Re: HYB: potting - hyb 101

Yes, Betty, that heps a lot!  Thank you.

Thanks for the extra info Mike.

I've been keeping my transplanted seedlings in partial shade also.

Based on what you say, I think the difficulty I have in getting
seedlings to keep growing is the heat we have so consistently through
the summer, starting at the end of bloom season.

Extra fertilizing and water encourages rot, which is ok - those will be
prone to rot as adults too, so I am happy for them to die as seedlings &
save me the trouble of lining them out.  But what you say makes me think
that, at least with non-rebloomers, trying to push them during the heat
of late spring and summer is a mistake.  Unless I can provide them a
dehumidifier/air conditioner <g>

I think I have a narrow window in the spring to really push these babies
along with extra nitrogen.  Unfortunately, that window corresponds to
peak bloom here, & my energy is limited these days, more so since that
also corresponds to peak spring allergy season.

Like you, I've experimented with manure in the bottom of pots.  I
started using it as a way to keep creek sand from running out the bottom
of pots I was using for temporary potting of rhizomes dug at off times
that I wanted to take to a later club sale.  The irises seem to thrive
on it - using about 4 inches of freshly gathered horse <apples> from the
pasture in a 6 inch? pot.

I will definitely try adding a small layer of manure to the window boxes
I use to line out seedlings.  That will probably work better than the
alfalfa pellets I've been using.  They ferment, which gives a bit of
extra warmth in spring, but don't seem to provide the longer lasting
benefit of the horse manure.

Do you add lime?

Thanks for giving me some ideas, stuff to chew on over the winter.

<Linda the area where I start the seedlings only gets 6 to 7 hours of
sun.
                   With all the rain this year they did not get that
much. I could not tell
                   much difference in the ones that germinated early. I
had a few that were
                   real late and they were a little smaller. I have a
few that have germinated
                   this fall from this springs pots.

                   It is a mix of early and mid bloomers most being mid.

                   I think the difference is they are getting nitrogen
for good leaf growth.
                   Almost everything I read says no nitrogen for iris.
That has not worked for
                   me. I prefer 6-24-24 or even 12-12-12. It should be
applied during growth
                   times not when it is hot and humid and they are going
smi-dormant. Mike Greenfield
                   redear@Infinet.com
                   SW Ohio Zone 5b>

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
photos archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/>
online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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