Re: Increases and Blooming

In a message dated 96-05-11 15:47:30 EDT, you write:

>Starting with a rhizome that has bloomed and sent out increases in one 
>season. If I divide all them all, can I expect that under reasonable 
>growing conditions, the increases should bloom the following year?

I think many of our more knowledgeable folks are out gardening or visiting
nurseries, so I'll take a stab at some of these questions, John.
  (Why am I not out gardening--because it has been raining and SNOWING here
for days, all the creeks & rivers are at/above flood stage, and my lawn and
gardens resemble a bog at the moment!)
Theoretically, the increases should bloom the following year.  In practice, I
would expect about 50-75 % bloom, depending on genetics, how well they've
grown, soil fertility, weather--a host of factors!  

>Will the "mother" rhizome continue to put out increases but not bloom <
>itself (herself?)?<

Generally, the '|mother' rhizome is done once it's bloomed and put out it's
increases.  It will sort of wither away. 

>I have also noticed that some of the increases I planted (including some <
>I got from the local Iris club sale) have put up multiple fans but no <
>blooms (at least not yet).<

>A couple have also sent up multiple fans and multiple bloom stalks. I <
>was thinking that because I planted them here in zone 8 (coastal, bay)< 
>California in August, that they had time to grow enough to set the <
>blooms in new increases.<

This sounds like individual cultivars' idiosyncracies in bloom habit to me.
 Some increases won't bloom until the third year, or later, in which case I
would either move them to a different location (or give 'em the old heave-ho,
depending on how much you think you want that variety).  Some cultivars are
enthusiastic enough growers, that is, vigorous enough, to put up multiple
fans and bloomstalks right away.  I always like these!  There are enough
differences between cultivars in this respect that some can be counted on to
outgrow others 2 to 1 every season.  I really don't know about setting bloom
in new increases the first season--have to ask someone from a warmer climate!

>I know there are no immutable laws of Physics here (except the immutable <
>law of eastern Iris growing - Irisborer)<

OOOOOhhhh, I know this law!  It states: " Where there are irises, sooner or
later there will be irisborers!"

Dorothy Fingerhood
DFingerhoo@aol.com
Newfield, NY  (where the hyacinths and daffodils got buried under snow last
night)
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