Re: TB: CULT: Drought

In a message dated 10/28/2007 4:16:14 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
FJMJEDWARDS@worldnet.att.net writes:

<<I am very interested in the report of irises that grow many  small feeder
roots during a drought that slough off after a  rain.>>
 
I thought the small feeder roots grew in response to the light rains  earlier 
in the month.  Just guess work of course.  No way to have  a controlled 
situation.  I dug four different cultivars and didn't find the  small feeder roots 
on the others, either dead or alive.  One was in the  same bed and the other 
two were in another bed on the other side of the  garden.  
 
It's been my experience that deep roots (the large ones) develop when  the 
soil is loose to a great depth.  If the subsoil is compacted the  roots will 
spread out rather than down.  The roots search for nutrients by  the easiest 
possible routes.  Deep soaking does encourage the deeper  roots.  
 
As to the bald irises, I've limited experience with these.  I once had  a 
rhizome of Cracken grow bald in a clump in the garden.  (First batch of  modern 
irises.)  Replanted it and it grew fine.  Seems it had  something to do with 
the Oncocyclus bloodlines.  Then a couple of years  ago, Noble Dragon arrived 
without increase or roots.  I tried moving it  & "nicking" it, but nothing 
helped.  It just disappeared.  There  have been a couple more over the past 20 
years but memory fails me.  Bloom  out hasn't bothered me in several years either. 
 Last time I remember it  happening was at Alvaton with a rebloom seedling 
that I really wanted bad.  
 
A newer phenomena among the seedlings is a "failure to thrive."   That's what 
they call it in children.  With children it's the results of  inattention, or 
lack of interaction with adults.  But I haven't a clue with  the seedlings!  
They grows to about 5 inches in height and just stops  growing and eventually 
they die.  I suspect the roots die.  I don't  remember seeing this before I 
moved out here.  Maybe I wasn't paying enough  attention.  Or maybe I'm doing 
something different?  Or maybe it's  this soil?   I didn't use roundup or preen 
before moving out  here.  
 
Usually they are dead by the end of the second summer.The 2000 series was  
planted 2006.  Many were frozen back in the spring and then went dormant  during 
the drought.  Now, some are starting to revive and grow again.   Found one of 
the ftt seedlings in the Vanishing Act X Night Game.  Maybe it  was more 
noticeable because the others are growing so well? 
 


 
________________________________________________________
Betty W.  in South-central KY Zone 6 ---If you don't cross them, you can't 
plant them!  
Bridge In Time Iris Garden@website:
Some seedlings planted and some still  in the pots! 
_www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/_ 
(http://www.thegardensite.com/irises/bridgeintime/) 
_Reblooming Iris - Home Page_ (http://www.rebloomingiris.com/)  
_iris-photos archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/)  
_iris-talk archives_ (http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/)  
_AIS: American Iris Society website_ (http://www.irises.org/)   






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