Iris--TOW
Jane McGary (Tue, 09 Mar 2004 18:32:33 PST)
Robert Pries wrote
I suspect that Jane may have some probelms with them because they like to
dry out and resent consistent moisture. But I would suspect that Jane
could do very well with the Siberian group especially the 40 chromosome
species that are very difficult for me because they need more moisture.
Dutch Iris the, in fact all of the xiphiums are somewhat of a challenge
here and probably are best grown for only one year and treated as annuals,
in this they do tolerably well. The pacific Coast natives are a challenge
hear also but can be grown as plant from seed but rarely succeed as
transplants. I am curious as to why albertii would do well for Jane and
not some of the other bearded species.
There is no problem with drying out the bearded irises here, where we
normally have no measurable rain from the beginning of July through
September; that is why the largest commercial producers are in Oregon. The
problem in the home garden is that they are eaten up by slugs (which are
controlled in commercial fields) and suffer from diseases during the wet
winter (controlled by spraying in the fields). Some of the pure species
appear to be disease-resistant and have persisted here for many years.
Because bearded irises are bred mostly for unusual flowers, little
attention appears to be paid to the cultivars' ability to flourish under
garden conditions; like hybrid tea roses, many modern cultivars are
primarily for enthusiasts who can attend to their special needs in a
monoculture situation.
Pacific Coast irises transplant very easily as small seedlings grown in
pots, but digging and moving larger plants is tricky. It is normally done
in late fall, after fall rains have stimulated new root growth, or in early
spring before flowering. This would not be easy in the Midwest. They are
not intolerant of summer water as long as they have good drainage; many of
mine are in areas of the garden watered about once a week, but they're
mostly on slopes (also not very common in the Midwest).
Jane McGary
Northwestern Oregon, USA