CULT: Spring Iris Cleaning

From: Lbaumunk@aol.com

I've been cleaning the iris beds this week.  It's time consuming and results
in a few sore muscles, but it's very much worth it.

I have first year and second year bearded iris clumps.  The first year plants
don't produce enough foliage in our short growing season to make cleaning
necessary.  I do clean every second year plant.  First I gently tug on the
brown leaves.  The oldest will come away in my hand.  This tug is an excellent
way to detect the presence of botrytis rot.  If too much plant material pulls
away from the rhizome, botrytis is usually present.  A close inspection of the
condition of the green leaves can also, to the eye trained by experience, spot
the rot.  I carefully dig out all infected parts of the rhizome with a soup
spoon, leaving the area where I dug exposed to the air.  I have saved many
irises by employing this procedure in the early spring.

Remaining brown leaves are removed with scissors, and any handy weeds are
pulled.  All that remains are the living, growing green leaves.  The area
around the clump is ready for the application of fertilizer, no liquid spray
or fertilizer will be wasted on brown leaves, and the irises look great.

The spring cleaning represents the beginning of the new season to me.  It is a
way of becoming reaquainted with the garden, and I always look forward to it.

Lowell Baumunk
Colorado 

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