Re: CULT: growth report
- Subject: Re: CULT: growth report
- From: D* E*
- Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 09:29:30 -0800
From: "Donald Eaves" <donald@eastland.net>
Hello Folks,
After the freeze last weekend, I took time this a.m. to evaluate that state
of growth in the irises. In spite of the freeze, I don't recall ever
seeing the
irises in better state of growth. Those with central leaf freeze damage
have grown about an inch this last week. Not everything was damaged.
Mostly, as I suspected, the arilbreds suffered the most. Even so, not
every one with buds got taken out. ZWANENBURG continued to grow
and is now showing color, but next door ZERZURA seems to have stalled
tho the bud area still appears healthy. The other two bud stalks on
CELESTE AZUL have ceased to grow, but KOKO KNOLL and ESTHER
THE QUEEN have continued to grow and now there are some which were
not apparent last weekend working their way up the fan. Not many of the
TBs were showing much sign of bud growth, so I think I may have only
lost the one which was far ahead of the others. The old homestead iris
which has a tendency to get frozen apparently escaped (purple based buds-
quite attractive, but not purple based foliage - is this usual?). Those
that
tried to bloom early last year show no signs of trying this year. Either
they
have learned to be suspicious of our weather patterns and acclimatized or
they're not going to bloom. The Siberians I was trying to salvage look
pretty good, so the relocation seems to be a success. Maybe some will
start doing as well as SEA SHADOWS. The surviving JI looks really well.
Lots of increase, good color, pushing 8 inches high. The LAs and spurias
have done well all winter. The LAs especially have grown aggressively. It
never got cold enough to knock the foliage back. The medians have finally
began to show some growth. Not much compared to the others, but they
do finally have something that looks healthy showing. I think there will
not
be much bloom this spring on the rebloomers I picked up last summer. I
suspect the rhizomes had fall buds which got damaged during the winter.
Maybe shipping younger rhizomes to this area would result in quicker
results. The increase on them has been good, so maybe I'll have rebloom
in the fall. It's not too late yet for another freeze hereabouts. I'm
hoping
we won't have that. Also, I'm hoping all that lush growth is not setting
me
up for rot if we have an extended rainy period (not likely, lately).
Since the JI is doing so well, any suggestions for JIs which might do well
in dry zone 7? I think I might always be limited in the number I can grow
due to their water requirements, but the one I'm growing has proved a lot
tougher than I would ever have suspected from reading the cultivation
requirements.
Donald Eaves
donald@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7 - between Abilene and Fort Worth
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