Re: CULT: Scorch victims?
Donald,
I also have some scorch. Although I have had one or
two cases of this before on any given year it has
never been like this. I am compiling a list of
cultivars to send to Cindy Rivera at her request. I
too have looked for a common denominator and IMHO I
think it might be tied to early spring growth and a
light freeze. I theorize that maybe the varieties
that were damaged are more susceptible to freeze
damage thus weakening the plant and allowing scorch to
attack.
I spoke with several people about this during the
national and everyone seems to have their own horror
story. It also seems to be the year for scorch. An
awful lot of people seem to be having a problem with
it. I wonder how many of them had little to no winter
as compared to normal. That is the only thing that
makes this year different for me. Maybe the lack of
winter allowed varieties that are cold sensitive to
start their growth early and then when we had a little
freeze it zapped them. Now, for the hole in that
theory, 2 pieces of the same cultivar, 18" apart, one
scorched and the other is growing and blooming its
fool head off.
One other observation, the scorch is MUCH worse in
the beds I dug last year. In the 2 year and 3 year
old beds there is little to no damage with 80% coming
from the 3 beds that were planted new last year. Too
much fertilizer, compost, tender loving care????
Next question is, will the victims live or should I
just dig them up and throw them away? Some of them
were 1999 introductions and some of them were
historics. I don't want to lose them all either way.
I notice some of the have little bits of green growth
(new?) under all that damage. Should I cut off all of
the damaged foliage?
Comments, suggestions??
--
d*@llano.net
Dana Brown
Pres. South Plains Iris Society
Lubbock, TX USA 79401
Zone 7 USDA, Zone 10 Sunset
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