Jan, it's about the size of a cane and uses a little camping sized propane tank. You can get right up next to and in between rhizomes without doing damage. It gives me great satisfaction to see those little weeds shrivel up. I've found that it works best with young seedlings. Past that stage, I get out the hula hoe, and hand pull..

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008ZA0F/

Just FYI Beaumout Ridge has opened its first Iris aution on several rhizomes on Facebook last night. Auction ends Tuesday. The only thing I would say to check is the price of a few off the normal vendors site. a few look a little pricy compared to the other vendors that carry them. But other then that some are good prices if you can win.

Sherry -- about that torch -- I'm having a hard time thinking that just burning up the leaves will kill the root............

I believe the torches work best for young weeds- seedlings, which would do me a lot of good here. Lamium and peppergrass seedlings appear everywhere in fall and winter- it would be great to stand and take care of those!

Exactly Neal.. The torch doesn't work on the perennial weeds like Convolvulus (Bindweed) or any of the Oxalis I have here. It's excellent for Popweed (Utricularia vulgaris), and most annual weeds, especially when you can get them at just the cotyledon stage. Some are tougher than others, and it's been trial and error in learning what it works best on here. I suspect that if I were more diligent, that I could probably weaken the perennials as well, if I could only keep on top of frying their foliage off whenever it sprouted.

snowing at the moment

Raining pretty hard here

Hey Sherry, just checked Bolshoi. She has very tiny increases that are just starting to show. You'll definitely receive a bigger rhizome than what I'll have late summer this year

Thanks for the weed thingie info, Sherry!

Jan, Make sure you get one with an igniter. I saw some cheaper ones without it.

Thanks Gabe.. I need to get busy and start crossing some off the Mid-America list.. I'd like to order a few from International and Mariposa.. I think I need to have my head examined.

How fast does BlueJIris respond to e mails? I emailed them a week ago and no response. I emailed them again today and no response. I'm not sure if its me and my computer or are they really busy?

I think they are afraid of how many irises you want to order.

Barbara, it takes awhile to hear back from them. They DO get back with you. Sometimes it may take 2 weeks. The beginning of the season, they get very busy.

Henhouse said:Jan, Make sure you get one with an igniter. I saw some cheaper ones without it.

Thanks Gabe.. I need to get busy and start crossing some off the Mid-America list.. I'd like to order a few from International and Mariposa.. I think I need to have my head examined.

Got that many ordered already????

Where is that chart, again, Tom?

Darcy, its called enabling aka little nudges. Sherri, What a list for Mid America. I am probably going to order just 1 iris this year and a few trades. Cant afford to do a lot as work is being done on the house.

lovemyhouse said:Where is that chart, again, Tom?

Here is the "How many irises did you really order" scale

1 to 30 = Just kid stuff
31 to 50 = A good start
51 to 75 = Slightly off balance
76 to 100 = On the Edge!
101 to 125 = Over the Edge
126 to 150 = Pretty messed up
151 to 175 = You need your head examined
176 to 200 = Bring on the paddy wagon!
over 200 = Men in white coats coming with strait jacket.

Well, this year I'm going to be at the kiddie's table1 Spent too much already!

Thank you, Tom. I starred the page for future reference.

Debra, how do you star a page for future reference?