Re: seedling soil
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: seedling soil
- From: Z*@aol.com
- Date: Mon, 13 Jan 1997 06:08:29 -0700 (MST)
In a message dated 97-01-11 10:48:54 EST, you write:
<< 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?
>>
Merle and Linda,
What you're doing seems to be giving results as good as the best and better
than most. What animal is the source of your "one owner alfalfa"? I prefer
cows, but it's getting hard to find here in SLC. Regardless of the source, I
find it's best to work into the ground the fall before planting.
Here in SLC we have alkaline (PH 8) soil so I can use pine shaving without
building up too much acidity. The available manure is horse stable which is
about 3/4 pine shaving. I also truck in fresh pine shavings. On the ground
I'm preparing for transplanting seedlings I'll frequently work in 2-3 inches
of stable manure, and then 2-3 inches of fresh pine shavings, all the fall
before. I also work in a healthy dose of ammonium sulfate (AS) and broadcast
more AS once a month after the snow melts in the spring. When I'm preparing
the soil for planting I'm work in a multi-purpose fertilizer (One recommended
for soil conditions in your area)
I don't think growing season has much to do with preparing seedlings for
bloom their first spring. My growing season is much shorter than Texas or
Mississippi, and although I can't transplant until June, I rarely get below
90% bloom on the seedling that survived the winter. On most crosses the
bloom is 100%, and about 50% have bloom from one or more increase.
My success with first year bloom is primarily because I keep the seedling
growing through the summer by using drip irrigation and fertilizing once a
month with a water soluable fertilizer. I'm an impatient person so I discard
seeds which don't germinate
the first year and seedlings that fail to bloom the first spring.
Just a farmer at heart, Brad Kasperek ZEBRAIRIS@aol.com
