CULT: acclimation?

I'm starting to think there might be something to the idea of irises
getting acclimated to new growing environments.

I grew EURHYTHMIC for a year in a pot of sand, put it under shelter when
it rained, brought it indoors during the worst freezes, finally planted
it in the ground, where most of it promptly rotted with the first heavy
rain. I had seen photos and thought it was so pretty, I was willing to
put all this effort into keeping it alive, but to no avail.   I moved
the remnants <inside> a shed, where it gets full sun (more or less), but
only gets occasional blown in rain and has to send its roots outside the
shed for water and nutrients.  It bloomed there (photo posted a year or
so ago), but hasn't grown much (not surprising!).

Walter swapped me a start last year that he said was acclimated to MS,
after repeated attempts (and deaths) with this cultivar among local club
members.  I planted it in the ground, no special treatment.  While it
hasn't bloomed yet, it looks healthy and hasn't shown any tendency to
rot.  I also moved the remnants of my start of E into the same rows,
where it seems to be doing fine also.

I'm still not convinced this is a change in the physiology of the plant,
but I am pleased to see that it can do well here - gives hope for other
stubborn to settle cultivars.....

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
photos archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/>
online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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