bearded iris: unkillable??

I dug out, divided, and transplanted an old iris bed that was here when i moved in. only had a couple blooms a year. The fall b4 last i done a few that made a large bed, and last summer i done the whole bed and planted iris everywhere, even gave some to my mom.
I thought i removed most all the iris from the old bed. I tilled the bed a few times and tilled in some fertilizer. I left the bed fallow until i could figure what to plant there. I went out today after the snow was melted and noticed that there are numerous iris fans and a few lily leaves.
I am astounded! I thought i was pretty thorough in removing any viable iris rhizomes, and only left the mushy, spent ones. so i guess it will still be an iris bed!
I really hope i like these cultivars as i've only seen an all yellow, and a two tone light lilac and purply-red ones. So basically i've planted these things everywhere and don't even know what i have!

Now that sounds like something I would do. Since you've replanted and thinned them out maybe you will be rewarded with bushels of blooms.

Judy

i hope maybe i'll get blooms this year from the ones i divided the fall of 2006! Otherwise i'm starting to wonder if i don't have the non-blooming variety!lol!

Photos when they bloom Len. Maybe you'll find some great historicals there.

inanda

Yes, and i'm sure they will probably be the older varieties. House has built in '62 and they moved the old farmhouse that was here before so i don't know how long these have been here. I know they weren't divided in a while.

Next time you want them erradicated, I will send over my schnauzer...lol..he has it in for my irises for some reason!

I have been trying to eradicate Virginia Lyle for years, with squirrels and other critters moving rhizomes, using what ever chemicals I can, fire (incineration), I can not seem to get rid of the things
:)
A

That's funny Anita about not being able to get rid of them with chemicals or fire. That says a lot for Virginia Lyle irises!

That is not the worst of it. When I orginally planted them, ok this was 10 years ago when I knew nothing about iris. I thought it would be nice to plant them around an old stump, To my shock the area was flooded in november with 4" of water and froze for the winter and then every heavy rain flooded again, great for beardless, and I was sure they would all be killed, ... not hardly. I have given away hundreds and tried to dispose of hundreds more and they still come up, who said bearded were dainty, not me!
They even outlasted Japanese planted in the same area, well, ok japanese hate me anyway but still it was a perfect spot for them not an MTB that apparently loves to swim.
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If you should ever have extra again that survive your attempts at destruction, I would love some, Anita. I'm sure I can find something you would like in exchange. I have some places an iris like that would be perfect for.

I am NOT trying to eradicate them!lol! I was just commenting on how resilient they are.
At least not yet. if they should become invasive and kill off everything else, then maybe i will reconsider.

I'm always told that to bloom well, beared irises need room to grow, full sun, and heavy feeding with low nitrogen.

Len, is there a possibility that, other than being too crowded from being undivided (that alone causes them not to bloom) that they also need more sun and more fertilizer? 0-10-10 works well to give me lots of bloom.

Wish I had one this resilient. One grower told me when he needs to weed, after bloom season, he sprays the beds with Roundup! He said it wouldn't kill 'em. Think that would kill mine. I'm not brave enough to try it!

Yes bon jon, i think mine were just overcrowded. I've been here a couple of years, I have no idea when the iris's were planted, possibly 30 years or more for all i know.
after i replanted them all, i had so many things going on i didn't get to weed them, mainly crabgrass, and i thought they might have disappeared for good, but after finally getting around to weeding them, i found they were all still there. I don't want to use any herbicides or pesticides, so it's all hand weeding. I think it takes a couple of seasons for them to get big enough to bloom, but then i didn't waste any when i transplanted, i planted even the tiniest ones. lol

avmoran

Virginia Lyle - Schreiner's is charging $12.50 for them, plus shipping of course. Maybe you should stop trying to kill them, instead trade them for something you WANT!!! lol lol

http://www.schreinersgardens.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SIGO&Product_Code=VIRG

I found the above link because I wanted to see a picture of them and then thought it would give you a laugh.

Judy

PS Just $4 on this website http://www.gormleygreenery.com/mtb.htm What a difference in price!

This message was edited Feb 11, 2008 5:50 PM

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