Re: CULT -- heaving iris

From: Carolyn Schaffner <drsnooks@buffnet.net>

Patrick Orr said:

>I live in the desert, so I have not experienced irises 
>heaving out of the ground like that.  However, I was 
>wondering if you planted the iris in pots for a few weeks 
>until they have roots down to the bottom of the pot, would
>the irises still heave if you transplanted them from the 
>pot into the ground?

=============> One of the purposes of the roots is to anchor the rhizome
into the soil. If the roots are, or will be actively growing, and can
send out enough new roots & "hairs" (or whatever the small feeder roots
are called) to "catch" in the soil before winter freezes, they will be
anchored. 

Heaving occurs when the soil is damp enough to freeze and expand,
perhaps forming a ball of ice & soil, and the whole ball lifts itself
above the surface. (The soil doesn't need to have a rhizome to heave)
THEN, when the soil thaws, the rhizome is left above the level of the
soil, "heaved" above the surrounding soil. 

The roots are DEAD, so there's no anchor for the rhizomes. UNLESS ===>
see below

>Also, if you plant the irises you receive with all the 
>roots intact (we shave them out here) will that anchor the >iris and prevent heaving?

Those roots that are still attached to rhizomes when you receive them
are dead. They MAY act to anchor the rhizome for a brief time
(preventing squirrels from digging them -- HA!) until the tissues break
down. The rhizome puts out new, thick roots really quickly upon
planting, tho, so shaving is not a bad thing. The trick here is the
timing of planting the rhizomes. The longer they're in the garden before
winter, the more roots will be available for anchoring.

Essentially NOTHING will prevent heaving, unless you put a rock or brick
on the rhizome after they're dormant. I've never done that because I
worry about slugs, or I'm really too lazy to get out there and do that.

Perhaps ONE THING will prevent heaving -- a good snow cover! Here in
Buffalo, NY where I think I'll put my boots in the next garage sale, we
didn't have a whole lot of snow this year (in contrast to '98). The
heaving occurs, however, after that January (or December!) thaw which
leaves the garden wet and exposed to freezing and thawing.

The pattern I think "they" have established is to give us some snow in
December for Xmas, then take it all away for January when the coldest
temperatures occur. They don't consult me or the other gardeners, see.

Carolyn Schaffner in Buffalo, NY

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