Re: OT-BIO: Janet T. US Zone 2/ Can Zone 3

Janet like you I have been growing Iris for a while. Now I'm just more 
serious about it. Any of the horticultural practices I employ are not 
necessarily going to work for anyone else but do work for me. Having long ago 
given up on coordinating colors, many of the iris I grow are grouped by 
hybridizer. Some of my recommendations are contrary to conventional wisdom 
but have been tested, more or less scientifically, and work for me.

First and most important in any grow program is soil analysis. If you do not 
know what you have you can't know what to do. Soil test cost about $4 here 
and are the least expensive thing we can do with the greatest benefit.

Of the iris growing here, those in beds with a pH of 8.1 produced the 
greatest increase, suffered no rot and good bloom. Iris grown in pH of 6.5 
had the poorest performance. Iris grown in pH of 10 did not increase but 
survived and bloomed. Several other pH environments were also tested. Based 
on my results a soil pH between 7.5 and 8.5 is ideal for iris. Soil can be 
lowered by adding sulfur and raised by adding lime in any form. The coarser 
the lime the longer it takes for it to react with the native soil and thus 
produce the desired results. You can also use wood ash from fireplaces or 
wood burning heaters to raise the soil pH. When using wood ash you gain the 
benefit of adding desirable plant nutrients to your soil. Even if you 
successfully adjust your pH to a certain target value it will fluctuate as 
nature takes its coarse. At a minimum you should retest your soil every 3 
years with every 2 years being better. Ultimately your soil will revert back 
to its original native pH.

I'll respond more later. Don't be concerned about competing. The wise among 
us are not competing with each other. We are competing with ourselves. If you 
subscribe to this line of thought and live south of the North Pole you 
qualify as a Southerner and are immediately eligible to become a member of 
the Old South Iris Society. It's always nice to here from sincere and 
forthright people.

Bill Burleson
Old South Iris Society

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