Reticulate Iris - 2016

[johnstephen29]

Here's a pot of iris danfordiae of my own in flower and smelling great.

[David Nicholson]

Enjoy them John, you may not see them next year!

[johnstephen29]

Splitting into rice grains you mean David? I heard that if you planted them deeper than normal this stops this happening, I've done this so we'll see if it's true.

[David Nicholson]

I've tried then at nearly JCB depth and they still didn't come back

[ashley]

Could this be a problem with the particular clone(s) of I. danfordiae grown commercially, or even how they are treated during the production process?
In my (admittedly limited) experience splitting after flowering doesn't usually happen with seed-grown plants.
 

[PeterT]

Dutch grow Iris danfordiae is a sterile triploid, I believe. It comes back and flowers for me every year. I planted in a raised bed topped with about ten inches of limestone gravel, I do occasionally feed it, but it is open to the elements in the white peak, north Derbyshire, England. It has been there for about 15 years now.

[johnstephen29]

Thanks for all the advice David, Ashley and Peter, I'll treat it like I do my other bulbs, feed it when it has finished flowering and when it dies down see what I'm left with.

[Roma]

A couple of mild days has brought on the reticulata irises.  What is going to brighten up the greenhouse in February?

[Roma]

I am lucky if I get more than two years flowering in pots and I have not tried any reticulata irises in the garden recently.  I find Iris histrioides and its hybrids more persistent.  I remember one in the Cruickshank Garden which clumped up and flowered regularly for a long time  -  the purple Iris reticulata 'Hercules'.  I'm not sure if it is still available.
another gripe is bulbs which do not even survive to flower the year they are planted.  Could be how I treat them but if they are healthy bulbs surely they should flower anyway.
Iris danfordiae - 10 bulbs planted and only 4 showing.  I planted another 10 in the garden and there seem to be more coming up there.
Iris 'Sunshine' - 7 out of 10.  8 counting 'North Star'
Iris 'Palm Springs'  this is much bigger.  I believe it is a sport of 'George'  which is a histrioides type.   

[Matt T]

A couple of mild days has brought on the reticulata irises.  What is going to brighten up the greenhouse in February? (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link) (Attachment Link)

Fabulous colour on display in your greenhouse, Roma! What a treat on a grey day

[chasw]

here is retuculata Pixie,Blue Note and Clairette

[PeterT]

Thanks for all the advice David, Ashley and Peter, I'll treat it like I do my other bulbs, feed it when it has finished flowering and when it dies down see what I'm left with.

Apologies to those who already understand what I have to say. I hope that it will help some of the other visitors to this thread.

Reticulate Iris in pots are very prone to fungal infections, if they are hot and wet. A lot has been written about Ink Spot Disease, most of which I do not really agree with. Healthy bulbs can often be retrieved from infected stock. When temperatures rise in Spring; it is important to EITHER keep the plants cool until they go dormant, OR to bring growth to a stop and dry them out prematurely. Both solutions work for me.

Hot wet alpine bulbs = ROT!

The second major problem with cultivating these Iris in pots is premature dormancy. This occurs when either the plant becomes too hot, or when the plant lacks water at it's roots.   Watering plants at this stage, again, may cause rot.

Wet bulbs without roots (often) = ROT

Premature dormancy is serious because until the plant has replaced the bulb during it's Spring growth, there will be nothing to survive the Summer, and re-grow during the next Winter.
Most reticulate Iris which I grow in pots are grown in a compost of coarse leaf mould mixed with sand, grit and loam. I use a very similar mixture for most cormous plants -especially Crocus. The reason is that the leaf mould holds a moisture reservoir which prevents the roots drying in dry weather, and I do plunge the pots, so as to prevent the bulbs from heating on hotter days.

[Mark Griffiths]

Interesting Peter. I'm trying reticulate iris again after a break of decades. Hopefully I'll make a go of it this time. Blue Note

[ian mcenery]

This one surprised me today Iv'e had it for a number of years and this is the first time it has flowered

[PeterT]

One of my favorites Ian. Mine came from the Wallises years ago as a tiny bulb
Iris zagrica seedlings with a flower here this morning, from JJA seed.