Re:why don't bloom

Kathy

You asked why some don't bloom.  The bloom cycle has been intensely studied
in some plants, those that are commercially valuable like carnations and
mums.  Others haven't been so much studied.  But what seems generally true
is that there is a juvenile phase of growth in which the plant will not
flower.  Flowers need certain prerequisites to happen.  Depending on the
plant, it may be a combination of number of leaves, number of days of a
particular daylength, etc.  I assume that in iris it generally requires a
certain size of rhizome, but obviuosly their are other factors.  What
breeders can do is breed for these characters and they have done that to
increase cold hardiness and early flowering in both carnations and mums.
Some, like the rose, have the bloom already present in the sprouting seed
and it requires six leaves to induce flowering.  I would guess iris don't
act like roses in this regard. (vbg)

Lee DeJongh in Rhinelander, WI
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