Re: Re: CULT: iris health

Connie -- I haven't used chip mulch until late last summer, when I covered the new seedling beds with between 1 and 2 inches of "Virginia Pine Bark and Fines", which is, essentially, chips ranging in size from a quarter to a dime. I applied that mulch because I was very late getting the seedlings set out, and I wanted protection against heaving during the winter. Results to date: No heaving, no rot, no weeds -- and the seedlings are thriving. I, too, have feared rot resulting from covering rhizomes with mulch. What I have found is that, when snow and rain have done their job, this pine bark mulch (which is also called "double-shredded" and "fine-shredded") lies in a very thin layer on the surface of the bed and the rhizomes are exposing themselves as they usually do. I'll be using it again on this year's crop, even though they were not planted late. -- Griff 

Zone 7 along the tidal Potomac near Mount Vernon, in Virginia
----- Original Message ----- From: <Cseggen1@aol.com> 
To: <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 9:51 AM
Subject: Re: [iris] Re: CULT: iris health



In a message dated 7/14/2007 6:01:15 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
lmann@lock-net.com writes:

Many of  my seedlings (which are not getting supplemental water or
treatment)growing under heavy chip mulch look about as good as her
storeboughts - not quite as lush (lighter green) maybe.  Can't say  the
same for most others.
Do you have rot problems with the chip mulch? I am trying to grow plants in 
such poor conditions.  Poor quality soil hauled in and placed  in very
shallow beds on a very rocky base. Mulch would certainly help retain moisture & 
prevent weeds but I have feared rot etc if I mulched  around the iris

Connie  Eggen
Zone 5b
Warsaw, MO
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