Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two new
corms.

This spring I was excited because of the big lovely bluish green leaves (the
bed finally looked mature somehow, or close to full), but only two plants
(out of over 30) bloomed. I kept looking excitedly for the buds, but --
nothing!

What did I do wrong? If the chicken manure had too much nitrogen, what can
I do now to balance things out?

Also, due to the rains, they are showing signs of leaf spot, which I have
never seen on iris before. What can I put on them for that? (Ideally,
something that won't wash off in our repeated rains!)

Please help, I adore my iris (they are a memorial garden for my grandmother)
and am just sick at all the problems my ignorance of their needs has
obviously caused.

-- laurie brooke adams (Mother Mastiff) mastiffs at mindspring dot-com
***If a DOG could choose whether to just be beautiful, or to be sound
and healthy TOO, what do YOU think the dog would choose?***
(C) 2003 My words are my own. If you want to use them, ASK ME FIRST.

Welsummers, several lines of Marans, Blue Cochins
Chicks only, accepting reservations now for 2003
Outgoing Mail Certified Virus Free by Norton Antivirus

Laurie,
I don't know what you can do about the nitrogen or spot. I do know that Iris
generally don't blooom if they're planted too deep. They seem to do best
sitting on top of the soil, that is the tops of the tubers should be visible,
and about the bottom half to 2/3s covered by soil. I don't know why!
Good luck,
Eileen

"laurie (Mother Mastiff)" wrote:

Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two new
corms.

This spring I was excited because of the big lovely bluish green leaves (the
bed finally looked mature somehow, or close to full), but only two plants
(out of over 30) bloomed. I kept looking excitedly for the buds, but --
nothing!

What did I do wrong? If the chicken manure had too much nitrogen, what can
I do now to balance things out?

Also, due to the rains, they are showing signs of leaf spot, which I have
never seen on iris before. What can I put on them for that? (Ideally,
something that won't wash off in our repeated rains!)

Please help, I adore my iris (they are a memorial garden for my grandmother)
and am just sick at all the problems my ignorance of their needs has
obviously caused.

-- laurie brooke adams (Mother Mastiff) mastiffs at mindspring dot-com
***If a DOG could choose whether to just be beautiful, or to be sound
and healthy TOO, what do YOU think the dog would choose?***
(C) 2003 My words are my own. If you want to use them, ASK ME FIRST.

Welsummers, several lines of Marans, Blue Cochins
Chicks only, accepting reservations now for 2003
Outgoing Mail Certified Virus Free by Norton Antivirus

"laurie (Mother Mastiff)" wrote:

Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each
year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in
late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two new
corms.

A master gardener I know says that most iris need to be divided every other
year in order to keep blooming. Perhaps your iris bed is too crowded?

They are about 8-10" apart, and none have been there more than three years,
most are two years in the same spot (and were scrawny the first year because
of being cheap corms from Lowe's.)

Sounds as if they might need to be dug "out" a bit.

"Jennifer Richards" wrote in message
...
"laurie (Mother Mastiff)" wrote:

Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each
year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in
late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two
new
corms.

A master gardener I know says that most iris need to be divided every
other
year in order to keep blooming. Perhaps your iris bed is too crowded?

I think Iris may just be temperamental!!!

The ones growing next to my driveway, in what only knows compacted dirt,
bloomed quite awhile ago. The ones in front, from which I removed the extra
dirt I had used to cover the rhizomes (after reading here Iris preferred
that), and that I painstakingly watered & fertilized the last several years,
show no signs of flowers at all (although the plants look healthy to me).
I'm thinking about moving them to a location that gets full sun, and I'll
give them some better dirt [underneath!] if I move them.

The only thing that the "driveway" iris might have going for them is that
they are at a very low point, so they get a bit "boggy" if we have heavy
rain.

I found the website for the American Iris Society:
http://www.irises.org/growing.htm -- it may offer some helpful
information.

I don't know about the leaf spot problem, but the chicken manure might be
too much nitrogen for iris; however, if I'm not mistaken, extra nitrogen
encourages plant growth at the expense of flowers, so the rhizomes may be
fine and will bloom again next year.

Anne Lurie
NE Raleigh


"laurie (Mother Mastiff)" wrote in message
...
Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each
year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two new
corms.

This spring I was excited because of the big lovely bluish green leaves
(the
bed finally looked mature somehow, or close to full), but only two plants
(out of over 30) bloomed. I kept looking excitedly for the buds, but --
nothing!

What did I do wrong? If the chicken manure had too much nitrogen, what
can
I do now to balance things out?

Also, due to the rains, they are showing signs of leaf spot, which I have
never seen on iris before. What can I put on them for that? (Ideally,
something that won't wash off in our repeated rains!)

Please help, I adore my iris (they are a memorial garden for my
grandmother)
and am just sick at all the problems my ignorance of their needs has
obviously caused.

-- laurie brooke adams (Mother Mastiff) mastiffs at mindspring dot-com
***If a DOG could choose whether to just be beautiful, or to be sound
and healthy TOO, what do YOU think the dog would choose?***
(C) 2003 My words are my own. If you want to use them, ASK ME FIRST.

Welsummers, several lines of Marans, Blue Cochins
Chicks only, accepting reservations now for 2003
Outgoing Mail Certified Virus Free by Norton Antivirus

Anne and everyone, thanks!

The iris bloomed like gangbusters last year in the same bed (bright shade
with a couple of hours of full sun per day) , so I plan to gently trowel off
the extra layer of soil, nd then use a fertilizert intended for bulbs, to
re-balance the N-P-K to what corms need.

I have some copper sulfate and might try a bit of that for the foliar spot,
it was a popular spray for all kinds of fungus in the old days. I already
have some on hand for the chickens....

Anyone seen really BIG pieces of bird netting for sale? Like for an 8 or 9
ft tall and thick hedge of ten thirty-year old blueberry TREES? The
blueberries are too bloody tall for what I have, and I am greedy this year
and want most of the berries to go to humans....

thanks, all!

laurie (Mother Mastiff)

"Anne Lurie" wrote in message
...
I think Iris may just be temperamental!!!

The ones growing next to my driveway, in what only knows compacted dirt,
bloomed quite awhile ago. The ones in front, from which I removed the
extra
dirt I had used to cover the rhizomes (after reading here Iris preferred
that), and that I painstakingly watered & fertilized the last several
years,
show no signs of flowers at all (although the plants look healthy to me).
I'm thinking about moving them to a location that gets full sun, and I'll
give them some better dirt [underneath!] if I move them.

The only thing that the "driveway" iris might have going for them is that
they are at a very low point, so they get a bit "boggy" if we have heavy
rain.

I found the website for the American Iris Society:
http://www.irises.org/growing.htm -- it may offer some helpful
information.

I don't know about the leaf spot problem, but the chicken manure might be
too much nitrogen for iris; however, if I'm not mistaken, extra nitrogen
encourages plant growth at the expense of flowers, so the rhizomes may be
fine and will bloom again next year.

Anne Lurie
NE Raleigh


"laurie (Mother Mastiff)" wrote in message
...
Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each
year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in
late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two new
corms.

This spring I was excited because of the big lovely bluish green leaves
(the
bed finally looked mature somehow, or close to full), but only two
plants
(out of over 30) bloomed. I kept looking excitedly for the buds, but --
nothing!

What did I do wrong? If the chicken manure had too much nitrogen, what
can
I do now to balance things out?

Also, due to the rains, they are showing signs of leaf spot, which I
have
never seen on iris before. What can I put on them for that? (Ideally,
something that won't wash off in our repeated rains!)

Please help, I adore my iris (they are a memorial garden for my
grandmother)
and am just sick at all the problems my ignorance of their needs has
obviously caused.

-- laurie brooke adams (Mother Mastiff) mastiffs at mindspring dot-com
***If a DOG could choose whether to just be beautiful, or to be sound
and healthy TOO, what do YOU think the dog would choose?***
(C) 2003 My words are my own. If you want to use them, ASK ME FIRST.

Welsummers, several lines of Marans, Blue Cochins
Chicks only, accepting reservations now for 2003
Outgoing Mail Certified Virus Free by Norton Antivirus

Too much Nitrogen. Simply sprinkle around some Triple Phosphate.

In article , Mother Mastiff\
wrote:

Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two new
corms.

This spring I was excited because of the big lovely bluish green leaves (the
bed finally looked mature somehow, or close to full), but only two plants
(out of over 30) bloomed. I kept looking excitedly for the buds, but --
nothing!

What did I do wrong? If the chicken manure had too much nitrogen, what can
I do now to balance things out?

I am assuming these are German iris, the big voluptuous ones with lacy
falls and wonderful colors. They want good drainage and do not like high
nitrogen fertilizer. I imagine they hated the chicken manure. High
nitrogen fertilizer encourages rank leafy growth and poor flowering. The
leaves will be subject to rust. Divide them and forget the fertilizer.
Plant on top of the ground. They will take full sun to part shade. Cut
the leaves back this fall and throw them away to discourage
overwintering rusts and diseases. Good luck
Pat

laurie (Mother Mastiff) wrote:

Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two new
corms.

This spring I was excited because of the big lovely bluish green leaves (the
bed finally looked mature somehow, or close to full), but only two plants
(out of over 30) bloomed. I kept looking excitedly for the buds, but --
nothing!

What did I do wrong? If the chicken manure had too much nitrogen, what can
I do now to balance things out?

Also, due to the rains, they are showing signs of leaf spot, which I have
never seen on iris before. What can I put on them for that? (Ideally,
something that won't wash off in our repeated rains!)

Please help, I adore my iris (they are a memorial garden for my grandmother)
and am just sick at all the problems my ignorance of their needs has
obviously caused.

-- laurie brooke adams (Mother Mastiff) mastiffs at mindspring dot-com
***If a DOG could choose whether to just be beautiful, or to be sound
and healthy TOO, what do YOU think the dog would choose?***
(C) 2003 My words are my own. If you want to use them, ASK ME FIRST.

Welsummers, several lines of Marans, Blue Cochins
Chicks only, accepting reservations now for 2003
Outgoing Mail Certified Virus Free by Norton Antivirus

i too had very few iris's. i had added dirt to the area and think that i
lowered the bulbs too far down by adding soil. the leaves came up but no
iris. i have about 50 iris's along the fence and not one came up. . if
anyone knows why please give me a clue.i did add miracle grow
"JoanD'arcRoast" wrote in message
. ..
Too much Nitrogen. Simply sprinkle around some Triple Phosphate.

In article , Mother Mastiff\
wrote:

Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each
year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in
late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two new
corms.

This spring I was excited because of the big lovely bluish green leaves
(the
bed finally looked mature somehow, or close to full), but only two
plants
(out of over 30) bloomed. I kept looking excitedly for the buds, but --
nothing!

What did I do wrong? If the chicken manure had too much nitrogen, what
can
I do now to balance things out?

Don't know for sure about other types of iris, but bearded iris don't need
much fertilizer, if any. See http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-8506.html and
related pubs. Lots of green growth but no flowers usually means too much
nitrogen, as suspected. I believe of the three letters (NPK), nitrogen is
for leaves, and the other two help flowers and roots (someone, help me out
here as to which is which). The suggestion to add phosphate (P) sounds
right. Homemade compost also can have a good balance of all three; you
generally can't go wrong with that.

Elizabeth

"m hill" wrote in message
ink.net...
i too had very few iris's. i had added dirt to the area and think that i
lowered the bulbs too far down by adding soil. the leaves came up but no
iris. i have about 50 iris's along the fence and not one came up. . if
anyone knows why please give me a clue.i did add miracle grow
"JoanD'arcRoast" wrote in message
. ..
Too much Nitrogen. Simply sprinkle around some Triple Phosphate.

In article , Mother Mastiff\
wrote:

Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added each
year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in
late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two
new
corms.

This spring I was excited because of the big lovely bluish green
leaves
(the
bed finally looked mature somehow, or close to full), but only two
plants
(out of over 30) bloomed. I kept looking excitedly for the buds,
but --
nothing!

What did I do wrong? If the chicken manure had too much nitrogen,
what
can
I do now to balance things out?

I have replanted a lot of iris, and almost never have I gotten any to bloom
the next year. It has always taken at least 2 summers, and in some cases 3.
I believe that next summer you will be surprised.

Dwayne


"Elizabeth" wrote in message
nk.net...
Don't know for sure about other types of iris, but bearded iris don't need
much fertilizer, if any. See http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/hil/hil-8506.html and
related pubs. Lots of green growth but no flowers usually means too much
nitrogen, as suspected. I believe of the three letters (NPK), nitrogen is
for leaves, and the other two help flowers and roots (someone, help me out
here as to which is which). The suggestion to add phosphate (P) sounds
right. Homemade compost also can have a good balance of all three; you
generally can't go wrong with that.

Elizabeth

"m hill" wrote in message
ink.net...
i too had very few iris's. i had added dirt to the area and think that i
lowered the bulbs too far down by adding soil. the leaves came up but no
iris. i have about 50 iris's along the fence and not one came up. . if
anyone knows why please give me a clue.i did add miracle grow
"JoanD'arcRoast" wrote in message
. ..
Too much Nitrogen. Simply sprinkle around some Triple Phosphate.

In article , Mother Mastiff\
wrote:

Last year the iris bed (about 3 years old now and new corms added
each
year)
bloomed PROFUSELY. I put some rotted chicken manure in their bed in
late
summer and mulched with pine straw. There was nly space to add two
new
corms.

This spring I was excited because of the big lovely bluish green
leaves
(the
bed finally looked mature somehow, or close to full), but only two
plants
(out of over 30) bloomed. I kept looking excitedly for the buds,
but --
nothing!

What did I do wrong? If the chicken manure had too much nitrogen,
what
can
I do now to balance things out?