Re: UNREGISTERED SIBERIANS
Hi All,
Leroy mentioned 2 items I would like to comment on: SHAKER'S PRAYER in
regards
to genetic vigor, and Ph tolerances in SI's.
SHAKER'S PRAYER has out performed almost all other Siberians in my
garden, and
with better foliage, and great color. Another one, SHOWDOWN is the only
other
contender for vigor, but doesn't have comparable foliage here. I grow in
nearly
perfect conditions for some plants and abysmal for others.
Let me explain. I live in the Piedmont of Virginia, in zone 6/7, with
heavy
clay soil, topped with a thin layer of topsoil. The native soil is ph
4.3 to
5.3, which I amend with manure to build organics and raise ph to maybe
5.5. The
Siberian Iris love it, the Japanese go crazy, the blueberries and
daylilies
thrive. Boxwoods decline, along with many other high ph loving
perennials, and
lawns struggle.
If the Siberian Iris can handle both ph 4.5 and ph 7+, and extremes in
climate
as well, we should, as plants people make sure that this adaptability is
bred
into new introductions. This is not easy to do, because of the rush to
propagate and get to introduction worthy plants. There are growers of
other
perennials that test their plants in widely disparate climates, and in
an ideal
world, so should SI hybridizers.
I do tend to disagree with recent statements on this robin to the
effect that
hybridizers are doing this quick introduction process to make big
profits. I
know of no hybridizer of any perennial that is making a lot of money.
Most are
not making money, and a few are making a small amount of money. People
that
hybridize plants are in it for many different reasons, but those with
experience are not in it for the big bucks.
Sending plants for out of region testing would reduce small or no
profits
further.
We as an international internet group have a perfect medium for testing
and
disseminating information on adaptability of new cultivars and potential
parents of our future introductions. Perhaps someone more organized and
experienced than myself could suggest a path toward this goal. The
number one
reason I was attracted to Siberians many years ago was performance with
good
foliage all season long Jim Murphy Ruckersville, Va, zone 6/7 in the
foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Leroy Kriese wrote:
> >SHAKER'S Prayer.
>
> Great comments, I love SHAKER'S PRAYER, one of my favorites! I have heard
> before, that SP winning the Morgan Wood Medal was controversial with some
> people, but I fully support it. What a marvelous all round plant and
> stunning color. SP is radiant, even though it was not a human contrived
> thing I take my hat off to the registrant and supporters for promoting it.
> Sometimes nature does a good job too!
>
> >As far as having trouble growing some things amoung
> >the "New" cultivars, I've found a comparison of soil ph
> >where they are grown, vs your conditions is very
> >important.
>
> A good point, it is recommendable to buy plants grown locally as opposed to
> plants from significantly different climate and soil type. Yet it does seem
> that there are some plants that can take widely different condtions and do
> exceedingly well. I grow a number of Siberians on soil that is pH 8.5 and
> they seem fine, SHAKER'S PRAYER being one of them. The main nursery soil is
> basically neutral, 7.0, I have not had it tested more recently, I suspect
> that it may be dropping due to cultivation practices, organic enrichment,
> etc. About 50% of Japanese iris seem to do ok on our deep sandy loam. On
> sandy soils planting deep really seems to be a key as well.
>
> Leroy
>
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