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My winter losses are of several types: a few just disappeared from the squirrels, rabbits or the dog and one turned into spongy material after being dug up, had all small leaves chewed off, then deposited in the snow and found after it melted. Those lost were all late plantings which have the highest chance of problems. One of those that disappeared has been found-small leaves that started last season only with no rhizome any longer.
Quite a few have turned into crab looking rhizomes standing on their roots following all the frost/freeze heave cycles we had this winter. Those are mostly putting out new leaves and many have increase as well.
Name: Bonnie Sojourner Harris Brake, Arkansas, zone 7 The Magnolia Zone
Since most of my irises are growing great now and are really looking good and putting on increases I am thinking that the several that are not doing anything at all may need to be potted and pampered. They are not dead as I can detect some green on the lower parts of the little straw colored leaves. Their rhizomes are firm to the touch. I may wait another week and then if nothing happens dig and pot one or two and see what I can do for them. Its a nine days wonder they are not beginning to grow just to get me to stop poking and prodding them.
I like Lucy's idea. Should help once the ground is unfrozen. Have been trying to put any loose soil available around them to limit the wind/cooling. Thanks.
On my walk-a-bout this morning, I saw two crows pecking at something in one of the beds, and, sure enough, they had uprooted an iris rhizome, and seemed to be just playing with it! It was one that was planted very late in the fall, and had put down no "new" roots yet, so I guess it was easy for them to get at it. It's pretty tore up, but still seems firm to the touch, and "mostly" intact, so I replanted it. The soil mix (it's really just "dirt" to me !) that I used is so "loose", that it is really fluffy now, and I need some more hard spring rains to settle it.I need 2 more loads for the bed I started in the fall, and I think I'll modify the mix a bit ,to get something a little firmer......Arlyn
Our soil here is a very sandy loam, and, while it will grow nice things, it take LOTS of water ! It doesn't hold water ,at all, which makes for great drainage (too good, in fact). When I make my beds (did the same thing for the new veggie garden) I had a soil "mix" hauled in, and placed on top of the existing soil, making a sort of "raised bed". The soil mix comes from some "peat bottoms" near here, and is 50% peat , 25% composted manure (cow crap+ cornstalk "bedding"), and 25% what they call topsoil, but, the topsoil there in the "bottoms" is really mostly just a more weathered,(or broken down) form of peat. So, basically, the mix is almost entirely organic in make-up. It grows great stuff, retains moisture well, works up nice ,and stays loose so roots grow well in it. But, it's SO loose that it's "fluffy"! For this next bed, I'm thinking on getting maybe a half load of topsoil from someplace other than the "bottoms", so it has more mineral soil content, and then a load and a half of "mix", and till it all together . . maybe try to stiffen it up a bit. It would be nice if we could "swap" a little, as it would make a good mixture !....Arlyn
Yah -- I can't put anything lighter on top of our soil -- it will just wash away. It has to be tilled in -- and that's really hard to do in an established Iris bed. It's a lot easier when you're starting from scratch!
Every day is a second chance. Every day is precious time.
Tom -- don't you think I ought to finish restoring the Iris bed along the fenceline before starting a new bed from scratch? Hmmmmm?? The last third of that bed is going to be a bear -- the old Irises are a mass of entwined rhizomes, and the bermuda grass growing around them, through them and under them is an almost solid mass of stems and roots. What a mess.
I also have to find some way to stem the soil loss in Iris Lane.
So two huge jobs ahead of me. Can't take on a new project right now. It would be so much easier if I could.
Speaking of Iris Lane -- I walked it yesterday to survey winter damage. I lost Impressionist and Exotic Star. A couple others look rough, but should survive. But those two are nothing but dead rhizomes.
Every day is a second chance. Every day is precious time.
I think the winter was hard on us all in the middle part of the US. I have had the problems in the past with the rhizomes heaving out of the ground if I plant them too late. Now I don't plant after mid August if possible, and if I have to, I will weight them down with a brick.
Yah -- I can see that happening in Wisconsin for sure -- but Kentucky? We're on the map if we even get one freeze -- never multiples. I've even got relative new sidewalks cracking -- and the edges of the blacktop driveway breaking off.
Think I ought to put bricks on the replanted rhizomes now? At this late date?
Every day is a second chance. Every day is precious time.
I wouldn't think you would need to put bricks on them now, as the freeze and thaw period should be done for you now. At least freezing to the point of making the ground freeze, I'd think.
. maybe try to stiffen it up a bit. It would be nice if we could "swap" a little, as it would make a good mixture !....Arlyn
It's a lot easier when you're starting from scratch!
