HYB:REB:varying seasons

What follows was a private post to Linda Mann in response to her question  on 
variations in (off season) bloom.  She requested that I post it to the  list. 
 <vbg>  
 

My  thoughts on the varying bloom seasons?  I think there are many things  
that can be doing it.  
 
That random mess of genes is the main problem.  So many  genes, triggers and 
modifiers.  
 
It's hard to know what you've got, even after years of growth, increases,  
and multiple bloom seasons.  This whole thing about Summer Radiance has  really 
changed my mind on a lot things.  For me, it's only given repeat  bloom, (10 
years) but now, in it's teens, it is giving fall bloom in NE &  VA.  Makes me 
even more anxious to see the 2006 crosses, with several  sporadic yellow/orange 
possibilities by SR.  
 
We've talked some about things being effected by weather and  change. Is this 
the result of randomness of weather and modifiers in  total?  I'm assuming 
it's had this capability from the beginning, but the  needs weren't met for the 
fall bloom.  A particular trace mineral for  instance?  Or just the right 
combinations of water and temp?
 
Is it possible that some genes were modified as increases?  Both  Robin and 
Mike had fall bloom stalks on irises I provided from this (Allen  County) 
garden.  
 
We know about things like the White Beverly Sills, but how many other  
changes happen that are so minute that we never realize they exist?   Opportunities 
abound in the rebloom field.  Possibilities, not  certainties.  
 
With HOM you are dealing with cycle rebloom.  Cycle rebloom IS fall  rebloom. 
 They don't bloom in the summer.  Of the reports I've read,  I've seen no 
indication that it can bloom in the summer.  So many of the  rebloomers fall in 
this category.  
 
Immortality, Feed Back, etc.. are sporadic rebloomer (no daylight needs)  and 
are not locked into the fall season.  This is one of the main reasons  I've 
used Pink Attraction rather than other pinks.  It's the only one I  know that 
blooms in July.  (anywhere, but mainly here)  
 
The repeat bloomers seem to be linked to the growth of the rhizomes  and will 
bloom when the rhizome matures.  
 
It takes a while for most seedlings to show their potential.  More  rhizomes 
equals more opportunity for genes to express themselves.   Maturity of clumps 
as well as maturity of individual rhizomes seems to effect  bloom.  Look how 
long it took my clumps of Violet Miracle to produce July  bloom stalks.  Very 
mature clumps in a specific year (2006.)  The  row has a soaker hose and I 
water a couple of days before I dig for  shipping.  I did ship some VM that summer 
so I know it was watered at  some point.  
 
Through the years, there have been thousands of seedlings bloomed by  rebloom 
hybridizers, but we still have less than 2 dozen really good  rebloomers that 
can bloom in the summer in zones 4-7.  
 
Not what you wanted to hear?  And, of course, I'm often wrong  so  . . . 
<vbg>  
 
The ability to summer bloom was one of my reasons for pushing Lunar  
Whitewash. With luck I'll do a write up on it next summer.  Three  clumps on a soaker 
hose with nine rhizomes total.  There's also a clump  of Again & Again in that 
bed.  Only one clump of three since it  doesn't increase as well.  But we'll 
see what they do with miracle grow  and water?  I'll report rot and all!  
<vbg>  



So now I'm locked into a report on that new bed?  LOL! Oh, well, if it  goes 
as well as I expect, I won't mind.  
 
 
________________________________________________________
Betty W.  in South-central KY Zone 6 ---If you don't cross them, you can't 
plant them!  
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
Some seedlings planted and some still  in the pots! 
_www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/_ 
(http://www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/) 
_Reblooming Iris - Home Page_ (http://www.rebloomingiris.com/)  
_iris-photos archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/)  
_iris-talk archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/)  
_AIS: American Iris Society website_ (http://www.irises.org/)   






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