I live in Marin County, CA...just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I just bought
some quality bulbs on sale for dutch iris, lilium, and bearded iris.

Should I plant them now or just keep them dry and plant in the fall? The cold
weather (such as it is) has passed.

I already had some of each planted ages ago which bloomed just recently and are
now in the process of turning brown.



*

On Tuesday, May 20, 2014 1:36:41 AM UTC-4, elfa45 wrote:
I live in Marin County, CA...just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I just bought

some quality bulbs on sale for dutch iris, lilium, and bearded iris.



Should I plant them now or just keep them dry and plant in the fall? The cold

weather (such as it is) has passed.



I already had some of each planted ages ago which bloomed just recently and are

now in the process of turning brown.







*

Wait until fall
MJ

On 5/19/2014 10:36 PM, elfa45 wrote:
I live in Marin County, CA...just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I just bought
some quality bulbs on sale for dutch iris, lilium, and bearded iris.

Should I plant them now or just keep them dry and plant in the fall? The cold
weather (such as it is) has passed.

I already had some of each planted ages ago which bloomed just recently and are
now in the process of turning brown.

Bearded iris are not true bulbs. They are rhizomes. They should be
planted immediately since the plants tend to be evergreen and not die
down like true bulbs.

Dutch iris and lilies, however, are indeed true bulbs. They should be
stored in a slightly damp medium (sand, sawdust, peat moss) until fall
and then planted.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

On Tue, 20 May 2014 07:28:29 -0700, "David E. Ross"
wrote:

On 5/19/2014 10:36 PM, elfa45 wrote:
I live in Marin County, CA...just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I just bought
some quality bulbs on sale for dutch iris, lilium, and bearded iris.

Should I plant them now or just keep them dry and plant in the fall? The cold
weather (such as it is) has passed.

I already had some of each planted ages ago which bloomed just recently and are
now in the process of turning brown.

Bearded iris are not true bulbs. They are rhizomes. They should be
planted immediately since the plants tend to be evergreen and not die
down like true bulbs.

Dutch iris and lilies, however, are indeed true bulbs. They should be
stored in a slightly damp medium (sand, sawdust, peat moss) until fall
and then planted.

In Marin County, CA with that mild climate I don't think it much
matters when bulbs are planted, any time of year is fine.

In article , Brooklyn1 says...

On Tue, 20 May 2014 07:28:29 -0700, "David E. Ross"
wrote:

On 5/19/2014 10:36 PM, elfa45 wrote:
I live in Marin County, CA...just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I just bought
some quality bulbs on sale for dutch iris, lilium, and bearded iris.

Should I plant them now or just keep them dry and plant in the fall? The cold
weather (such as it is) has passed.

I already had some of each planted ages ago which bloomed just recently and are
now in the process of turning brown.

Bearded iris are not true bulbs. They are rhizomes. They should be
planted immediately since the plants tend to be evergreen and not die
down like true bulbs.

Dutch iris and lilies, however, are indeed true bulbs. They should be
stored in a slightly damp medium (sand, sawdust, peat moss) until fall
and then planted.

In Marin County, CA with that mild climate I don't think it much
matters when bulbs are planted, any time of year is fine.

Glad to hear it because I was going to try some anyway. I was just googling
about putting bulbs in the fridge for 6 - 8 weeks before planting them. Would
that encourage them to grow even though it isn't fall yet?


*

On 20 May 2014 13:15:18 -0700, elfa45
wrote:

In article , Brooklyn1 says...

On Tue, 20 May 2014 07:28:29 -0700, "David E. Ross"
wrote:

On 5/19/2014 10:36 PM, elfa45 wrote:
I live in Marin County, CA...just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I just bought
some quality bulbs on sale for dutch iris, lilium, and bearded iris.

Should I plant them now or just keep them dry and plant in the fall? The cold
weather (such as it is) has passed.

I already had some of each planted ages ago which bloomed just recently and are
now in the process of turning brown.

Bearded iris are not true bulbs. They are rhizomes. They should be
planted immediately since the plants tend to be evergreen and not die
down like true bulbs.

Dutch iris and lilies, however, are indeed true bulbs. They should be
stored in a slightly damp medium (sand, sawdust, peat moss) until fall
and then planted.

In Marin County, CA with that mild climate I don't think it much
matters when bulbs are planted, any time of year is fine.

Glad to hear it because I was going to try some anyway. I was just googling
about putting bulbs in the fridge for 6 - 8 weeks before planting them. Would
that encourage them to grow even though it isn't fall yet?

No matter when planted they will adopt a pattern of flowering based on
climatic conditions... that's what bulbs do no matter where grown,
assuming the climate is generally condusive to growing the particular
bulb(s)... I don't think tulips will survive Death Valley.

In article , Brooklyn1 says...

On 20 May 2014 13:15:18 -0700, elfa45
wrote:

In article , Brooklyn1 says...

On Tue, 20 May 2014 07:28:29 -0700, "David E. Ross"
wrote:

On 5/19/2014 10:36 PM, elfa45 wrote:
I live in Marin County, CA...just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I just bought
some quality bulbs on sale for dutch iris, lilium, and bearded iris.

Should I plant them now or just keep them dry and plant in the fall? The cold
weather (such as it is) has passed.

I already had some of each planted ages ago which bloomed just recently and are
now in the process of turning brown.

Bearded iris are not true bulbs. They are rhizomes. They should be
planted immediately since the plants tend to be evergreen and not die
down like true bulbs.

Dutch iris and lilies, however, are indeed true bulbs. They should be
stored in a slightly damp medium (sand, sawdust, peat moss) until fall
and then planted.

In Marin County, CA with that mild climate I don't think it much
matters when bulbs are planted, any time of year is fine.

Glad to hear it because I was going to try some anyway. I was just googling
about putting bulbs in the fridge for 6 - 8 weeks before planting them. Would
that encourage them to grow even though it isn't fall yet?

No matter when planted they will adopt a pattern of flowering based on
climatic conditions... that's what bulbs do no matter where grown,
assuming the climate is generally condusive to growing the particular
bulb(s)... I don't think tulips will survive Death Valley.

OK...I'll be planting lilium and dutch iris. Any recommendations for any other
bulbs I could plant?

I also had trans-planted (long ago and gifted from a neighbor) nine bearded iris
plants but only two produced any flowers. Maybe I should have added some plant
food/fertilizer?

On 20 May 2014 15:14:57 -0700, elfa45
wrote:

In article , Brooklyn1 says...

On 20 May 2014 13:15:18 -0700, elfa45
wrote:

In article , Brooklyn1 says...

On Tue, 20 May 2014 07:28:29 -0700, "David E. Ross"
wrote:

On 5/19/2014 10:36 PM, elfa45 wrote:
I live in Marin County, CA...just across the Golden Gate Bridge. I just bought
some quality bulbs on sale for dutch iris, lilium, and bearded iris.

Should I plant them now or just keep them dry and plant in the fall? The cold
weather (such as it is) has passed.

I already had some of each planted ages ago which bloomed just recently and are
now in the process of turning brown.

Bearded iris are not true bulbs. They are rhizomes. They should be
planted immediately since the plants tend to be evergreen and not die
down like true bulbs.

Dutch iris and lilies, however, are indeed true bulbs. They should be
stored in a slightly damp medium (sand, sawdust, peat moss) until fall
and then planted.

In Marin County, CA with that mild climate I don't think it much
matters when bulbs are planted, any time of year is fine.

Glad to hear it because I was going to try some anyway. I was just googling
about putting bulbs in the fridge for 6 - 8 weeks before planting them. Would
that encourage them to grow even though it isn't fall yet?

No matter when planted they will adopt a pattern of flowering based on
climatic conditions... that's what bulbs do no matter where grown,
assuming the climate is generally condusive to growing the particular
bulb(s)... I don't think tulips will survive Death Valley.

OK...I'll be planting lilium and dutch iris. Any recommendations for any other
bulbs I could plant?

I also had trans-planted (long ago and gifted from a neighbor) nine bearded iris
plants but only two produced any flowers. Maybe I should have added some plant
food/fertilizer?

I would just plant them and see what happens.

In article
elfa45 writes:

I also had trans-planted (long ago and gifted from a neighbor) nine bearded iris
plants but only two produced any flowers. Maybe I should have added some plant
food/fertilizer?

While I have grown bearded iris for years, I have not experimented
much with the advice that I have read. That said, the advice I read
long ago was that bearded iris will not bloom if they are planted
too deep. The rhizomes should (I am told) be at least a little
exposed above the soil level.

It may be chance, but that is how I have always planted/replanted
them, and the only failure to bloom I've seen is in the plants this
year, which were transplanted much later than they should have been
last year. (One of four is blooming.)

I've rarely done much to feed iris, other than keeping a mulch for
the worms to work in. They seem to do pretty well in pretty poor
clay, though I couldn't say how.

All of that is living in seasonal climates (Ohio and N. Virginia).
I never grew iris in a freeze-free climate (though I know they do well).

--
Drew Lawson | Broke my mind
| Had no spare
|

On 21/05/2014 12:42 PM, Drew Lawson wrote:
In article
elfa45 writes:

I also had trans-planted (long ago and gifted from a neighbor) nine bearded iris
plants but only two produced any flowers. Maybe I should have added some plant
food/fertilizer?

While I have grown bearded iris for years, I have not experimented
much with the advice that I have read. That said, the advice I read
long ago was that bearded iris will not bloom if they are planted
too deep. The rhizomes should (I am told) be at least a little
exposed above the soil level.

Yep. They like to get some baking rays of the sun on those bits above
the soil.

It may be chance, but that is how I have always planted/replanted
them, and the only failure to bloom I've seen is in the plants this
year, which were transplanted much later than they should have been
last year. (One of four is blooming.)

They also don't like being crowded. If left too long before being
lifted and separated, they don't flower well. Additionally once each
rhizome has flowered, that rhizome won't flower again but it will
produce new rhizomes in the late summer and these will usually flower
int he following summer.

In article , Fran Farmer says...

On 21/05/2014 12:42 PM, Drew Lawson wrote:
In article
elfa45 writes:

I also had trans-planted (long ago and gifted from a neighbor) nine bearded iris
plants but only two produced any flowers. Maybe I should have added some plant
food/fertilizer?

While I have grown bearded iris for years, I have not experimented
much with the advice that I have read. That said, the advice I read
long ago was that bearded iris will not bloom if they are planted
too deep. The rhizomes should (I am told) be at least a little
exposed above the soil level.

Yep. They like to get some baking rays of the sun on those bits above
the soil.

It may be chance, but that is how I have always planted/replanted
them, and the only failure to bloom I've seen is in the plants this
year, which were transplanted much later than they should have been
last year. (One of four is blooming.)






They also don't like being crowded. If left too long before being
lifted and separated, they don't flower well. Additionally once each
rhizome has flowered, that rhizome won't flower again but it will
produce new rhizomes in the late summer and these will usually flower
int he following summer.


I think this is my problem. They have been in the ground for about a year.
They don't show any signs of producing anything...so maybe this summer? I'm
about ready to just dig them up and toss out to make room for something else.

On 22/05/2014 1:25 AM, elfa45 wrote:
In article , Fran Farmer says...


They also don't like being crowded. If left too long before being
lifted and separated, they don't flower well. Additionally once each
rhizome has flowered, that rhizome won't flower again but it will
produce new rhizomes in the late summer and these will usually flower
int he following summer.


I think this is my problem. They have been in the ground for about a year.
They don't show any signs of producing anything...so maybe this summer? I'm
about ready to just dig them up and toss out to make room for something else.

You should be able to leave them undisturbed for at least 3 years before
they'd be considered to be too crowded because they grow and crowd
themselves out. If you've crammed them in amongst other plants so that
they are crowded form the start then that could (just could) be a problem.

Check first to make sure that a) you haven't planted them too deep (the
rhizome should show at least a third above the soil) and b) they are
getting enough heat and light (at least 6 hours of full sun per day)
and, c) you haven't over fed them so that they are producing lots of
leaves but no flowers.

On 21/05/2014 8:14 AM, elfa45 wrote:

I also had trans-planted (long ago and gifted from a neighbor) nine bearded iris
plants but only two produced any flowers. Maybe I should have added some plant
food/fertilizer?

If you fertilise your garden once a year then do not add any more plant
food. Fertilising Once a year is more than enough for bearded iris.