Re: a newbie with a ?

In a message dated 98-03-17 17:22:45 EST, you write:

>     ....another 'newbie' surfacing...to computing as well as irises.<snip>.
In the fall I saw a great deal on tall/bearded bulbs and bought about 40.
Before I had a chance to get them into my garden we had an
>unlikely change in the weather and I was afraid to put their little feet into
>the ground for fear they wouldn't make roots enough to get through a frigid
>upstate New York winter.  So I 'planted' them in peat moss in the veggie
>drawer in my refrigerator...they are still looking like iris bulbs...my
>garden is till frozen...I think I should be doing something with them about
now but
>I'm not sure what...???can I start them in a cool room (55 degrees) in pots
>on a windowsill?? 

Hello Elizabeth!  And welcome to the iris list.  You'll have fun here - lots
of folks of all ages and levels of expertise... and each of us learns
something every day.

I'm in the Buffalo area so you can be sure we have one thing in
common....brrrrrrrrr.  

OK, now for your question on what to do with the irises in the fridge (is
there a gardener among us who doesn't have more plants than food in the
fridge??).  This is my advice, based on the time of year.  You're going to get
setback if you plant them in the garden in the spring... and you're going to
lose a year if you leave them in the veggie drawer until it's time to plant.
My advice is to buy a bunch of pots and begin potting them up!  If you have
the room, put them in your basement under lights (shop lights will do just
fine... the lights should be just a few inches above the foliage - and should
be on chains or some other arrangement where you can lift them as the foliage
grows.)  There probably is not enough light on a windowsill... and the pot
arrangement will help you to control what's going on.

When the weather permits, you can move the pots outside.... and then you can
pot them into the ground when the ground warms sufficiently.

You should understand that (unless you have some medians), the chances of
bloom this year are pretty slim... but at least you can set them up for next
year.

Also, you can spend the rest of this time drinking in all the information
available in NY on irises... you may not be aware that there are tiny irises
that bloom in the beginning of May... and beardless types that bloom in July!.
There are shows in the upstate area - one near Albany, one near
Poughkeepsie... and I believe there will be several activities in north
eastern NY.   If you can tell me where you are, I can point you to some great
gardens too!

And... if you really want to wallow, please consider a membership in the
American Iris Society.... 4 color Bulletins a year, plus all kinds of local
information and news.  If you send me your "snail mail" address (privately),
I'll send you a bunch of information on irises and AIS.

So, Elizabeth "Newbie".....  I hope this has helped and I hope we can help you
to explore your new-found love!

Kathy Guest in
East Aurora, NY
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