Re: TB:hort

Hi Lynn,

I leave the green fans which give nurishment to the rhizome, but I remove all dead leaves and rubbish. This gets rid of most of the iris borere eggs.. In the spring, I take a propane weed burner and scorch my garden. The iris rhizomes aren't hurt and only the first leaves are damaged. It also gets a lot more of the iris borer eggs, if they are in your garden. Allan Ensminger (hybridizer of Batik and many variegated irises) burned off every spring with a kerosene weed burner and he said he never had boreres.

Jim Ennengain Knoxville, TN zone 7.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lynn Stucker, DVM" <drlynn@wi.rr.com>
To: <iris@hort.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 3:07 PM
Subject: [iris] TB:hort


Hi all,
As I am cleaning out the iris garden for its long winter's nap, I am finding
hundreds of ladybugs. I have heard that this is a good thing-not only for
luck, but for what they eat. They seem to be "hunckered" down between the
fans near the bases of the rhizomes. I have found several patches of greyish
eggs along with a few. Are these eggs of the iris borer that the lady bugs
are feeding on, or might these be ladybug eggs? Also, am I doing a bad theing
for them by trimming back the fans and cleaning all the leaves and stuff out
of the garden? I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.
Lynn
Greendale, WI
zone 5

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