I see I am lax in a few additives.Bonemeal in particular.

I just started adding that this Fall.

Hi,! Looks pretty "ratty" , I know.

the 1st is our "old bed".ones we moved from down the street 3 seasons ago.Lot's of NOIDs in here. 2nd is new rebloomer bed,except for4 clumps at the fer end, every thing is this summers planting....Arlyn

And what's in the little bed just beyond the rebloomer bed, Arlyn?

I enjoyed the mysterious self portrait!!

That started out to be the "reservation", I want to add to my collection of "Indian tribe named iris". I made the bed about Aug. 1st. Planted 5 new "Indians" , then got sidetracked with waifs, strays, and orphans ! Some from the HIPS sale(leftovers), and some "for postage". Figured that they could spend the winter on the "reservation" till I make more room! That white garage(with the whte car in front) in the background is on the 3 lot property we've been trying to buy.( that's a long, long story!! ) Iwant to continue the beds down to the end of the block. They are "too crowded" now, but hopefully they'll only be there till July! ( I don't want the Indians to get to restless!! )..Arlyn

Your irises look great, Arlyn. Just a few tops brown. Better than mine.

I'll have to see if I have any Indians when I catalogue, other than Indian Chief, which I'm sure you have.

A very ambitious plan, Arlyn!!

Aryln your beds look really nice the plants look healthy should give you lots of bloom in the spring.

Polly I have rock hard clay in my back yard with pockets of black dirt, almost impossible to get anything to grow and do well other than trees and most of those I had to dig french drains, to combat the problem I had dirt trucked in to make berms, I think that is the most important part is what they are growing in, Iris are pretty tough and will grow just about anywhere but they thrive in well drained soil or at least that has been my experience, when I tried planting in the clay and amending the soil my growth was not very good, they bloomed but did not increase the way they should. I have been tilling in compost in the berms and also using it as a top dressing, or almost like a mulch around the bulbs and they seem to love it. I also add bone meal in the early spring about the time they wake up and start growing it takes a while to break down for the plant to benefit from it but I think it helps.

I use snapshot in the spring and fall for a pre-emergent I finally found it for sale online and it was quite a bit cheaper than buying it locally I am starting to spray for leaf spot this fall and will continue with it throughout the spring,my plants looked horrible with it this year and I saw a couple commercial gardens in California that did not have a speck of it anywhere, and I want to try to get rid of it if possible. I don't want to look at it if I don't have to at least up around my house. The product I am using is called Cleary's3336 fungicide I was told it was a excellent product from a grower, and it is the best I can buy with out a license we will see how it works in May.. I tried Daconil last year and wasted my money it did nothing for me just like most of the products you can buy at a Home Depot or Lowes.

I fought Leaf hoppers all summer and I used Demon Pesticide to kill them it worked incredibly good and I recommend that product it was great and will work for just about any insect. I sprayed every week this summer and it helped even my roses looked a lot better, they were not chewed up this year from Japaneese beetles. I watered really heavy this year about twice a week, because it was such a brutal summer we had record days in the 100's and I think my iris responded really well to it. My experience has been that they will grow and really thrive when I water weekly in a normal year along with rainfall as long as the soil will drain, I would not water as much with out well draining soil that is the key, they will survive without it but the best growth comes from them getting watered on a regular basis in good soil. It does not hurt either to buy good sized bulbs from Superstition's to start off with Here is a link to buy any of these products on line if interested.
http://www.domyownpestcontrol....

Hi,! Brad, is that 3336 fungicide a systemic?(also called triple action by some makers).I used to use the daconil, and had pretty good luck, but it got where I couldn't get it locally. I really think the key with fungicides and insecticides is to switch brands/types once in a while( I use another type every 3rd spray, then use the original again for 3 sprays) I believe the disease and insects tend to build up a resistence, and the "switcheroo" helps get them. I use Bayers Long season grub control( with Merit) , and have had good control on ALL bugs. No borers,( Merit is systemic). I hesitated using it as there is some controversey about it's effect on honey bees( My son and I keep bees).But I think ,used according to directions, it's OK.(I can honestly say I've never seen a honey bee on an iris bloom,anyway. A few bumblebees, on some of the "sweet smellers", only occasionally...Arlyn

We are lucky to not have iris bore here. I have seen leaf spot on a couple of varieties....I discarded them. I forgot to mention that my soil is clay but drains well. I think I have mentioned this on cubits but I had a friend here who grew over 400 varieties. He grew them in rows with a furrow on each side. He irrigated weekly. Each fall-summer he would put his lawn clippings in the paths and in the fall would put aged cow manure down each path and then till it in. Next year right after bloom he would move the iris into the paths and the process would begin again.He moved them every year and had great bloom and great rhizomes. After many years they weren't doing as well and he had a soil test done and found his soil was high in animal salts from the manure so discontinued using it.

Fantastic info. I'm sure we will all benefit. Thank you!

One thing that I think we all need to remember is that iris, by nature ,are fairly heavy feeders(Lots of energy used to produce all those leaves, stalks, & flowers), and most of us REMOVE all the spent foliage, etc.,and dispose of it in the trash( so as to not introduce disease & insects). Somehow this organic material and nutrients MUST be replaced. Most add compost, manure, etc., and additional fertilizers.You can use a "green manure" system, with "crop rotation"(like Pauls friend), "spot addition", scratching in alfalfa pellets, peat, or compost around established "clumps",as I,(and I think, Paul, do) or heavy soil amendment at the time of seperation or division(every 3-4 years), or a combination of methods. BUT, as been stated before, both here ,and in other threads,we have to do what works for us!We all have slightly different soil, climate, cultivars, to deal with. The only constant is the "Love of the Flower".....Arlyn

Amen.......

Mary Ann, I just "tumbled" to your "self-portait" comment! I'm a little slow most times ! Do you remember" Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The SHADOW knows!!" You're probably much too young! And Polly, no, I Don't have Indian Chief!...Arlyn

Its been ages since Lamont Cranston crossed my path.LOL
Remember Stalla Dallas? The Green Hornet? radio in general?

Hi,! I'm 64, and I came along" late", my 2 sisters are 74, &76, I can remember when we got the first TV, and it was only turned on Fri. & Sat. nights. The rest of the time it was the radio, as that was where all my folk's "favorites" were...Fibber McGee, etc. I wish there were good "stories" on the radio, now! We play talking books alot on the CD, while we're working around the house...Arlyn

76 here,I loved the radio.I raced home every afternoon to listen to The Shadow and etc.You needed to be able to imagine the action. There are no challanges now days,everyting is done including computer generated effects that make the world unreal.

I'm 69 and remember listening to the radio with my mother at night while she ironed. Back to iris....when I have any produce waste like potato skins, salad waste,etc. I dig a little hole among the iris and bury it. I know by itself it probably does minimal good but I think it encourages earth worms which is good

I bury my fish "cleanings" amongst the clumps. If it was good enough for Squanto, it's good enough for me.( that is of course, when I catch a fish!!)...Arlyn

OK, Indian Chief. Arlyn. Maybe we can get some good trading going next year. What Indians do you have?

Arlyn, I think you're 100% correct that we need to do what works for us, but sometimes we need to know what works for others, so we can try it and see if it works for us?