Re: divisions
- Subject: Re: [sibrob] divisions
- From: e*@aol.com
- Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2002 19:08:43 EDT
In a message dated 10/22/02 3:16:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
harold@directcon.net writes:
> > whenever it suits her! I've been told, and have experienced, that
> > spring is best in New England, but many of you clearly do it in summer
> > or fall, even late fall.
This has been discussed here before. The general consensus, not 100% for
sure, is that in the cold states, spring planting is better, the southern
states like summer or fall shipping, divison and planting. The idea that
would be that you would be losing the flowers for one year if you distrub the
clump in early spring. Either you accept that or you get some flowers. This
may have to do with the spring rains here. There is a lot more rain around in
May and June, as a rule, than July and August. I have country property and a
well so water nothing except containers.
I have been growing these for many years in zone 4 in a rocky mountainous
area and find summer or fall division or planting will a) die or wither away;
b) take a very long time to become a respectable border clump.
All of my plants are grown in the gardens, all in different places. A bed of
nothing but Siberians takes a lot of space for a short bloom season so those
will good foliage are what I would prefer and spot them around in the various
gardens and between the rock where there is a chance of moist soil. Saying
this, a clump of blooming iris is what I am aiming for, not a row. A grower
might have a different slant on this this.
I divide, if at all, in the very early spring, when the the shoots are just
appearing. Occasionally a gift or a purchase is so small or weak I put it in
the cold frame for a year or two, even three until it is a border plant.
For what it is worth, we may have snow this week and have had hard freezes
for weeks now. Siberians do not do well for me if fiddled with past late
May. Of course, there are some that will never grow here for inherent
reasons and that is something one does not know in advance.
A note on Lake Keuka. A friend bought a plant from the grower the day he
came to a club meeting to speak. He sent a large healthy division and she
was very happy with it. She gave me a small piece which I planted in a cold
frame. Two years later hers met with a fatal accident and mine was as large
as hers so I was able to cut it in half and return it to the friend. Lake
Keuka does well in zone 4.
Claire Peplowski
NYS z4
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