Dutch iris requirements

Jane McGary janemcgary@earthlink.net
Thu, 11 Sep 2003 20:02:00 PDT
Jim Waddick wrote,
"You are destroying my illusions of fields of Dutch Iris growing in the 
Pacific NW. I understood that this was at one time a major growing area for 
Dutch Iris (among others)."

I expect they were grown along the southern Oregon coast, where Lilium 
longiflorum (Easter lily) is also a major crop. It is much warmer there in 
winter. Cutflower producers also grow a lot of them in poly hoop houses.

>         "What's an Iberian bulb doing flourishing in Holland?"


Presumably they lift them, as they do most everything, store them in 
climate-controlled warehouses, and plant them late in fall or in winter so 
that they don't make top growth and freeze out.

That said, Dutch irises do get through the warmer winters here, such as the 
past two or three.

Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA


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