Death of my Jackal Cackle... Please help!

I finally got outside today to check my irises. Between the rains and having to work extra hours, I'd been a bit remiss. Some of my poor Jackal Cackle's leaves were lying down. The rest pulled away easily- rot. Grabbed the bleach and my digger. Nothing but mush. When digging out the rot and surrounding dirt, there were a ton of rolly-pollies (sowbugs) and these teeny tiny white worms. Not much bigger around than a thread and about 1/4" long. All off-white, no brown head, no pinkish tint. I did treat with grub control this spring so wasn't thinking I could have borers but could they be??

I should have taken a photo but was so grossed out had to get them in the burning barrel before the little buggers spread. I have seen some wiry looking thin darker worms before on my irises. Has anyone had any trouble with those? Any idea what they are?

Good thing a kind-hearted person donated some new irises to me so I wont miss Jackal so much! Thanks Sharon!

Here's a photo in memory of Jackal Cackle. At least it was one my daughter said was ugly. I thought it was unique. Guess it's one of those "love it or hate it" irises.

Sorry to hear about your Jackal Cackle. I'm losing more this year than I ever had.....

If the white worms are extremely thin and small, they are just cleaning up the rot, not the cause of it.

For the first time in my Iris-loving life, I found a rotting rhizome this morning. I dug it up, examined it thoroughly, found nothing living inside of it, just mush. The rhizomes attached to the right and left of it were not affected. I threw the rotted rhizome away -- but am wondering if there's something that I should do to the two remaining rhizomes, and/or to the ground they came from?

This is really puzzling to me. We have had a summer of ultra-hot weather, and we're in the middle of a drought, as well. So why in the world would a rhizome rot????????

Yes, the worms were really thin and small.

We've had a weird summer. Super hot then monsoon rains (4" in less than a hour). We've had a ton of rain so was expecting some rot. Was shocked to see total mush and wormies though.

Not sure about rot when there is no rain. Here in NY there usually is an overabundance of it all summer.

Possibility: The rotting rhizome is the mother with the two side rhizomes being the increases. Rot can be caused by the bloom stalk passing water to the top of the rhizome permitting rot to begin. I think that is why it is recommended that the bloom stalk be cut or broken off at the point where it attaches to the rhizome. I have had a few of the "old mothers" rot without any damage to the increases but they need to be dug and sterilized before replanting.

Yes water can follow the stem down to the rhizome & sit there, especially TB thick stems.

Treatment, cut out all rot, then soak in 10% bleach-90-% water. rinse, dry & replant. Perhaps add different soil to the area or plant in a different spot.

OK -- checked the rhizome in question -- it was not the mother that rotted. It was one of three adult rhizomes attached to a healthy mother. The other two rhizomes are healthy and will bloom next Spring. So this rotted rhizome was sitting there attached to a healthy mother, and next to two healthy sibiings. What in the world???????

Rot is caused by bacteria -- and although moisture is necessary, the bacteria could have infected the plant back in April and May when we did have rain. Sometimes rot seems to happen almost overnight, and sometimes it takes months. Conditions just have to be right for growing the bacteria. Make sure you bleach around the remaining good rhizomes -- the bacteria is in the soil and may infect them this fall before it freezes or reactivate in the spring. A Comet-type powder sprinkled around them will do the trick!

Sue- Taylorsville, KY

Comet powder as in Comet Cleanser for cleaning your kitchen sink?

Yes, any bleach helps getting rot out of rhizomes--about a 10-15 minute soak, then rinse & dry. I haven't used it in the soil.

I sprinkle it around the rhizomes when there is just one in a mass -- I don't dig them all up if they don't show any rot. It doesn't hurt anything, except the bugs. The substrate used by the bleach companies is benign and dissolves in the soil. The bleach will kill the bacteria, tho, and any bugs in the soil down 2-3 inches. I have been using it for years, and the pH has even changed that much. I have heavy clay soil that I amend with compost.

Good luck!

Sue

Thanks Sue -- Comet it is!