CAT:quality
- Subject: CAT:quality
- From: P* W*
- Date: Fri, 12 Jul 2002 11:47:14 -0700
As a former "wet sider" who is now living on the arid side of the
Cascade Mountain range perhaps I can answer the question about the huge
iris from the coastal growers in WA and OR.
I think the mountain range sort of forms a barrier which makes large
amounts of moisture in the coastal areas fall in the form of rain. On
the opposite side of the Cascades we frequently have a couple months
with absolutely no rainfall.
The rhizomes from the coastal areas are not purposely fattened by adding
water, they just get a lot of water as rainfall and the temperatures are
so mild that very little moisture is lost. Natural rainfall puts
nitrogen in the soil so the rhizomes grow to magnificent proportions.
In my area it is very hot and often windy so the soil bakes and the
rhizomes shrink as the moisture is leached from them but they have
adapted to life here and just keep growing, blooming and multiplying
like mad.
Now when we get orders from the growers on the coast we let them dry out
because we get much colder winters than they have been accustomed to
experiencing and this drying out period gives them the stamina and
endurance to settle in before winter comes and to prepare for good bloom
production the following spring. I have ordered from almost all of the
coastal growers and very seldom had an iris that failed to bloom the
following spring.
When I lived on the coast I ordered iris from Arizona and they came as
small, rather shriveled rhizomes. I soaked them for a couple days and
planted them in the same area as the rhizomes from coastal growers and
they too produced blooms the first spring after planting. No, I did not
have any rot from soaking them. In fact my first experience with rot
was last fall and only one plant suffered from it and it recovered
nicely.
All blooms were about the same size as the same iris that came from the
opposite side of the Cascades, no matter where I lived. I have grown
iris for nearly 50 years and I just can't recall that rhizome size made
much difference in the blooms they produced.
I must admit that I am just as excited over orders received now as I was
over my first order all those years ago. I also love meeting the people
who grow and sell iris.
Happy planting!
Patti
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