RE: Rhizomes

Hi, Ross--here's my version of answers to your questions:


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From: 	iris-l@rt66.com on behalf of Ross Bishop
Sent: 	Wednesday, July 23, 1997 5:22 PM
To: 	Multiple recipients of list
Subject: 	Rhizomes

I have 3 questions:
 Just to be safe, I dug up the neighboring iris. They looked OK. One
rhizome is sort of like a carrot with a strong fan coming from the
center and two "arms" with much smaller fans. The "arm" rhizome sections
are about 1 1/2  inches long. Is that big enough to sustain a plant? 

>1 1/2 inches would be a small but most likely totally viable rhizome.  Those 
are the new increases which will hopefully bloom next year.  You can either 
leave the whole thing as it is and replant, or divide those smaller bits from 
the mother rhizome and plant them separately.  Oh, and for some definitive 
advice on dividing and cleaning iris rhizomes, come to the Santa Fe Iris 
Society's next meeting, July 31st at De Vargas Mall at 7:00, and don't forget 
to come to the sale on Saturday the 2nd of August at 10:00!

 Secondly, our daytime sun can be brutal this time of year. Should I
provide some shade for the new plantings?

>I'm just east of you (what part of Santa Fe are you in?) in Eldorado, in a 
very exposed situation, and I have never had problems with the sun as long as 
the newly planted iris are getting some water.

Third, I've prepared my new beds using Alfalfa pellets. Does the 
breakdown of the alfalfa suck the nitrogen from the soil? If so, should
I supplement?

>The reason to use alfalfa is it is high in nitrogen and will not deplete your 
soil's nitrogen; in fact, it will add to it.  Don't supplement, or you'll get 
rot, even in our dry climate.  You might do better to use a little 
superphospphate rather than more nitrogen.



Barb, out in Eldorado, and did you see the immense rainbow after the 
gulley-whomper of a storm went through at rush hour?  Beautiful!
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