Re: Rebloomers & Seed Pods

Marte Halleck wrote:
> 
> I need advice from all you experienced hybridizers & iris-seed growers!
> 
> In the ongoing saga of Marte & the SDB/TB rebloomers, I have a new
> puzzle. I've been deadheading as the supplier suggested, by pulling the
> shriveled flower up & out & leaving the spath (I mistakenly called
> this the socket previously) behind & the stalk on the plant. Two of my
> SDB's, Jewel Baby & Little Showoff, immediately produced new blooms
> within the same spath. I agree that this does not qualify as *rebloom*,
> just *successive bloom*, & will not know if any of the new-to-me SDB's &
> TB's are rebloomers here until late this summer or fall. (FYI only one
> of these TB's has bloomed so far tho all have many buds: Many Moons, an
> okay cream tan self, nothing very exciting in appearance.)
> 
> Here's my newest puzzlement: 3 of the SDB's (forgot to note exactly
> which of 8 different ones I have & it's dark out) have formed big, fat
> seed pods within the spaths that have already bloomed once or twice.
> This is a new phenomenon to me because I'd never really seen bearded
> iris producing these pods since I've always cut the stalks off near the
> plant base after all buds had bloomed.
> 
> So here are these seed pods -- do I or don't I want to leave them on the
> stalks? Since we're agreed that rebloomers, to perform as such if
> they're going to, need more water & feed than "regular" SDB/TB's,
> doesn't it follow that these pods will use up energy best put into
> blooming?
> 
> Somebody help me figure out what to do about these pod people. Thanks!
> 
> Marte in the mtns       Zone 4/Sunset 1         Weather finally normal
>                         for June! No flash floods in, oh, 3-4 days.
Marte, no problem, don't worry.  The seed pods will have NO affect on
the plants whatsoever.  If you want to become a hybridizer, collect the
seeds as they ripen and plant.  If you don't want to germinate
seedlings, just pull of the pods and discard them.  Remember those
little seed pods dry pretty fast so you need to keep a watch on them if
you want to plant and harvest the seeds BEFORE the pods split open. 
>From one who has spent many many hours picking up SDB seeds from the
ground after the pods have split.
Bill Maryott
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