Iris and some Irids 2006-2007

[Maggi Young]

Let's have a page dedicated to Iris... bulbous, rhizomatous or whatever... all are lovely and I'm sure lots of you grow them or want to! Gerben showed a bright new hybrid in the flowering now page last week and Ian found some in flower at Kew on his recent visit, so their season has started... who has pictures to share?

[Gerben]

Good idea Maggi. I've two picture I took last week. Iris stenophylla, a juno Iris from Turkye collected by Kammerlander, Pasche, Persson and Zetterlund in the year 1990. The second is a reticulata crossing, Iris sophensis x danfordiae 'Evening Twilight'. We got this bulb from Janis Ruksans. Isn't she beautiful?

[mark smyth]

Beautiful is the word for both. I have some Iris in flower, I. histrioides, that I'll post later this week

[Lesley Cox]

An Iris page is such a good idea Maggi. My favourite genus overall.

Gerben, your pics are beautiful, especially the juno. The other seems to have that typical greyish tinge in the falls that comes from Iris danfordiae). I've noticed it before in pictures of Alan McMurtrie's hybrids. It makes for very lovely and subtle colouring.

I've one to share too but I'm afraid it's not nice at all. I have two, two year old seedlings of the oncocyclus species Iris sprengeri. They have done really well until about 2 weeks ago when all of a sudden they developed a rust all over the foliage. I would like some advice about what I should do, as I'm terrified of losing them - totally irreplaceable. The whitish colour on the foliage is smeared fungicide but I'm worried it may be too late. So far they are both quite solid in the pot, no sign of root rot or anything like that, so, help please! I should mention that though well into their third year, they have never died back or gone dormant. It is now that time here when I could perhaps expect them to do that.

[Joakim B]

I think it is a lovely idea with an iris page.
It is easier to have some more pages since it fast gets hard to find the species one is looking for.
I hope to be able to contribuate with some pics here/there.

Great idea
Joakim

[Joakim B]

Just to show there are always tings happening with irises.
This also show the prblem with iris since they are not all bulbs and a page of their own would be great.
I visited my orange plantation (euphomism for 8-10 small trees on myfather-in-laws land) 30 min drive from where we live and planted some more trees and dug up a iris tht was struggling to survive with the rizhome 5 cm in pure clay. It even had a spout coming vertically in the clay.

Below is some irises that was planted in November an came up only a few days later. Now the tallest is 40 cm. I hope they will flower!

Take care
Joakim

[Gerben]

I don't know if I can help you Lesley. We spray all our bulbs with the fungicide Topas. Fungicides you need to spray before you see a problem. What I should do in your case is: take the plant out the pot, wash the roots with water so no soil is left. Take/cut away the parts of the plants which looks infected. Give the Iris new soil and pot, water it and spray it again with a fungicide.
The rhizome of the Iris should be just under the surface packet in pure sand. Sand is sterile and it will dry out between watering.
Maybe you can use this information.

[mark smyth]

As promised here is my Iris histrioides

[mark smyth]

Lesley thinks she has a problem. These were supplied by a very well known mail order company. Dont know if they should be named and shamed but I'll wait until I hear back from them. The plants are going back in a box tomorrow. They are Iris unguicularis ssp cretensis and Iris suaveolens. You would need to be blind to supply them like this. The second is very nasty

[Lesley Cox]

Good Heavens Mark, I don't know how anyone could supply such material. That's a disgrace!

Gerben, I'll try exactly what you've suggested. But if I lose them you know whose fault it will be!

[fermi de Sousa]

As Irises were the first plants that hooked me into growing flowers (rather than vegies) they remain one of my favourites! I think I posted this pic before on the old Forum but here it is again: Iris histrio ssp aintabensis (MT4501) originally collected by Mathew and Tomlinson near Maras (in Turkey?).
cheers
fermi

[Lesley Cox]

I have three irises just out over the last few days. First is Iris decora, a tuberous species which is said to be very short-lived but these are the fifth year's flowers and it has set seed the last two. The first seedlings are also in flower so it doesn't take long,

[Lesley Cox]

HAving trouble posting the next 2 pics. This is the 4th attempt, having been told I've not put the numbers next to the attachthumb bit. I did. So trying the other way.

[KentGardener]

Hi Lesley

I can see the pictures ok in your post.  The 'star at midnight' is lovely - such a good colour.  I shall be checking out the catalogues for that one.

thank you

John

[Joakim B]

Lesley practise and become a master
You have now mastered the "easy way" of getting pictures in and You can also see the number of times the pics have been enlarged.

Lovely irises I like them both

Well done!
Joakim