Re: pci

At 09:44 AM 5/30/97 -0600, Lora Masche wrote:
>We live in Volcano, Calif, at a elevation of 3,000 feet.  We hot summers
>and cold  winters getting anywhere from 4 inches to 2 feet of snow.
>
>conditions, except to know they were a coastal flower that prefer a cool
>climate and probably more moisture.  
======================================================
Is it correct that they are a "coastal" plant? My understanding was that
their habitat was mostly mountain slopes on the drier side.
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>
>Well, my experience was not the best.  Two feet of snow came this past
>Jan before I had a chance to cover them for protection.  The snow stayed
>on the ground for about a week so I lost all but four. 
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It is unlikely that they were done in by the snow. We in the great white
North know that snow is the perfect insulation against low and changeable
temperatures.
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>
>I am going to take the last four remaining and plant them in a filter sun
>by the pond where they will get a little more moisture. 
=======================================================
They grow here without special care. Under snow all winter in fairly light
soil, pH about 6.5 and in full sun all summer with very little irrigation
and normally little useful summer rain. Our sun is probably less intense
than yours but the day is longer which may compensate some. Our summer
temperatures are usually into the nineties with close to zero humidity.
>From about a month after they bloom until late Aug. they are grown under
dry conditions and the original seedlings have now survived for 6 years.
Minimum winter temperature during that time was -33C (-28F). 
They are out of their range here but seem to have adapted to it and are
among the easiest of irises to grow.
Bear in mind that these were grown from seed and total only about 20 plants
derived from a mixture of 4 or 5 species. The results may not have
universal application but it is the way it happens here.

Hope this helps

John Montgomery
monashee@bcgrizzly.com
Vernon  BC  Zone 5	Where May is putting the lie to the history of our arid
climate.
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