CULT: Size Doesn't Matter
- To:
- Subject: CULT: Size Doesn't Matter
- From: P* O*
- Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 23:09:59 -0700
It is a common misconception that size matters because it really doesn't. I have received many irises of moderate size that have performed beautifully the first year.
In Phoenix, where the intense summer heat combined with moisture can rot a rhizome in no time, it is a common practice here to cut the water back by half during the hot months. This hardens off the rhizome but in no way diminishes its potency. The reason for this from what I read in The World Of Irises is that for 2 months after the bloom the rhizome begins storing energy and sets the increase buds for the next year. Therefore, by withholding the water during the summer and hardening off the rhizomes, you might end up with a smaller rhizome, but since the energy is already stored for the next year, it will be packed with good stuff!
Oh, just one more note... people have been talking about storing the rhizomes in a cool dry shady place for a week or so to allow them to dry out. Well, I have many times stored irises up to two months indoors prior to planting and have had bloom from them the first year without a problem. Sure there is some loss of moisture during that time, and many of the leaves may dry up, but when planted in the ground, they take off real well.
Patrick Orr
Phoenix AZ Zone 9
USA
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