Re: Introduction: Jeff Walters in Utah
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Introduction: Jeff Walters in Utah
- From: "* a* L* R* <i*@televar.com>
- Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 14:43:44 -0700 (MST)
> From: Jeff and Carolyn Walters <cwalters@cache.net>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <iris-l@rt66.com>
> Subject: Introduction: Jeff Walters in Utah
> Date: Saturday, January 25, 1997 8:38 AM
> As for growing conditions, this area is in USDA Zone 4 with a moist
(snowy)
> winter and dry summer climate. My soil is a stony silt loam that drains
> well, but has a good moisture holding capacity in the root zone. There
are
> few pests that seriously bother iris here; Public Enemy No. 1 is Winter
Rot
> (Botrytis) and a distant second is Summer Rot (Bacterial Soft Rot). The
> main challenge is the erratic Spring weather that can bring anything from
> early heat waves to late snow and frosts to hail and windstorms - quite
> often all of the above.
>
> Jeff Walters
> cwalters@cache.net
Jeff,
I live in an area where growing conditions are a lot like yours (foot of
snow, 8 degrees this morning). Public Enemy No. 1 or botrytis was a lot of
crying and tears every spring with massive outbreaks of botrytis that would
devastate half my garden. After many years (and tears) I think I have a
good system of fighting this fungus-caused disease. I fight botrytis with
a combination of soil culture and chemical applications with a systemic
fungicide.
Soils:
The foundation for good gardening here has been lots of old manure. Not a
sack or two from the local store, but by the truck load. I use 20 or more
cubic yards of old manure (cow or horse) each year. (And that's no Bull)
This manure I use has been put in big piles for a year or two at the
rancher's property. I am not at all concerned that I am going to harm my
plants with old manure. I find that a healthy iris will help fight the
attacks of botrytis and a lot of other diseases. I love using manure so
much that I am thinking of making a web-page explaining my TB iris culture
using it.
Over loving iris:
I found that pulling old fans or semi-old fans away from the rhizome in the
fall is an open invitation for botrytis to attach to part of the plant
where maybe it cannot fight the disease as it should. So I only clean my
iris beds once in the spring. (I do break the stocks off after bloom) I
know this may sound like voodoo iris culture. Also a lot of snow will
break a few fans and botrytis may set in through these wounds.
Systemic fungicides:
Finally I use a systemic fungicide called Banrot twice in the fall before
the snow falls, and once in mid-September and October. I use one teaspoon
with two gallon's of water, and drench the plant and the surrounding soil.
It's a lot of work. I know there are other fungicides (i.e., Benomyl) on
the market now that may do a better job. Fungicides can be obtained from
major greenhouse suppliers. It is very expensive, but effective.
It used to be botrytis was the number one killer in my iris patch. It's a
late spring frost that I hate now.
Merle
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Merle and Linda Roberts
Grand Coulee Dam, Washington
irisbuff@televar.com
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