RE: TB:hort

Hi,

The problem with this burning method here is Wisconsin is that the ground is
too wet until way after bloom to accomplish burning.  The second thing is I
can just see out fire department if they caught me doing that.

Cutting to the ground with the type of snow cover we usually get does not
seem to negatively affect my Iris.   And clean up in the spring is a
comparative snap.  My Iris bloomed far better in the spring after I
instituted the method of cutting right to the ground at about freeze in the
fall than they did when I just cleaned up in the spring.  Mine freeze right
to the ground over winter so cutting them appears to be OK.

With the use of Advantage White Grub Control by Bayer I have very little
problem with the Borer.  It took until the second application to see a
lowering of eggs on the leaves and now after four applications there were
none when I dug this year.  This time I will be far more careful around the
very edges so I am sure everything has been treated.  At a recommendation
from a friend, who is a chemist, I have increased the amount of this product
used to try to emulate the amount of liquid recommended.  It is still a try
method but much better than some of the alternatives.   Crawling along the
rows and hand killing Borers is not on my list of things to do.  Some people
have the patience and do this with good results.

With smiles and good thoughts, Char, New Berlin, WI Zone 4b

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-iris@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of James
Ennenga
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 6:46 PM
To: iris@hort.net
Subject: Re: [iris] 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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