Re: CULT:TB: A Whole New List - The Hardiest of the Hardy

Hi Laurie-
       I read - with sadness - of your trials, tribulations and losses.  I am 
also at Z 3/4 in the High Desert of Oregon, and have had similar problems.  
The soil here isn't much more than sand - and nutrients slip right through.  
The other big problem is the heaving - caused by freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw.  
After much trial and error, I figured out that by tilling in old horse manure 
and shredded straw, this "loamed" the soil; and also tilling in the alfalfa 
pellets, super triplephosphate, and Genuine Steer Manure Compost.  Now 
everyone must understand that I'm quite old fashioned - on our farm in 
Montana we didn't separate the Steers from the rest of the cattle to produce 
Genuine Steer Poop for compost......so I'm still rather confused on that one! 
 I know I could have bought a couple of baby Bulls for all the bags I bought 
of that stuff.....but of course we all know one cannot get Genuine Steer Poop 
from BULLS!
       Anyway, I get old straw for 50 cents a bale, throw one in the 
wheelbarrow, sort of shred it into a big plastic garbage can, then pile about 
3-4 " of it on the iris rows.  This greatly inhibits the freezing/thawing 
problem.  I also put it down the path rows.  Yes, I get little sprigs of 
wheat growing, but at about 4" they pull out easily, and the beds are nice 
and clean.  I also let a few clumps grow for the wild rabbits and the deer.  
The added benefit of this is that the straw greatly prevents moisture 
evapora-
tion during the heat of the summer - and Oh Boy - the sun here is intense the 
latter part of July & August.
       Last year I purchased quite a large order from my friend LeRoy 
Meininger - Monument Iris Garden - Mitchell, Nebraska (on the AIS list of 
growers).  LeRoy is at 4,000 feet, does not "pump up" his iris prior to 
shipping, and I was very pleased - only lost two of them.  My friend Keith 
(Keppel) in Salem, OR, makes sure I get my order the latter part of July - 
and I have very good luck with them.  Keith and I have determined that if I 
plant after the 15th of Aug. I'm in big trouble with rot - as evidenced by 
the later plantings.  And, some of the rhizomes don't even rot - they just 
sit there - nice and firm (they are still out there) - no roots, no growth - 
nothing!  Guess they are just being `conservationists' - holding the soil 
down.
       Another grower I've had good luck with is Nicholson's in CA; they are 
in a drier climate.  For orders from some large growers whose rhizomes are 
`pumped' with water prior to shipping, I lay them out in the shade for about 
a week (they LOOK dry, but aren't); then dip in 1 pt. plain Chlorox to 9 pts. 
water with a couple of Tbsp. of Daconil added, for 20 minutes (leaves & all), 
rinse well, dry, then plant; it has made a big difference.
       Hope some of this will be of help to you.  Don't give up........
Len

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