Welcome new member

Hello, Barbara,

Welcome to Iris-Talk.

You asked about iris cultivation in heavy clay soil and warm climate.  I
struggle with both.  I live at the edge of Phoenix, AZ.  We have only five
months of the year when we can depend on not  having 100 degree F.
temperatures.  I also have heavy clay soil which I have to amend regularly
with silt (very fine sand) and compost.  It does have a lot of rocks though
and 12 to 15 inches down we run into caleche, a type of soft limestone.  The
soil is alkaline.  The one thing I have found for certain is that my irises
can not stand manure of any type.  A few years ago I put well composted horse
manure in one of my large beds.  It made the soil rich and moist, grew a
wonderful vegetable garden.  Then I had it turned into an iris bed and lost
nearly every iris I planted in it to soft rot.  I still have rot problems in
that bed.  I am careful now to use compost with no manure.  I use only super
phosphate for fertilizer, since my irrigation water contains some nitrates.
If it didn't, I would try some slow release nitrogen containing fertilizer,
nothing quick like Miracle Grow.  I've killed irises with that too.

I know where Tyler, Texas is.  We have a son and daughter-in-law who live in
Dallas.  On one of our visits they took us out to Tyler to see the rose
gardens.  It is a rival of Portland, OR as rose capital of the country.  It
was hot that day too.

Francelle Edwards,  Glendale, AZ   where we have had a week of 100+ degree
days in late Oct.

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