Irises eaten up
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Irises eaten up
- From: M* H* <M*@worldnet.att.net>
- Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 19:46:48 -0600 (MDT)
Help! Something ate a whole bed of irises! Don't think it's iris borer
(from description I've read) -- could it be big, black ants? There are
many of same whittling away an old fir stump adjacent to bed, tho'
flowers and bugs had co-existed for years. Discovered die-off when snow
finally all melted (not long ago, here)-- at first, looked as usual for
early spring: left-over leaves dried out (tan colored), then noticed
little new growth. Investigated, found 90% of rhizomes gone to "wood" or
(more often) hollowed out. Tho't at first might be rot (had wet, late
winter here), but found some rhizomes with tiny pin-holes. No bugs
visible in/on rhizomes, but lots of aforementioned big, black ants close
by.
Don't know if expired rhizomes "stunk" (guess some rot reminiscent of
rotten eggs.) Hard for some to believe, but I have no sense of smell!
Really, except for extent of die-off the bed, when dug up, looked much
like too-crowed irises when needing division; then, of course, there
were the pin-holes I found in rhizomes just recently expired.
The dead were an old cultivar planted on property by previous owners in
late '40's (possibly I. variegata, as per description in "Growing
Irises", pub. '83, Timber Press.) I had divided & moved several times &
they bloomed lavishly summers '95 & '96 so seemed healthy going into
winter. No sign of inexplicable die-off in other irises -- this bed
separated from others by sidewalk.
I killed off the ants with Diazinon on general principle, both on/around
stump & in dirt nearby. Left the dozen or so plants still alive in
place, for now -- don't want to move them to other beds in case "bug"
travels with. Don't know what, if anything, it's safe to plant in rest
of bed. Would appreciate all comments.
Marte Halleck
In the Rocky Mtns at 7,400 ft. alt. -- tulips & daffies blooming now!
