CULT: Bleach Therapy and Formulas

Greetings.
 
It has long been the received wisdom that newly received bareroot bearded  
iris rhizomes should be given a brief soak in chlorine bleach water to deter  
soil-borne disease and beat back any insects which have hatched in  transit. The 
formula suggested was ten percent bleach, which was one ounce  bleach to nine 
of water. Most, I suspect, just put a couple of glugs of bleach  in the 
bucket and filled it with water. 
 
Now, the bleach on the market, at least around here, is much stronger than  
it has been in past. A daunting chemical which appears strong enough to burn 
its  way to China if spilled. I believe it is three times as strong, or  perhaps 
they have reduced overall volume by thirty percent, but for some reason,  now 
when I need to know, the bleach bottle no longer tells me.
 
So I am wondering about the received wisdom, and wondering about new  
formulas.
 
It seems there are four sorts of bearded rhizomes. 1) The ones dug  from 
one's own garden; 2)the one's obtained from other gardens one knows,  
non-commercial; 3) Stuff from a local group's sale; 4) commercial bare-root  rhizomes, 
from near or far.
 
So I am asking, in which situations, if any, do you bleach irises  before 
planting them, or selling them, and with the new ultra or extra  concentrated 
chlorine bleaches, what formula, ounce to ounce, have  you decided is about right?
 
Also, does anyone ever dip plants in a little horticultural oil  solution to 
beat back aphids or whatever?
 
Thank you.
 
Cordially,
 
Anner Whitehead
Richmond VA USA USDA Zone 7

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index