Re: Re:TB Culture

Hope I did the subject halfway correctly.
When I went out to renovate a bed that has many iris in it. I found several:
Native, Victoria Falls, Navaho Jewell, Strickly Ballroom, Sea of Joy, and
others doing very well, have divided and am very happy with . Then in the
middle of those are a couple others Mystique is one that I can remember just
now that is much smaller and not blooming as well. very stunted looking.
Also about 8 others (Spartan, Cin. Girl, Vanity, Skating Party and others)
are on the end of the same bed and aren't doing well. Although they bloom.
When I went into  digging around these, I found many pushing hard against
little rocks in the soil,  more rock than soil is here, the soil here is
very fine, dry, and almost just dust. The dust and rock around them may be
the problem. The whole bed is rocky but there seems to be more true "soil"
around the others. I figure that I must dig the iris out and get out as much
of the rock and dusty soil as posible and replace it before replanting...
Will a mixture of red clay, rich humusy compost, and some alfalfa pellets do
for this? Do you think this is the problem here? Could it be something else.
They are ready for division, but if a soil change will help, I would like to
do this at the same time.
 Also , I hear both, do cut and don't cut back foliage when you divide like
this. I  have been cutting mine back I think it looks nicer and hopefully
keeps any fungus that might start away. This was the first irises that I
ever planted, you can probably tell be the names. The next iris bed I
planted is a raised bed that I used the soil mixture  I mentioned adding to
renovate this  bed. The irises in it are all large healthy and full of
blooms. Guess that is what I need to go back and do for the first bed.
Reason I didn't do it in the beginning was that I had heard how good rocks
were for drainage and I thought my clay soil might need them. Oh well , if
any of this makes sense, Sounds  like I have almost answered my own
question. Just tell me if you think I am correct.
Donna
NCz7/8




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