Worse is gardener error... You're weeding a bed and step back, only to hear that awful crunch, followed by the flop sound of a stalk falling to the ground. And of courser there are the famous hose tricks... What do we think we are with the hose flipping? Cowboys? Cowgirls? I for one have lassoed far too many bloom stalks..

I broke my first fan this year. That was a sad day......

Nooo!!! Terrible news Leslie!

I may have hit a fan with the weed wacker today at least it wasn't a bloom stock.

Thank heavens I haven't done that yet. I want those stalks to bloom!

Speaking of which, my Imprimis finally has a bloom stalk but (you knew there would be a but didn't you?) the bud is the smallest little bud I have ever seen for a TB. It isn't much larger than a pea. I am guessing that I will not be seeing Imprimis this year.

Every year I swear I'm not going to weed while the bloom stalks are there, but for sure "I'll just have to get that one" and then before you know it there's another one and another one and sure enough I'll hear the crunch of death, and Neal can hear me swear all the way down in Kentucky!

Mary Ann, that is terrible about Cold Fushion. Gee I hope that one doesn't rot for me. I just got it last summer. I will have to check on it.

Just had the center fan fall over on Noble Dragon. There was just a small amount of rot at the juncture where the fan met the rhizome. The other two fans are larger and very healthy. I cleaned off the soft part, then gave it a bleach and water drench and an aspirin drench. The center fan of Darcy's Choice did this last fall, and after treating with aspirin and bleach it has recovered nicely and grown some nice healthy increases. I am hoping that nothing further will progress with Noble Dragon. Just won't see it bloom this year I guess.

tveguy3 said:Every year I swear I'm not going to weed while the bloom stalks are there, but for sure "I'll just have to get that one" and then before you know it there's another one and another one and sure enough I'll hear the crunch of death, and Neal can hear me swear all the way down in Kentucky!

it's the worst sound in the garden.

I really don't ever want to hear it! You do still bring the stalks inside to hopefully bloom though?

Yes, but the other day it was the snap of individual blooms sockets. Much better than the snap of entire stalks.

Indeed so!

The other cause for cursing is when I'm dead heading, and I snap off a good bloom with the spent one cause I try to do it one handed. I know I should use two hands, but sometimes I don't have my head on strait.

Some iris have double & triple socket blooms. One needs to be careful.

Geez, yes I absolutely hate that! It's just nice to know I'm not alone... Crimson Snow did that to me and I never replaced it. On the positive side of waiting: I had Rosalie Figge for at least 4 years with no bloom. When it bloomed it not only bloomed in the spring, it bloomed in the fall right up and thru November.

Wonder of wonders -- I reported the loss of the bloom fan on Cold Fusion. This morning on a walk-about, marveling at all the bloom stalks -- lo and behold -- there were two small fans of Cold Fusion with bloom stalks!!! Hallelujah!!! I may get to see it this year after all. Providing that those fans don't rot too.......

How tall do the fans have to be for the iris to put up a stalk?

Each iris is different.

Some of my non promising lookers are putting up stalks with only 3 short(4") fans. Some of the increases have way taller fans.

Yeah, I hear that snap and just pause. In my head I'm saying "O fresh Cow manure". Only happened twice so far this year.

To funny, yes it happens. Mary Ann, is your TBs early this year? I have several sending up stalks. Last year it seemed closer to May.

Sorry, for your loss