OT-CHAT,San Diego Trek and Fertilizer Formula

Hello fellow Iris Lovers ,
WHAT A SPRING!!!  We were very fortunate to have Bill Shear for our featured speaker. He is a very entertaining and " crafty " speaker. ( Hi Bill !) He kept everyones attention by showing pictures of beautiful tall bearded iris (generally most popular ) and then adding in the species iris (talked about Signa Seeds)switching back to the talls adding more species and other varieties , he had us mesmirized!! His tactics worked! Someone in the audience asked about the Signa Seed program and we were all very interested in learning more about the interesting and charming SPECIES irises.
I am also writing to share a very special fertilizer with you . Bill Shear was astonished at our first year seedlings, planted last May (end of May). One actually bloomed in Oct of 2000! (5 months later). We have seedlings that look like 3 year clumps with 3-4 stalks loaded with bloom! My husband Ken conditioned the soil and used a special fertilizer formula ,both of which are used together for amazing results! Multiple stalks are the rule rather than the exception. These formulas were shared by others (with some changes ) and we would like to share them with you.

SOIL PREP: (as shared with us by Richard Richards)
Soil prep for my clay soil means gypsum at the rate of one pound per square foot , peat moss at the rate of one cubic foot for every twenty-five square feet of garden space, and alfalfa pellets (no salt added type)at the rate of one pound per square foot.( We also add a 2 inch layer of compost on top of all of the above . Dig or rototill above ingredients into the soil until well blended ,loose friable soil results. After preparing the soil , broadcast a GENEROUS amount of the fertilizer ( formula follows) evenly over the soil, dig or rototill well.Water all of this in . time permitting , wait 2-4 weeks ,water once more . A few days after watering ,rototill once more then plant. ( I hope it's okay to mention that we use a small GEM of a rotiller ,a Mantis. We couldn't live without it!)

Fertilizer formula- Based on a rose fertilizer formula by chemist/ rose fancier , Bob Linc, and changed to better suit irises. 
( A "PART" is whatever measuring device you choose to use. We use a one pound coffee can. Use same measuring device for each part)

5 parts milorganite
2 parts cottonseed meal
2 parts ammonium sulfate 
1 part superbloom , 1-10-10(Bandini)
1 part super phosphate
1part sulfate of potash

This fertilizer is also broadcast on existing beds and watered in ( scratched in a bit first, time permitting,if it's going to rain it just gets scattered on quickly.) We use about 3 times a year, early spring , 6 weeks after bloom and once more in the fall. Very low NPK 7-8-5.
We have used this formula on vegetables and roses also ,with great success. 

Happy Gardening
 Ken Pierson and Christie Pierson
Julian Ca. zone 7-8
In the mountains where it snowed the week before the trek!! Thanks Bill, for the great garden review,am really enjoying your wonderful book! 




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