Re: FIRST TIME IRIS GARDENERS
- Subject: Re: FIRST TIME IRIS GARDENERS
- From: p*@whidbey.net
- Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2001 02:22:37 -0000
Diana,
A good place to look for commercial growers (the best sources by far)
near you is to go to the American Iris Society website and click on
Links, then Commercial Growers. You can then click on any or all and
find out what they offer -- often with gorgeous photos that will
drain your pocketbook faster than anything I know of.
Enjoy your foray into irises. But as you will quickly see from this
site, iris growing can become VERY addictive!
Patricia Brooks
Whidbey Island, WA, zone 8-9
-- In iris-talk@y..., Arnold Koekkoek <koekkoek@m...> wrote:
> Diana, Annette Milch hit on the major questions when she asked
where you lived and in what USDA zone (if you know) you live. The
answers to your other questions depend, to some extent at least, on
where that is. The basics are the same for anywhere, though: never
cut off the leaves while they are green, because they are the means
for the plant to feed, and while they're green the rhizome is still
growing. In this area, which has very cold winters that may come
on early at times, I never cut off a leaf until spring clean-up.
Just keep the dead or dying leaves picked off all the time, if you
have time for it. Dead leaves left on the ground may harbor
diseases. The only time to cut the leaves back to about 6" is when
you have to transplant rhizomes. Leaving the seed pods on the plant
means the energy is going to making seeds rather than into the plant
itself. If you don't want the seeds, get rid of the pod as soon as
you see it. And as soon as all the flowers on a stem are gone it is
best to cut or break off the stem as near the rhizome as you can. I
always cut, some always break, and both seem to work.
> As for suppliers, well, there are so many good and dependable
ones. The rule to follow is not to buy from a general nursery,
certainly never from a Wal-Mart type store. The discount places
usually sell the rhizomes at the wrong time--they are in the store
here right now, and any rhizomes planted in Iowa in October
have "Death" written all over them. Again, knowing where you live
might help somebody on iris-talk give better advice about a good
supplier in your own area. That would enable you to get stock that
was already acclimated to your conditions, and you might well get
bloom the spring following planting. Otherwise it often happens
that you don't get many of them blooming the lst season. Of course,
there are all kinds of good and dependable national suppliers, too,
and most of us on iris-talk can suggest some names and addresses.
For much of the country it's too late to plant this season, but
farther south you can still do it. So, again, your location is vital
information.
> Meanwhile, welcome to iris-talk. You can find out a lot of
information by reading what gets posted here. And don't be afraid to
ask questions, as you have done. I'm a retired teacher, and I often
told my students there is no such thing as a dumb question. "Dumb"
is to have a question and not to ask it, for then you'll never learn
anything new. Happy gardening!! And be warned, iris growing can
be addictive!! The more you get the more you want!! :-) It's
wonderful!!!!
> Arnold
>
> Arnold & Carol Koekkoek
> 38 7th Street, NE
> Sioux Center, IA 51250
> e-mail koekkoek@m...
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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