"laurie (Mother Mastiff)" wrote
in message .. .
| Last fall, my handyman put dirt over the iris corms, covered
them entirely,
| I failed to notice it, and as a result, I only got 2 blooms
this year out of
| a whole bed. Devastating.
|
| In previous years, I had great blooms and a nice long span of
blossoms, so
| the soil and light are appropriate.
|
| I rinsed an inch or more of dirt off the corms, but they look
so nekkid and
| exposed (about half out of the dirt, some a little more, some a
little
| less), then I got to worrying about how much of the corm IS
supposed to be
| exposed, for optimal blooms next year. Don't want the corms
damaged by
| severe weather if we get it this winter.
|
| So how much should be above the soil? A third? Half? Spill!
|
| I tore out a bed of orange daylilies next to the iris bed to
plant more iris
| this fall, about 4 weeks ago. Is it OK that the new corms
(which were dried
| out and topless when bought) are making shoots, and have 3-5
inches of new
| growth? They got some organic bulb booster about 2 weeks after
they were
| planted, so they wouldn't use up their strength this fall and
have nothing
| left for spring.
|
| Anxiously awaiting advice, I adore my iris,
|
| laurie (Mother Mastiff)
Laurie,
Here's the website and a couple of snippets I've used in the
past:
From
http://www.schreinersgardens.com/iri...html#irisca
Plant your Iris so that the tops of the rhizomes are exposed and
the roots are facing downward. A common mistake is to plant Iris
too deeply. Keep the tops of the rhizomes one inch below soil
level. Use a general fertilizer such as 10-20-10. After planting
keep them moist, not allowing the rhizomes to dry out.
(When planting or transplanting mine, I make a ditch for, and
cover, the roots and leave the rhizone mostly exposed. I had
almost 100% blooming this year).
We recommend covering newly planted Iris, especially in areas
with cold winters. Soil, straw, pine needles, and leaves are all
effective covers. Remove the cover as early as possible in the
spring. Early planting will also help your Iris become
established before the first winter.
HTH,
Raleighgirl
|