Re: Factors affecting iris bloom season
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Factors affecting iris bloom season
- From: D* L* <g*@rogerswave.ca>
- Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 04:51:02 -0700 (MST)
On Wed, 29 Jan 1997 Croftway@aol.com wrote:
> << In Utah in the spring the soil must warm up from a frozen
> state, which I doubt is the case in England. >>
>
> Our soil freezes to a depth of four to six inches OCCASIONALLY and then only
> for a week or two at most. Lowest nights here are usually around -5C/23F most
> years, down to -10C/14F in harder years. This year we've had several nights
> of -8C/18F during a three week period when the temp never got over +1C/34F.
> Further north (north of Manchester) then -10C/14F is more common. Highland
> Scotland has in recent years got to -20C/-4F but only maniacs try to garden
> there!
>
> Our climate is a bit more like Oregon, although I would say a little drier
> here (Cornwall and Ireland are much closer to Oregon). Our seasons are fairly
> steady in their changes, but the occasionally "shocker" comes our way - last
> year we had frost in mid May (very unusual here) and 25C/77F in mid April (I
> got suburn!). That really fooled the irises. Graham Croftway Nursery
> West Sussex (that's on the south coast if you did not know), UK
> croftway@aol.com
The soils prof I have been talking to recently said that soil will
freeze down to 4 feet deep on prolonged cold. This frozen soil
takes a long time to thaw which will mean it will take the plants
growing in it longer to start growing.
--
Diana Louis <dlouis@dynamicro.on.ca>
Zone 4/5 Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
