ot-bio Rich Norts/Milwaukee

I have several garden beds -- roses, dahlias, etc -- all of which
require much pampering and TLC.  Most years less than half of the little
buggeers behave and produce delightful flowers. Usually they all end up
dieing in some manner.

So to CMA and make sure that my neighbors think I know what I am doing,
all of the beds contain several irises. I
usually can count on many blossoms and a lot of green stuff. (that all
helps my gardening image!!!)  

Well this year my faithful green companians are as fussy as the roses,
dahlias, etc. Their leaves are getting brown spots, some get tiny,
vertical  knife like cuts in the leaves, and then the leaves just pull
out of the ground. The area where it breaks is moist, and appears to be
rotting.

Why are these guys doing this to me???   Perhaps I have not been talking
about them enough, or perhaps touting enough about their flowers. Could
they be all female plants and getting some type of revenge? Is it a
revolution?  the iris clan versus the rose society??

What is wrong with my little buddies?

Anybody out there who can help? 

Please help me. My brown thumb is starting to show!!!

Rich in Milwaukee, WI
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Tom wrote>>

Sounds like bacterial soft rot. It's important to dig them up and
discard any infected rhizomes. Sometimes, you can cut away the rotting
parts and save the rhizome. Soak them in a 10% bleach solution for about
20 minutes then rinse, or sprinkle cleanser (like Comet) on the part of
the rhizome where you've cut away the rotting tissue.

The cause of this ailment could be unusually high humidity, overcrowding
of
the plants, or inadequate air circulation. It may be time to divide the
irises and replant them with more space between.

Regards, Tom.

-------------------------------------------------------
Rich answered>>>

Tom,

Thanks for your response.  

I gave my buddies an extra shot of fertilizer this year, plus it has
been both very wet and very hot. It seems to be raining all the time.
Perhaps the combination caused the problem??  They have grown much
larger than other years which has caused some over crowding. I replanted
them two years ago.

We are planning on building a new home this fall. Therefore we will
(with some luck) be moving in late winter or early spring (Feb-April).
If I dig up the rhizomes now and do the bleach thing, is there a way I
can preserve the rhizomes until April without replanting them?  The
ground is usually frozen around here until April. Dahlia people store
their tubers in sawdust or rooting material over the winter. Would that
work with these rhizomes?   Until April??

I have several hundred of the little guys and it would be nice to take
my friends to our new home!

Thanks again.`

Rich
-----------------------------

Can anyone add more info top the puzzle?  Appreciate your help.
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