Re: Frozen Iris

I don't want to give false hope, but I don't think you have anything
to worry about, especially since you've moved the pots to a snow bank.

Here in SE Alaska, more so than in Anchorage, the plants are subjected
to really unpredictable freeze/thaw cycles, and seem to endure, if not
thrive. I've seen hard freezes as early as mid Sept. and as late as
mid Dec., and the setosa seem to be indestructible.

Early in 1997 we had virtually no snow cover, and the temps. warmed to 
where just about everything started to sprout; then it froze solid
again. A lot of perennials were lost all over this area including most
all the bulbs that had been in place for years. I. setosa was a survivor.

I think my main concern would be making sure the pots get ample moisture 
when they begin to thaw. Snow has very little water in it by volume, and
the frozen pots will be badly dehydrated.

Duane

At 10:52 AM 1/1/98 -0700, you wrote:
>I've  been reading the New Year's Eve e-mail, and it's very festive and
>amusing. It lifted my spirits a lot, but I'm still feeling pretty low,
>unfortunately.
>I have 65 pots of iris (setosa) overwintering for sale next spring
>through a local Greenhouse. I had to dig them in Autumn, because my iris
>field is inaccessible until after spring break-up, mid May at the
>earliest, and I need them in the Greenhouse in April. 
>I put half outside under snow cover, similar to their natural
>conditions, and placed the other half in my crawl space entryway (a test
>comparison for future reference). The entryway is apparently too warm,
>because they have been trying to bust dormancy, even tho temperature was
>close to freezing. I've been in the process for a week of lowering the
>temperature there to force them back into dormancy, and was then going
>to place them outside with the rest. This process works fine, but the
>problem arose when I returned home last night after being gone for two
>days, and found the entryway door wide open (neighborhood children
>playing - lots of little hoofprints in the snow). Temperatures have been
>15 to 20 below, and the pots are solidly frozen. I'm not confident
>they'll be able to survive being frozen while they were out of dormancy.
>I'm assuming the damage is done, and I'll have to wait until spring to
>find out the results. I'm having a hard time living with that assessment
>though. If they all die, it will wipe out one entire line I was working
>on, and my best. 
>I talked to the Greenhouse owner (an experienced Alaskan
>horticulturalist), and he advised leaving plants as they are until our
>natural springtime, with no further temperature changes to add to their
>stress, on the off-chance dormancy had been triggered sufficiently to
>help them survive. I have them under the snow now - spent my passage
>into the new year at midnight shovelling holes in the snow, and feeling
>worse with every pot I covered. His is a practical suggestion, tho, and
>I will probably follow it, but I'm feeling pretty blue right now. I
>can't believe this happened, and don't know whether I'm looking forward
>to spring now or not.
>I know it is different than most of you deal with, but I thought several
>of you might have had to deal with an iris going throught freeze/thaw
>cycles when it wasn't ready. Any input appreciated and may contain
>knowledge I can put to use. My most important question, with my heart in
>my mouth - have any of you had iris freeze while out of dormancy, and
>return to the land of the living? I would sure like to see these come
>spring. 
>Enjoyed the "Glooscap" commentary. May I never be given that award.
>Kathy Haggstrom
>Anch, AK
>Zone 3
>hagg@alaska.net
>
>
"dbuell@ptialaska.net"
http://www.outdoorhq.com/garden/garden.htm
Some interesting links and BarnesandNoble books
Juneau, Alaska
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