Re: Spring sickness?, Potted spring shipments

Musings on transplanting siberians:

It seems like the more we grow siberians the less we understand them.  Just 
when we think we have figured them out we find we haven't.  For many years we 
had great difficulty getting newly planted siberians to take in the 
summer/fall and would  get new siberians in the spring whenever possible.  In 
the last few years the plants we have planted in August have taken 100%.    
We can usually tell before winter comes whether they will take because when 
you tug on them they are really well attached.   This spring I potted several 
plants for our local iris club sale in July and they have not all done well.  
Some are fine, some died, and some are just so so.  We have had very erratic 
weather this spring, several times going from weeks of 40's and damp to 90's 
and then back to 40's.  Clearly the siberians in the pots did not like it.  
On one of those 90 degree days I felt like my plants were boiling in their 
black pots.  Some of the plants we purchased this spring  did great and bloome
d well, some are just sitting there.  

We have discovered that some of our introductions are late starters - they 
just don't grow their new roots or foliage in the spring as early as others.  
Among these are Devil's Dream, Dance Suzy and Dandy's Hornpipe.  We may have 
to stop offering these varieties in the spring.   They do not seem to mind 
when we line them out (i.e. replant immediately) in the spring but washing 
and shipping is a strain on plants without new roots and some people have 
lost them as John mentioned with Devil's Dream.  If we wait and ship later in 
the spring there are other plants which are early starters that will suffer 
from being moved too late.
  
As far as plants wintering over, coming up in the spring, and then turning up 
their toes and dying I don't have any good ideas.  Currier McEwen has been 
doing a research project on a mysterious sickness in siberians and this may 
be it.  You might want to write to him about it.  Jan and Marty

------------------------------------------------------------------------
STEALS AND DEALS! Cheapest prices on airfare, new cars, insurance, maids,
contractors, collectibles, more. Get exactly what you want at the lowest
price. New FREE service!
http://click.egroups.com/1/5746/6/_/496957/_/961730273/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index