coast and to rhizomes obtained from
nearby, but much cooler gardens.  I'm up on the mesa on the west side of the Rio
Grande.  Gardens in the valley on the other side of the river are both cooler
and blessed with a higher humidity.  TBs from sheltered valley gardens went into
shock almost as often as the west coast imports.  I don't transplant my own iris
in the heat of the summer because I don't like to work that hard when it's that
hot!

:  I thought that for this area, we are better off to try to plant early in
:  order for plants to get established before cold weather (our first hard
:  freeze is usually late Oct. or early Nov.)  I start planting in early July.
:  Am I mistaken in this?    Am I hurting my poor little iris?  

My guess is that August planting might get you past the heat of summer AND let
the root systems get established before frost.  But I do hope that some of the
real TB experts will chime in here.

Sharon McAllister (73372.1745@compuserve.com)
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