Re: Re: CULT: Growing Iris South Florida
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: Re: CULT: Growing Iris South Florida
  • From: L* M* <1*@rewrite.hort.net>
  • Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 08:16:53 -0500
Now all we have to do is wait a year or so. That would be really exciting information if it would keep blooming forever without further vernalization.
If it will keep blooming, then theoretically (assuming the same genes exist in TBs, hidden from you in Canada because of cold sensitivity) there could be other zone 8 or 9 rebloomers out there that could get vernalized and keep on blooming when moved to zone 10 (assuming they have the heat & wet tolerance/disease resistance) & assuming that vernalization doesn't somehow get re-set and disappear when it gets too hot
Important that it keep actively growing continuously, be capable of doing so when temps are >100oF during the day, >72oF at night, and constantly moist, with high humidity.
Using the fruit tree chilling model (in spite of the limitations of applying the data to iris vernalization requirements, tho I seem to recall someone doing that for estimating iris seed chill requirements....), presumably there are reblooming TBs that have lower chilling hour requirements for vernalization than those that are desirable for colder zones. From the fruit tree information I was able to find, there are fruit tree cultivars that require 100 hrs (or less) of chilling.
This link includes a map of Florida chill hours that is more detailed than the Maryland map. According to this map, southern Florida gets 50 - 100 chilling hours/year. 
http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/USDAZones.htm
Here's a bigger map.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/LyraEDISServlet?command=getImageDetail&image_soid=FIGURE%201&document_soid=MG374&document_version=2497
the copyright for the page says 2012, not sure what years' data were used to make the map.
So here we are, growing irises in zones 4? (Chuck) and no farther south than 7b (me), guessing at what could or couldn't work to start a <breeding> program for TBs in south Florida! ;-) I can tell bloom season is over for us for the year. 

Infinitely curious iris breeders...

Linda Mann

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