something boring into my iris tubers

[possumqueen]

Are they tubers? I don't remember the name.

I just dug them all up last month, and replanted them. I laid them on finished compost and tucked in the roots. I thought the sun (North Carolina) would be too hot for them, but I'm darned if they haven't just settled in and swelled up and look fat and sassy.

But something is boring little holes in them. I've lost some of the smaller ones.

Now what?:/

 

[Greensage45]

Usually what hits mine with holes are those darned pill bugs or what folks call Rollie Pollies. Most times the pill bugs only go after the older rhizomes and so I let them do what they do and my Irises still thrive.

I guess from here it is a matter of what you feel comfortable with, such as a pesticide or a natural product like DE (Diatomaceous Earth).

Oftentimes my chickens do my clean-up on my pill bugs since I do not use pesticides unless absolutely necessary.

Someone else might have a better idea. Do you have pill bugs? If not then you might try to bait what it is and catch it so we can see.

Goodluck,

Ron

 

[possumqueen]

Do we have pillbugs???

Yes, we have a pillbug or two, here and there. . . .and there. . . .and over there. . . .

But, gosh, I didn't know they did damage to anything.

I have chickens at home. The irises are at work where I am unofficially in charge of the garden. If it's really just the pillbugs do I really need to worry a lot about them? I'm assuming they were there before I dug up the irises this year, so the irises lived with them anyway. I was afraid that it was something new that came because I spread the irises out.

I really can't wait to see what colors they are. They have never bloomed since I've been here. What else should I do to keep them happy?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Page 4 on this link talks some about recognizing iris borer damage. The entire link tells you how to divide iris.

http://gardening.about.com/od/perennials/ss/DividingIrid.htm

This link also talks about holes in iris rhizomes caused by crickets.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/iris/msg0822430628568.html

Just a couple more possibilities. Good luck!

 

[injunjoe]

I find the latter link's site full of miss info and poor comments.
They show up on most Google searches but there info is weak IMO!
I think they just pay Google more to be front page.

Not to say what was said there was wrong but this is my opinion in general.

 

[Greensage45]

That site says that iris are 'high maintenance' plants, but I think it is that gardeners are 'high maintenance' LOL

So, is there an actual pest called an 'iris borer'? I best go look.

Well now, what do you know, but apparently the iris borer only exists in the Eastern U.S.

If anyone is hit by this, here is a great instruction page on the treatment; interestingly, it is the very treatment taught to me on cleaning iris of unwanted pests and bacterium, the 10% bleach solution. Totally awesome.

http://www.renegadegardener.com/content/49irisborer.htm

Ron

 

[Lavender2]

I sure have a lot of plants that require more maintenance than my iris... heck, anything the deer won't eat I consider easy!

Iris borers are horrible creatures! A friend of mine had quite the battle with them. Good advice, Ron.

This sounds like crickets, they will eat iris rhizomes. Then pill bugs move into the holes and cause rot. I'm not sure of a cure for crickets, other than pesticides... or chickens...

edited to add... or could be voles, if you see tunnels in the area. But they usually eat more of the rhizome, not just little holes.

 

[Greensage45]

I Love Chickens!

Such a creature whose nature it is to accept the worst of us and still never a want but a meager shelter and few bugs!

Ron

 

[Lavender2]

We had chickens years ago, wish we still did! I get tired of me being the only one chasing the bugs. We didn't need a guard dog either, we had an attack rooster who did not like strangers... or telephone repairmen. I guess I should not have found it comical watching him run back to his truck... LOL! In his defense tho, it was a very big rooster

 

[possumqueen]

I sure have a lot of plants that require more maintenance than my iris... heck, anything the deer won't eat I consider easy!

Iris borers are horrible creatures! A friend of mine had quite the battle with them. Good advice, Ron.

This sounds like crickets, they will eat iris rhizomes. Then pill bugs move into the holes and cause rot. I'm not sure of a cure for crickets, other than pesticides... or chickens...

edited to add... or could be voles, if you see tunnels in the area. But they usually eat more of the rhizome, not just little holes.

A friend of mine has voles. She has had to plant EVERYTHING in the garden in little wire baskets to keep the voles away. The things she says about them . . . . well, I don't think you need to know.

Fortunately for these iris, they are in a traffic island in the middle of the parking lot, and they're safe from everything except whatever is making the holes.

I looked at the iris website that told how to divide them, and I did everything right EXCEPT that some of the rhizomes were too small, and those are the ones I'm losing. The rest have lots of nice new growth on them, so I'm ASSUMING (we know what that does, don't we) that the holes aren't that big a problem.