SIB: Sickly Seedlings

From: "Jeff and Carolyn Walters" <cwalters@digitalpla.net>

Hi Everyone!

I made my first ever Siberian iris crosses in the spring of '97. The pods
proved very fertile and I got lots of seed, which I sowed in plastic pots
filled with commercial potting soil about this time last year and buried
the pots up to the rim outside in loose soil. Germination this spring was
very good - between 60 and 90% - much better than on my bearded iris
crosses. The seedlings grew well in the pots, but when I transplanted them
into the garden, which has soil of approximately neutral pH (7.0), nearly
all the seedlings soon developed signs of iron chlorosis (yellowing of the
leaves). This chlorosis has been so severe, particularly on the diploid
seedlings - although it has also affected the tetraploid seedlings to a
lesser degree - that many of these seedlings would have died if I had not
been treating them with iron chelates.I was somewhat surprised that this
reaction to growing conditions here occurred in these sedlings, as in the
Siberians I am growing that I acquired as divisions from mature plants I
have never observed any signs of chlorosis in the Tets and only some mild
chlorotic yellowing of the foliage in a few of the diploid cultivars.

If I am going to continue to raise Siberians from seed (and I have the
seeds from this year's crosses which I will be potting up today), it looks
like I will have to employ different methods to grow them out. Anyone have
any helpful suggestions?

Jeff Walters in northern Utah  (USDA Zone 4, Sunset Zone 2)
cwalters@digitalpla.net


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