color changing iris???????

[canesisters]

They're doing good but I need to thin them some more. I moved a couple dozen across the drive and scattered them around the yard gate, a pine tree and 'the ugliest birdbath ever'. I can't wait for them to bloom this year.
There is another patch that I put under a little oak years ago that have never done much so I think that I should move them. One of those (under the oak) is a funny little striped color. It only bloomed once, right after I planted it, but once I get it moved it will bloom again - I hope.

 

[897tgigvib]

Under an Oak is not a good spot for an Iris. Too much shade, plus soil gets slightly acidic under an Oak tree and Iris seem to like slightly base or neutral soil more...oh, most Iris that is. I think it's the Siberian and Louisiana Iris that like slightly acid soils.

I love Irises! So pretty, complex flower, and that subtle smell of goodness.

 

[canesisters]

Since I dug up most of the iris and moved them, I know that they won't bloom this year. But the few that I left in place are blooming.... ALL YELLOW. How weird is that????

 

[thistlebloom]

Those are real purty Cane!

 

[897tgigvib]

Magic!

 

[canesisters]

Since I dug up most of the iris and moved them, I know that they won't bloom this year. But the few that I left in place are blooming.... ALL YELLOW. How weird is that????

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/8721_dscf1319.jpg

Quoted to use the picture. I've got a question about mulch. This picture is from the Spring when I thinned out the iris bed. After pulling the weeds and moving almost all of the iris' I used some bagged sawdust/shavings to mulch around them. The shavings come from a nearby cabinet shop. About mid summer (sooner than they should've) they all started turning brown on the tips and dying back. There is another bed on the other side of the drive way that has the same sort of set-up: iris around a pine tree. These went in 2 Springs ago and have never bloomed, and most of them appeared to die back this year in early spring.
Someone told me that it was the mulch I used and that it's changing the PH in the soil.
Any ideas??? What can I do to help them come back next Spring??

 

[897tgigvib]

Wellp, looks like a dad gummit ph test is gonna be needed. They have the test kits and they have the electronic gizmos.

Wood chips that are not completely composted in Mount Rotmore do an odd thing. The wood chips will rot on their own while being mulch, but while doing so, the microbials wull snag nutrients from the soil. With Irises that pretty much prefer plain soil or at least well balanced rich soil and I thought neutral ph, those fresh woodchips may be doing some number crunching.

 

[canesisters]

Got a question (and WISH I had thought to take a picture...)

My little iris bed around the pine stump has been neglected and has gotten COMPLETELY overgrown with weeds/grass/poison oak-ivy/a holly/etc. And I mean completely... yesterday I pulled a wheelbarrow of gone-to-seed oats to give to the cows. They must've been survivors from the 'composted' horse manure....
Anyway, I was thinking that it might be easiest to just dig the whole thing up in the fall, clean the rhizomes off completely, and re-plant somewhere else so that I can then deal with the weeds and stuff without worrying about killing the iris...
Or is there a better way?

 

[897tgigvib]

Sounds like you have a good plan Cane! Someone in your local area might confirm what time of year is best there to do that.

You'll be able to split and divide those iris rhizomes, and then find out if the color magic continues. Maybe you'll get some with 3 or 4 colors on them this time!!!

 

[Smart Red]

There is no really bad time to transplant iris (presuming the ground isn't frozen). You may lose this year's bloom if you do it now, but the rhizome will be strong and healthy.