CULR: Soft Rot
- To: Iris talk
- Subject: CULR: Soft Rot
- From: G* G* G* J*
- Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2000 17:11:07 -0400
I have been reading (lurking?) with interest the conversations about
soft rot, especially in the soggy southeast. I live in Raleigh, North
Carolina (zone 7) and have experienced the worst soft rot that we have
ever seen in over 30 years of growing tall bearded iris. Here in
Raleigh our troubles started last fall with rain from two hurricanes
totaled over 27 inches in 5 weeks. Some rot occurred then but most
appeared after bloom season this year. I had a 20 plus fan clump of
Celebration Song rot completely within one week for example. We lost
over twenty established clumps.
This summer I dug the bed with rot, incorporating top soil and
"Permatil" an expanded shale product that aids drainage. Newly purchased
iris were planted in the bed and almost immediately rains began. In
late July and late August we had two periods of daily rain for over one
week at each time. Planted iris from one California hybridized either
rotted or failed to grow any new fans and died at a rate of 52%. Those
from Oregon growers fared much better but we still lost about 20% of
those.
Experience over the last two seasons with recent cultivars has convince
me that modern tall bearded iris have lost too much resistance to
bacterial soft rot. The largest growers are apparently located in
regions that are not very susceptible (low summer rainfall with low
humidity and cool nights). This is not how it is in the southeast! I
never thought I would come to this point, but as "improvements" are made
with hybridizing tall bearded iris, I may have to start growing
daylillies instead. Life is too short to take much more depressing
results with trying to grow what have obviously become "fragile" plants.
Glenn Grigg
Asst. RVP Region 4, AIS
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