Reticulate Iris 2009

[tonyg]

Thanks!  I have fat fingers compared to these little flowers but I'm used to hand pollinating the crocus so I should have worked it out.  Crocus oten set seed without my intervention though but reticulatas rarely oblige so I wondered if there are any other 'requirements'.   (Fertilisation in crocus can be killed off by low temperatures in the 24 hours after pollination.)

[mark smyth]

I'm happy to put a page dedicated to Iris reticulata on my web site marksgardenplants. Like this
http://www.marksgardenplants.com/crocus%20tommasinianus.html but two images side by side about 500 pixels wide. All I need are your images.

[udo]

Tony,
i have many bees in my garden. Some plants ( for crossing ) are hand pollinating.

[Sinchets]

Tony, we already have seed set here on the reticulatas outside- too cold for bees on some of the days they were flowering this month- so i did the business myself.

[David Nicholson]

I'm happy to put a page dedicated to Iris reticulata on my web site marksgardenplants. Like this
http://www.marksgardenplants.com/crocus%20tommasinianus.html but two images side by side about 500 pixels wide. All I need are your images.

Mark, did you mean the collage the Hristo (Chris) put together?

[Lesley Cox]

I have a picture from Goth bot garden of Iris reticulata that must be exactly the same as you showed Janis, with the name Iris reticulata subsp kurdica. (Collection number Batman 118)

That is a lovely iris, with the very strong and prominent signal stripe. I like the otherwise sombre colouring too, a super combo. (I didn't realise that Batman collected irises. )

[Lesley Cox]

Here is Iris zagrica with seed last year.

That is a beautiful sight

[Roma]

I get a few seeds on reticulata irises but do not hand pollinate.  I have 7 seedlings from 'Natascha' in their second year.  I also have a potful of seedlings from an unlabelled seedpod.  I think it was 'Katharine Hodgkin' as I recall being surprised to find it, but my memory could be deceiving me.  I will have to be patient till the seedlings flower.
Here is Iris 'Frank Elder' which I don't think has been shown here.  I like the colour much better than 'Katherine Hodgkin'

[fermi de Sousa]

Here is Iris 'Frank Elder' which I don't think has been shown here.  I like the colour much better than 'Katherine Hodgkin'

Roma, that's a lovely sight.
I got a bulb of this variety this year but it'll be a long while to get to match your flowering!
cheers
fermi

[Boyed]

Interesting,
here you guys speak about bees and pollination to get seeds.

I always try to isolate my bulbs from bees, especially those, which are in very limited quantities to keep them safe from virus infections. For example, during crocus flowering season, they so heavily attack my plants that many's petal look distorted with lot of damages and cracks on petals. In my opinion bees transfer the virus through mechanical damages by their legs when taking the pollen. So for me it better not to get seeds than to have virused plants. Otherwise hand pollination is wise decision.

[mark smyth]

Yes David, I would do it similar to Chris' version more like this but larger images
http://www.marksgardenplants.com/pratense-striatum11A.html

[Ragged Robin]

Two new Irises named by me in BURIED TREASURES
Iris reticulata subsp. kurdica - feature which I didn't noted before - black anthers. In all other my reticulatas anthers are yellow or white
On other Iris pskemense - intermediate between kolpakowskiana and winkleri - by me most beautiful Central Asian reticulata.
Janis

Janis, is Buried Treasures book of yours?  Do you have a website?  Have not really grown the Reticulate Iris genera except in pots in UK in sunny spots!!!!!  I think the two in your photographs are absolute treasures and I agree that Iris pskemense is the most beautiful sight.....

[Hans A.]

Interesting,
here you guys speak about bees and pollination to get seeds.

I always try to isolate my bulbs from bees, especially those, which are in very limited quantities to keep them safe from virus infections. For example, during crocus flowering season, they so heavily attack my plants that many's petal look distorted with lot of damages and cracks on petals. In my opinion bees transfer the virus through mechanical damages by their legs when taking the pollen. So for me it better not to get seeds than to have virused plants. Otherwise hand pollination is wise decision.

Hello Zhirair,
interesting point you mention
I do not like the bees around my plants to much (as I grow all outside I cannot avoid it) because of possible hybrids of near related species or forms which grow close together - in my opinion the only possibility to keep the species clean is to avoid the flowers are pollinated by insects and to pollinate them by hand.

[Boyed]

Hello Hans,

Pleased to hear from you!
It's true, it's quite a hard work to isolate plants from bees when thy're grown outsite. That is why I plant the ones in very limited quantities under cold glass, and construct temporary small 'greenhouses' for the other valuable species and varieties in the garden only during flowering and remove the cover after they have finished blooming. It proves to be very helpful. During 15 years I've never observed any signs of virus among isolated plants, while the others in an open area can catch virus from year to year.

[Kenneth K]

Lesley, Batman has lots of abilities, many yet unheard of!

Seriously - Batman is a river and a city in southeast Turkey.