CULT: mulch, ground cover, weeds, companions
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: CULT: mulch, ground cover, weeds, companions
- From: L* M* <l*@icx.net>
- Date: Fri, 13 Mar 1998 05:34:37 -0700 (MST)
Some more thoughts on companion plants, weeds, worms etc. Based on some
discussion in the early days of the iris list and my own observation
around here, disease and insect pests are much less of a problem where
irises are buried in weeds, fescue grass, etc. If the rhizomes don't
rot. My suspicion is that the 'ecosystem' right around the plant has
enough diversity in it that the bacteria and fungi and aphids are as
likely to be lunch for something as they are to bother the irises. The
grass especially also keeps rhizomes protected from weather extremes -
slows down warm up in spring, delaying lush growth and protecting from
heat extremes in summer and radiational cooling in late freezes and
frosts. Unfortunately, most modern irises are selected for doing their
best without any kind of mulch or smothering growth of other plants. So
maybe this is an area even the west coast hybridizers might enjoy
working on - developing more bearded irises that will thrive with
'smothering' companion plants. Maybe not, if they are trying to
conserve water. Maybe I will try germinating my next batch of iris
seeds under a 'living' mulch of Sedum.
By the way, my experiment of planting BABBLING BROOK, QUEEN OF HEARTS,
and PINIFORE PINK with a blanket of <fresh, but rained on and sunbaked
for a few days> horse poop from the barn lot killed B B, but Q of H and
P P are thriving. The 'mulch' is now piled completely on top of the
rhizomes. I planted them this way summer before last as an experiment
after some discussion about mulch and rot. I. pallida seems to do well
this way, so maybe these are her genes. The manure is nice and
gooey/mucky now and full of worms.
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA
extremely well-drained gravelly loam, barely sloping, wide creek valley,
700-800 ft elevation. 12o today.
