Re: New Member

Hi Barbara!

The humidity can be a problem I guess for rot-prone flowers; it's dry here in
California but in hot weather I find it better to avoid watering (especially
overhead watering; water trapped in the bottom of the outer leaves will really
promote rot in hot weather.  A dryer rhizome is more rot resistant too, and
those roots can easily be 3-4 feet long to seek out water.  When the weather
drops below 85 for a few days, I soak 'em deep.

Everyone's conditions are different; I can't say what will work for you, but
you could check the pH.  Also, I never liked steer manure for iris, at least
in the top 8" or so.  Too hot and too salty.  Others may have different
experience.  I know horse manure worked well for one lady out here.

John Reeds in 9b southern California
lamegardener@msn.com

-

  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Bzzscheile@aol.com
  To: iris@hort.net
  Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 5:41 AM
  Subject: [iris] New Member


  Good morning irisarians - This is my first post and an introduction.  My
name
  is Barbara Null and I live in East Texas almost exactly halfway between
  Shreveport, LA and Dallas, TX.  Our soil and weather conditions are more
similar to
  the Shreveport area as this is the Piney Woods area of Texas.  Our soil is
  slightly acidic and my little acre is red clay with some iron ore thrown in.
I
  have amended over the years with at least 1500 bags of leaves and 20 pickup
  loads of horse or cow manure plus other compost odds and ends.  The soil is
  still heavy but drains pretty good.  I grow all kinds of iris and am most
  interested in hybridizing PCI that will acclimate to this area.  I have had
moderate
  success.  I have quite a lot of trouble with TB rotting and have tried this
and
  that and am about to abandon raised beds as I notice that iris that I just
  "stick in the ground" seem to do better.  Also iris that I don't tend as
much
  tend to get a covering of pine needles and this seems to help so next summer
I
  am going to experiment with a thin covering of pine straw.  Also I am going
to
  experiment with watering the TB a little more.  Sure would like to
communicate
  with people growing iris in heavy clay soils, hot as hedouble toothpick
  summers and high humidity.
  Barbara Null
  Tyler, TX - zone 7b/8a

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