Mulch

Kim

  Your climate is somewhat more severe than here and I advise you to remove
all foliage above 4-5" high before covering with 6" of atraw. The reason is
that the old leaves falling on the rhizomes form a layer of wet covering
that is too slow to dry out in the spring just when good drainage and dry
condition are required to help prevent rot from getting started. Rot is
always there even if you have treated the rhizomes before planting. Leave
the straw covering as late as possible,even if some snow has fallen. You
just need to be able to see where the rhizomes are (if in a row) I've got
caught and put it on top of a foot of snow. Don't be in too big a hurry to
remove the straw in the spring. Leave it on until bare ground is thawed but
thawing under the straw is just about complete. This way you prevent heaving
- the real reason you mulch as cold alone does no harm - at least to an iris
suitable for the northern areas. Many fine introduction from the mid
continent and particularly California are useless in the north. I grow some
of these in an unheated plastic greenhouse. QUEEN OF HEARTS grows
wonderfully there and hardly stays alive outside. Unfortunately it blooms
two weeks ahead of show time and few see it here.

Bruce Richardson (near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)

     
Bruce Richardson (near Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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