New to Forum - Need Advice

I'm new to this forum but not to DG. Two years ago I dug up and discarded all my iris ( about 300). I had lost the battle with iris borer. I practiced all the sanitation measures recommended and also repeatedly "squeezed" the leaves in the spring at the first sign of larvae activity but the borer just kept coming. I have three questions. Is it safe to replant? What measures should I take to prevent a reoccurrence? And what new cultivars are there that are really exciting? I don't ask much do I?

Hi, welcome. Glad you came over here.

I will let someone else answer your questions. Our Laurie here is really good on the borer issues. Tazzy is one of the most knowledgeable iris people around.

It must have really hurt to pull out those irises.

And let me mention you just completed your master Gardener training. Congrats, again.

i am afraid I'm clueless on iris borer they don't like Oklahoma's weather
I.guess there afraid of tornadoes.
i would goggle iris borer and they will take you to sites talking or looking for cures .
i know some places fumigate there soil before planting to kill bad things in soil.
I use bleach on every thing and pray a lot.

Welcome, snapple, to the Iris Forum!

I can imagine your devastation at losing all of those irises. I've lost many more than that to my severe MN climate over the last dozen years. It may slow us down, but nothing stops an irisarian from growing these beautiful plants for long.

The good news is that borers are definitely manageable. The bad news is that you will most likely have to manage them again. Although they may not be present in your own garden at the moment, they are almost certainly still present in your iris-growing neighbors' gardens, and the borer moths will be quite happy to fly back into your yard once you have irises for them again.

I very successfully control borers in my iris beds by cleaning all old iris foliage out of my beds in early spring before temps reach 70 degrees (borer hatching temp). But the most effective weapon in my borer battle is imidacloprid granules (marketed as lawn grub control by several manufacturers) sprinkled around every iris clump at a rate of 1 tsp/clump as soon as the irises break winter dormancy and begin growth in the spring. The granules should be watered in thoroughly immediately after application.

Timing is critical. Imidacloprid MUST be applied very early in the iris growth cycle - well before temps reach 70 degrees so that the plants have time to uptake the chemical through their root systems and distribute it through the plant tissues before the borers hatch. If imidacloprid is applied after the borers have hatched, fed, and grown larger, the chemical can no longer kill them. Imidacloprid is a long-lasting chemical, so a single spring application lasts all season.

I haven't seen any sign of borer activity in my iris beds in many years, but I continue to treat the beds with imidacloprid each spring just in case the errant borer moth floats in on a breeze.

Exciting new cultivars? Heck, yes!!! Of course, "exciting" is in the eye of the beholder, so go to the AIS website and click through their list of commercial iris seller's websites. You'll be dizzy with delight at all of the new offerings. Bearded, beardless, species - whatever you want in whatever size and color you prefer.

Happy irising!

Laurie

Ahhhhhhhhh I feel so much better now knowing that I can start putting iris back in the garden. Imidacloprid - we use it here to battle the larva stage of the Emerald Ash Beetle. All the garden centers stock some kind of formulation. I'll have it ready for next year before the temps hit 70. I got so tired of battling that rotten ugly grub. Now to get my self over to the AIS and start picking some new ones. And some old favorites. I particularly miss 'Beverly Sills'. Thanks to all of you.