CULT: questions on potting iris

From: "Chris Hollinshead" <cris@netcom.ca>


> From: Chris Darlington <chris.darlington@sympatico.ca>
> Anyway , sorry for all of that , I'd like to ask a few basic questions:
>
> 1)It's still winter here is Quebec, zone 5b , I bought TB rhizomes last
> weekend and wonder if I could get them started in pots indoors and
> transfer them outdoors when it warms considerably.  Any chance of them
> blooming the first year if they're blooming size rhizomes ?

Yes, get them started in the pots right now. Then plant them out in the
garden later (about the end of April for where you live). I have 15 iris
that I have started over the winter and they all have gotten a nice head
start on the seasons growth that they otherwise would not . I think you will
not likely have too much bloom from these iris this year. Any you do have
will probably not be typical of the potential. (for example: shorter stalks,
blooms may be distorted) You will get good increase from these iris during
this year and bloom next year in 2000 will be excellent!

Briefly, what you right now need is:
pots - for TBs use 6 inch (15cm) I use clay pots.
growing medium - use seed starting soil mix which will help stimulate and
promote root growth
cut all the existing roots off flush with the bottom of the rhizome. ...just
trust me on this one!
plant the rhizomes into the pots, pushing them into the top of the soil and
leaving the tops exposed. Water very couple of days when soil mix becomes
dry. Keep them in a bright sunny spot.
Soon ...approx two or three weeks you will have new roots coming out the
bottom of the pots and new growth including 4 -5 new increases coming on
every plant.

The potting of iris has very recently been discussed on this list so if you
check the archives for Jan and Feb 1999 you will find some interesting info.
Also you can read about this on our Canadian Iris Society website. A direct
URL to the potting iris article is:
http://tor-pw1.netcom.ca/~cris/CIS/pots.html


> 3)Are there any  Canadian online catalogues with photos besides
> Mcmillen's that I could order from?  Canada seems to be weak in the area
> and ordering from the states can be mighty expensive .

Not on-line ones but I can send you privately a listing of Canadian iris
sources. You may wish to join the Canadian Iris Society too... the info is
all at the website. The URL address is listed below.

Christopher Hollinshead
Mississauga, Ontario  Canada  zone6b
AIS(Region 16), CIS, SSI
Director-Canadian Iris Society
Newsletter Editor-Canadian Iris Society
E-mail:  cris@netcom.ca <c*@netcom.ca>
CIS website:  http://www.netcom.ca/~cris/CIS.html



------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you like orange and blue, then you will love our new web site!
http://www.onelist.com
Onelist: Fostering connections and information exchange
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index