RE: CULT: Potting

From: "Chris Hollinshead" <cris@netcom.ca>

An interesting topic for me... Perhaps some of you will remember the potting
discussion from January...
If you missed reading the original Walter M. article on potting your new
iris acquisitions you may find it on my CIS website.

I also have been busy potting my new acquisition iris this year. I cut ALL
the roots off each rhizome prior to potting. About a month after potting I
find that they are fully root bound and readily transplant quickly and
easily into the prepared permanent garden site. For  potting soil I use the
special mix Scott's Seed Starting Soil which is formulated to promote root
growth and provides exceptional drainage. Beautiful results with this.
Better than other mixes that I have tried. I also use 15 cm (6 inch) clay
pots for TBs and 13cm (5 inch) ones will do for SDBs. I like the clay pots
as I previously had a little bit of problem using plastic pots with rot due
to heat build-up and moisture retention. I consider the pots and the special
soil mix to be a relatively inexpensive and worthwhile investment in giving
the new irises a super start. The established root systems cut overwinter
losses to almost nil and there is virtually no heaving.

Now a question for Walter M, Glenn S. and anyone else who follows iris
potting practices.
I have come across a couple of TB iris that are proving reluctant
starters... After a month in the same conditions as the other TBs they have
almost NO roots established. This is probably genetic and therefore specific
to the varieties in question. I have read reports of a couple of these TBs
to be slow or reluctant growers in the garden too... They are: FANCY WOMAN,
CREDIBLE JUSTIFICATION, SPIN DOCTOR and in a previous batch SPIRIT WORLD.
Anyone tried applying rooting hormones or any other techniques to jump start
"difficult" cases like this?

Any comments?
Chris.

Christopher Hollinshead
Mississauga, Ontario  Canada  zone6b
AIS(Region 16), CIS, SSI
Director-Canadian Iris Society
Newsletter Editor-Canadian Iris Society
E-mail:  cris@netcom.ca <c*@netcom.ca>
CIS website:  http://www.netcom.ca/~cris/CIS.html
Siberian-Species Convention 2003 website: 
http://www.netcom.ca/~cris/sib2003.html

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wmoores [w*@watervalley.net]
> Sent: Saturday, September 18, 1999 12:16
> To: iris-talk@onelist.com
> Subject: [iris-talk] CULT: Potting
>
>
> From: "wmoores" <wmoores@watervalley.net>
>
> I ran out of four inch plastic pots, and when I went to Wal-Mart to
> get some more, I found that the price had gone up to $.97 ea.  That
> is too much.  I went to the paper products aisle and found plastic
> 16 oz. solo drink cups in bright red. - 20 for about $1.29  I tried
> punching holes in the bottom for drainage but the cups crushed, so
> I made several stabs on the sides and found that satisfactory.
> After filling the cups, I noticed they don't want to stand up, so I
> braced them by putting them in between other potted irises.
>
>


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