Re: OT ? Labels Cows Eat!
- Subject: Re: OT ? Labels Cows Eat!
- From: C* &* E* S*
- Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 21:33:01 -0400
Patricia Brooks asked a few questions and I'm sorry it took so long to answer.
"Great story about the cows. But I had to gasp at your mention
of "cutting the irises down." What does that mean?! Do you actually
shear off stalks and leaves after bloom? What I've always understood
is stalks, yes, after bloom; but leaves NO until they wither."
The iris leaves were cut in early November for the winter. We cut as
late as possible in the selling beds, and only if and when they look
ratty in our garden before late fall.
"You mention local selling. Does that mean you cut the stalks while
blooming to sell the rhizomes? Or dig up the whole thing? In which
case, what were the cows munching on."
We sell the entire plant, in bloom, in June. While the timing isn't
ideal for the iris, the customer has no doubt what he or she is
buying and the irises recover just fine, apparently whether the buyer
cuts the bloom stalk and leaves, as we recommend, before replanting
or not. Tough plants these irises! The cows were feasting on the
unsold irises in the first of eight 400 ft. rows. We have 5,000
plants in the ground now, about 25% of which are mature clumps which
we divide after two years if not sold. We only do this to support my
habit. Beats drugs.
--
Cheryl Schaefer
schaefer @capital.net
Zone 5 in the fabulous Finger Lakes of NY
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