Re: CULT: and HYB: TB's in general....

Laurie,
I was thinking along the lines of flower size of TB's at the time.
As far as growing, if I plan on spending any $$$ on any of the fancy new introductions, I would strongly consider potting them and moving them indoors as winter approaches so as not to lose them. Same thinking for some other cultivars, so I wouldn't lose everything to our cold, just in case a certain cultivar couldn't handle the weather. That way I could do some very limited hybridizing work as winter approaches, indoors. Depends on what does good in pots, also. :)
But for the ''goal'', finding what will do good in colder climates and working with them is going to be the key to success for us cold climate irisarians. Then I can work on crossing them to other less climate hardy iris.
Worst case scenario... I move back to Oregon  ;)  j/k....
Oh, btw, Laurie, maybe you could forward me a list of who has and hasn't made it up there to give me a bit of insider info on which cultivars, TB's, or others, to avoid around here. thanks....
steve m. -z4b- duluth,mn - well, I didn't move here for the iris sake!
 
 
 
 laurief <laurief@paulbunyan.net> wrote:Hi Steve,

>I am curious about rhizomes and plant size. Now, I've heard that a 
>smaller plant is likely an inferior plant (more or less).

What are you talking about in terms of "smaller" - shorter stalks, 
smaller flower size, smaller clump?  Are you making this assessment 
exclusively relative to TBs, realizing that all other bearded classes are 
inherently smaller than TBs?

>is it possible that a smaller plant could possibly 
>be a superior plant that has been grown in less than perfect 
>conditions and still be worthy of using as a future breeder? 

My understanding is that growing conditions from climate to climate, 
garden to garden, and year to year can dramatically affect the growth and 
performance of just about any iris cultivar.  I would think an 
exceptionally superior plant would be one that would perform well under 
as many different growing conditions - both good and bad - as possible.
>
>Also, I've been advised that certain gardens have larger flowering 
>plants than others. Is that because of the conditions from state to 
>state or is it that one garden actually strives toward and works with 
>better plants?

I'm sure it's both.  The trick is choosing the cultivars that are known 
to perform best under your specific growing conditions, then growing them 
as well as you can.

> I'm considering investing a small amount of money and 
>a lot of time to the iris and would really like to get a start with 
>excellent quality iris.
>I'm basing "better iris" on the fact of who has been around and "big 
>names" in the iris world.

That's the wrong basis on which to choose irises for our climate.  Most 
of those "big names" create irises in "iris heaven" out on the West 
Coast.  Those cultivars are hybridized in and acclimated to a climate 
about as dissimilar to ours as it can get (as you well know).  That's not 
to say they aren't gorgeous irises and worthy of the awards many of them 
earn, but they may or may not be able to survive in our climate.  
"Excellent quality" irises won't do you much good here if they croak over 
winter.  

I've been in the process of trying to discover frigid-hardy irises for 
the last several years, and many have fallen victim to my growing 
conditions along the way.  You'd better plan on making a fairly large 
financial investment over a long period of time to find modern TBs that 
will perform reliably enough here in northern MN to be useful as breeding 
stock.  I also suggest you not spend big bucks on those fancy new intros 
until you see how the 90's decade moderns grow for you.  It really stings 
when you find half a dozen expensive intros coming out of their first 
winter as little globs of rotting mush.  Ouch!

Laurie



-----------------
laurief@paulbunyan.net
http://www.geocities.com/lfandjg/
USDA zone 3b, AHS zone 4 - northern MN
clay soil


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