Re: CULT: tools for digging irises

       I have to agree with Patrick's method of digging.  In this part of 
Arizona, we call the tool a shovel.  I prefer a good sharp one to dig in around 
the outside of a clump.  It severs the roots at about 6 inches.  Then, I slip 
it farther under and pry the clump up.  I have tried using a fork, but find it 
is a lot harder to pry the clump up without severing the roots first.
       Like Patrick, I also love digging & dividing - even in our heat.  I 
think of it as harvesting the bounty I have grown.  
       I dig the clumps early in the morning to avoid the often 100 degree 
heat & line them up on the porch (with their markers).  I have a comfortable 
chair with a small table beside it to hold clippers, scissors, markers and a big 
jug of something cool to drink.  I park my wheelbarrow in front of the chair 
and trim leaves and roots into it.  After the rhizomes are marked, they get 
tossed into a big tub for a bleach bath & sorting. A radio and an electric fan 
make the process much more pleasurable!

Kathy Chilton
Tucson AZ
Zone 8/9

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