MDBs, SDBs, and MTBs in warm winter climates

Hi All,

I'm hoping you folks who grow irises in warm winter climates will be able to help me out. I'm trying to get up the nerve to sell my extra irises on eBay and the Lily Auction this year (I find eBay particularly intimidating), and I want to market them as accurately as possible. Obviously, gardening in frigid northern MN gives me quite a narrow range of experience when it comes to knowing which irises might or might not do well in warm winter climates, and I don't want to sell irises to folks in warm climates that are doomed to do poorly for them.

I have read that, as a general rule, MDBs, SDBs, and MTBs all require substantial periods of winter freeze in order to bloom well, but I have also read that there are exceptions within each class (esp. SDB) that DO bloom well in warm climates with minimal winter freeze. So, I would be very grateful if you gardeners in mild winter climates would list any MDBs, SDBs, and MTBs that bloom well for you, along with a brief note on how much (if any) sub-freezing weather you typically get in winter. That'll help me identify particular cultivars in these classes that are known to bloom decently even in areas without much freezing weather.

Thanks, all, for your help!

Laurie

Hi Laurie-

Here in middle TN, SDBs do great. While we officially can have temps down to -5 or so, I can't remember the last time it got down into the teens. The winters are mostly mild with only an occasional day or two of below freezing weather from December to February. I only have one called Lively Rose that's supposed to be a mdb or mtb but it's not bloomed yet.

Why not list the recommended growing conditions for the type of iris in your postings and let the buyer decide if they want to try it or not. I've sold some on ebay and will send comments on that later. Right now, we are finally having a dry day and I have to get my tomatoes planted....;-).

Neil

Thanks, Neil. I will list the recommended growing conditions, but I was also thinking that if I happen to grow specific cultivars that are known to perform particularly well in warm winter climates, I can make special notes about that in their listings, as well.

I'm glad to know that SDBs do well for you there. It seems to me, however, (bearing in mind that my memory is completely unreliable) that Linda Mann in TN has mentioned difficulty getting decent bloom out of many of the SDBs she's tried. I might be waaaay off about that, though, and I don't remember where in TN Linda is located. Of course, there are lots of gorgeous new SDB intros coming out of the West Coast, so those must not require much of any freeze to perform well.

Lively Rose is an MTB. Do you grow and bloom any other MTBs (or MDBs)?

Laurie

Hi Laurie-

If she lives in West Tenn, closer to Memphis, that might make a difference. It is warmer there. The mountains of east TN should be cold enough for them. I'll send you a dmail later with the sdb's I grow. I don't have any other MTB's or MDB's.

Neil

I guess we'll have to change that. I think you could easily become addicted to them too....

... IF he could bloom them in TN, Roni. I'd still love to know if that's possible with the MDBs and MTBs.

I've got a few spares if he wants to do the digging for an experiment....

Sounds like a challenge to me, Neil. I dare ya! ;-)

Laurie, are you including IB and BB in your question?

No, Doss. I know that IBs and BBs can generally perform well in warm-winter climates. It's just the MDBs, SDBs, and MTBs that I'm wondering about. Do you grow and bloom any of those classes?

Laurie

OK, Roni and Laurie, stop causing trouble. I've already ordered way too many iris for this year. Maybe I could squeeze in a few test MDBs and MTBs, but I don't need any more obsessions. Right now it's SDBs and arilbreds.......I will soon have to start cutting down trees to make new sunny spots.

Neil

Ah, Neil, but the great thing about MDBs is that they will grow and bloom in only partial sun! Keep the trees. Plant MDBs!!!!!

You hear that, Roni? He wants ALL of your extra MDBs and MTBs!

I've tried this year but I'm not having any luck already. I have some trouble with some of the IB's.

Thanks for letting me know, Doss. That's what I was afraid of.

For what it's worth, I've tried a few MDBs in the past and was never successful with them. At the time I didn't know they needed a colder winter than we usually get here. The IBs do fine. The only MTB I have is Rosemary's Dream and it does fine.

Thanks, pardalinum. I'm glad to know that you can bloom Rosemary's Dream. I would have guessed that if you couldn't bloom MDBs in your climate, you couldn't bloom MTBs, either. Either I'm wrong about that, or Rosemary's Dream is an MTB that is particularly tolerant of milder winter climates.

How much sub-freezing weather do you get in your garden?

Laurie

This message was edited May 7, 2006 11:16 AM

Usually a few days or a week of mid 20's. This past winter was a bit more gnarly with a few days of high teens. The ground really never freezes and if it does it isn't deep and no longer than the extent of the few days of low temps. Rain is a big problem though-- heavy clay and slow drainage. My whole backyard, greenhouse floor, and even some RAISED beds were under water for several days in January!

Maybe because of their breeding background the MTBs are a bit more tolerant of warmer winters?

I planted three SDB last year and haven't had a bloom yet but my season isn't over. I still have hope. One rhizome was really, really small so I don't know that I will get anything this year. Wish I could be more specific but this is my first year to try them out.