Iris reticulata and forms 2008

[fermi de Sousa]

Iris danfordiae ....Not bad for one year but remembering that these are the commercial clone, brought into NZ from Holland from a northern summer harvest (a year ago), then chilled until selling time here (February), thus getting over the change of seasons.

Lesley,
at least someone in NZ is willing to go to that expense to bring them in! I doubt any of the commercial distributors here have even thought of doing that!
Our retics (such as Harmony, George, Clairette) are still a few weeks away from flowering!
cheers
fermi

[Paul T]

Fermi,

Well someone was selling them a while back commercially.  I can't remember whether it was in the coloured printed packets or loose bulbs, but the ones I originally got were from a local nursery, not from specialist mail-order at the time.  I know that "mixed" reticulatas are in packets at nurseries many years now (but for some reason not every year) but haven't seen the danfordiaes in a lot of years.

[David Nicholson]

Best of luck with the Iris danfordiae Lesley. Can't remember where I read it but plant 'em very deep, feed 'em very well and give 'em plenty of lime are all supposed to be remedies to get Iris danfordiae to flower again in a subsequent year without breaking down into rice grains. If I post some pictures in January all three remedies will have worked!

[Lesley Cox]

I'll do all of those David. Thanks.

[Paul T]

Lesley and David,

Definitely plant deep is what I knew for danfordiae as well.  Up until now mine have always been in pots though, so they didn't get that insulation effect, which is of course why you plant deep in the first place.  I'd tried plenty of feeding, but hasn't worked for me in the pots, but I hadn't heard about the lime.  Will have to experiment with that I think, as my potting mix is fairly neutral from memory.   Thanks David! (even though it was directed at Lesley, still useful to me too!!  )

[Lesley Cox]

This is a reticulata seedling from Alan McMurtrie's seed, with the information 90 AA - 1 x ? which doesn't really tell me much except, perhaps, that the cross was done in 1990. This is the third from the batch to flower and they are all identical in every way. The colour is very deep and rich and quite smooth. The spotting says everything there is to say about our present weather. It is nicely scented, as of Viola odorata.

[Joakim B]

Nice one Lesley have You tried to pollinate it with the siblings?
If You manage to get offspring with the sent of Viola odorata than You can have Your pension (retirement fond) secured!?
Nice strong colours.
Kind regards
Joakim

[David Nicholson]

That's very nice Lesley.

[Paul T]

Good colour Lesley, particularly knowing how poorly the digital cameras show those sorts of colours (well any I have tried anyway).  Would be a corker in person I'd imagine.  You tried for seed?

With my original Iris histrio from Marcus which I tried self-pollinating, I can pretty much guarantee that it is trying to set seed.  I did it deliberately on only one of the flowers so that I could test and compare, and the difference now between the bases of the two flower remains is marked.  One has now swollen to about a cm thick, while the other has no sign at all.  Glad I did it that way for comparison, even if it meant that I could have got twice as much seed by crossing to both of them!    Whether the seed will mature or course is another matter entirely, but there is still hope.  Depending on what seed there is at the end of this I will hopefully be able to share some seed with at least a couple of people, even if only a few seeds each.  I think that these small irises have pretty good germination and survival rates don't they?

[art600]

This is a reticulata seedling from Alan McMurtrie's seed, with the information 90 AA - 1 x ? which doesn't really tell me much except, perhaps, that the cross was done in 1990. This is the third from the batch to flower and they are all identical in every way. The colour is very deep and rich and quite smooth. The spotting says everything there is to say about our present weather. It is nicely scented, as of Viola odorata.

(Attachment Link)

Lesley
How long from seed to flower?  I have pots and pots of seed that germinated last year - hope I do not have to wait too long.

[David Nicholson]

Lesley and David,

Definitely plant deep is what I knew for danfordiae as well.  Up until now mine have always been in pots though, so they didn't get that insulation effect, which is of course why you plant deep in the first place.  I'd tried plenty of feeding, but hasn't worked for me in the pots, but I hadn't heard about the lime.  Will have to experiment with that I think, as my potting mix is fairly neutral from memory.   Thanks David! (even though it was directed at Lesley, still useful to me too!!  )

Paul, I roll all my Iris reticulata bulbs in dolomite lime and give them a good coating before I plant them.

[afw]

I also read that they like to sit on a good layer of silver sand. Not tried it myself though.

[Lesley Cox]

Arthur, the seed was sown in Jan 2003 and the first flower on this and another form (almost white) flowered in the spring (Aug) of 2006 so not too long, but just one of each. In both 06 and 07, the white form came at least two week before the dark but this year the white is just coming through now. In 2003 when germination started, only one blue came up, then 2 more in 04 and a few more in 05. These are going to flower this year for the first time, likewise for the pale form which is below (from last year's flower).

[art600]

Lesley
Thanks for info - really not too long.  I ordered 1500 seeds from Alan McMurtrie - gave a lot to friends - and only had one seed germinate in the first year.  I put this down to a very mild winter.  Next year was excellent germination and we had a distinctly colder winter.  Roll on 2010

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Very nice pale blue.  How white was the white one?  Pretty rare commodity a white reticulata iris!