RE: CULT: Pogons: Planting Depths

HI,
This year when I went to dig my Iris I was quite
surprised.  All of the Rhizomes were below the
dirt.  Just barely but non of the foot of the
Rhizome was showing on any clumps.  We have had an
unbelievable dry year.

Last year when I dug my Iris they were standing up
on top of the soil with the bottom of the Rhizome
hardly touching the dirt.  We had rain until I
thought I was going to float into the Mississippi
River.  My home is on that side of the high spot
in the state.

So the statement they find their own level is very
true.

Char, New Berlin WI

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-iris@hort.net
[o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of
ChatOWhitehall@aol.com
Sent: Monday, September 12, 2005 10:48 AM
To: iris@hort.net
Subject: [iris] CULT: Pogons: Planting Depths


In a message dated 9/12/05 10:46:55 AM Eastern
Daylight Time, 
gschubert@earthlink.net writes:

<< How about irises that tolerate having their
rhizomes planted a couple 
inches deep, the most likely naive thing to do? >>

My experience has been that bearded irises will
seek their own level, 
assuming they live long enough after initial
planting to get new roots down well. 

In sandy soil and bright sun, they may pull
themselves below the surface by 
several inches, where they will thrive. In heavy
clay, I have observed them 
rise. 

I believe in severe climates planting like "a duck
on the water"---odd, this 
recurring fowl thing--  the traditonally offered
standard, is also likely to 
lead to problems, which may include frost heave,
rhizomes which are actually 
frozen and so die, and, in some few circumstances,
heat killed, or cooked 
rhizomes.

I personally experienced a cooked rhizome when a
bad heat spell followed 
resetting here. I had a splendid rhizome of 'Helen
Collingwood', arguably the most 
gardenable pogon of the twentieth century, and one
of the loveliest, a 
rhizome raised by me, cook to mush in a matter of
hours. Now, I always cover my 
rhizomes when I plant, typically to a depth of
about one inch. They sort 
themselves out.  

None of which is to say that planting depth does
not matter or good things 
follow planting at inappropriate  depths, but if
the drainage is good, this 
error may not invariably be fatal. As with
anything else, what is best depends on 
where you are gardening, and the quirks of the
cultivar, as observed with an 
enlightened eye. 

There is not much you can do about gardening
naivte so profound that in 
planting a bearded iris the green foliage would be
buried several inches, except, 
of course, to try diligently to educate as the
occasion arises. 

I certainly don't think working to accommodate
such ignorance should be 
anyone's breeding goal.  

Or were you just joking, George? 

Cordially,

Anner Whitehead
Richmond VA USA USDA Zone 7

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