Re: CULT: Transpiration and rot
- Subject: Re: [iris-talk] CULT: Transpiration and rot
- From: l*
- Date: Wed, 3 Jul 02 20:00:51 -0600
>As an aside to Laurie. I have bought, and still acquire regularly, historic
>irises. ... In the
>beginning I expected them to be tougher and more durable than I was finding
>many new TBs. That has not been the case at all.
My observations are a bit different here, Donald. I have certainly had
historics that didn't fare any better than most of the modern TBs, and
some even joined the moderns in death this spring (including my beloved
sister iris, JAN ELIZABETH). As a *general rule*, however, the historics
do tend to be both more cold hardy and more vigorous than the moderns in
my garden. The same holds true for the older modern (1970s-80s),
cold-climate reblooming TBs - both hardier and more vigorous than the
newer TBs as a rule. Of course, the toughest and most reliable TBs in my
garden are the nameless old soldiers who bloom and increase in spite of
neglect and competition from quack grass and all manner of other weeds
and plant pests. They are so vigorous that they can outgrow nearly every
assault this environment throws at them. That is what I hope to find in
at least a few of the historics I will be adding to my garden this year.
In my comparatively brief experience, those happy discoveries will be
much more likely found among the historics than the moderns.
The stars of my beardeds this year - and I suspect in all years to come -
were the MDBs and SDBs. With very few exceptions, there's just nothing
that can put the littleuns asunder. Interestingly, the mortality rate in
my garden this year seemed to increase proportionately to the size of the
plants. I lost very few dwarfs, a few more IBs (mostly 1st yr plants),
and most of my TBs. Since I only grow a few BB and MTB, I couldn't assess
their mortality rates as a group. I'll know more about them in the next
few years, as I will be adding quite a few from each median class this
year.
And so the grand experiment continues. I'm still aiming at developing a
collection of frigid-hardy, reliable, and undemanding irises - both
bearded and beardless - in 10 yrs time. I already know what doesn't
work. I've got 8 more years to figure out what does.
Stay tuned ...
Laurie
-----------------
laurief@paulbunyan.net
http://www.geocities.com/lfandjg/
zone 3b northern MN - clay soil
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