Watering Bearded Iris

Correction: Checked the espoma site and they have a balanced
fertilizer containing iron but irontite is made by someone else. Both
are sold at lowes home/garden centers. In case I threw someone
a curve with my N-K-P from my farmboy days, the current names
are nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium.

well, you've just answered why our soil is so acidic. Raleigh is the "City of Oaks" and North Carolina is the "Tar Heel State" as in pine tar from the loblolly and white pines. all we get dropping in large helpings is acid stuff! LOL its why we dont add anything to have happy hollies, azaleas, rhodys, and camellias!!!

But for many plants you will need lime, to balance out your soil. Here in New Mexico, tall bearded, ib, sdb, mtb, and arilbred are all happy. Siberian -- only barely grow. JI rarely grow. The last two love acid soil and love the east.

lime and gy[sum both

Here we add gypsum to remove salt from horse manure. Not sure how it does that but the county agent and others tell me it does.

Now are you tellin' me I've got salty soil, hmmm the salt must be a weed accelerate judging by their growth.

Do you use a lot of horse manure? If so, you have salt -- maybe not enough to be toxic but it eventually builds up. You can find out in a soil test. It does take a lot of horse manure to cause a problem. You know those salt blocks they give horses to lick? That's where it comes from.

then would it be the same for any manure with animals using a salt lick? aka cow?

Probably, but I don't know for sure.

well, now that I've added water to the beds, (with soaker hoses focused mostly on the summer bulbs and away from the irises best as possible) along with some hard rain and bad humidity, I've experienced what is I think my first crown rot. I suppose there are limits to a good thing....

Do the rhizomes get squishy, with yellowed drooping leaves and ooze a yellowish goo when you push on it? The leaves drooped, fell, and pulled right off. Two Crimson Twists bite the mud. I think that part of the bed sits lower than the rest. Oh well, now I just get to buy more.

Any advice to amend that area of the soil as far as potential residual fungus?

Back to adding acid to soil. Google sphagnum peat moss and get the whole
story. I think peat moss would change the ph and also soften that concrete
soil.

Soulja--There are some systemic fungicides but a lot of them are expensive
and for commercial use. If you locate some reasonably priced and approved
for home use, please post it here. I need some also. Thanks.