Please explain Siberian Iris rebloom to me.

I have a nice sized clump of Big Blue Sib Iris that bloomed for the first time this year. I put it in in the late summer of '06. Last year, it looked like it should have bloomed, but it must have decided to sit out. This year, it bloomed profusely, and with in a couple of weeks, I have two new scapes that budded and have started blooming. Just two, on the outside of the plant. Is this what rebloom looks like in Siberian Irises?

I grow lots of daylilies and I can explain and describe reblooming daylilies, and even reblooming Bearded Irises. But, I have no experince with Siberian Irises reblooming.

Linda

Some siberians are repeaters not rebloom. Dr. McEwen insisted on that terminology. They will wait a few weeks and then send up new stalks. Not all have the trait.

Siberian iris and also Japanese iris are usually considered repeaters, rather than true rebloomers when flowers occur after the initial flush of bloom. The definition of repeaters for siberian and JIs being :additional bloomstalks on an unpredictable regularity immediately following Spring bloom.

However some repeat with such regularity they are called rebloomers and are registered as such. The reblooming iris society has a list of sibs and JIs which are reliable repeaters.

Unlike a bearded iris that may bloom in the spring, and then again in the fall, this is uncommon for sibs and JIs. They normally have their repeat bloom within a couple of weeks after the main flush of bloom.

If you know which ones tend to repeat, be sure to cut all the dead flower stalks off, and water and fertilize after the first bloom flush for a better repeat.

IrisMA and I cross posted. At least we agree:)

More details on your post Polly. For some reason our only repeat performer is 'Chartreuse Bounty' It would be nice if the repeater was easier to spell.

I have quite a few repeaters. Coronation Anthem is a huge repeater. Careless Sally, Reprise, Ships Are Sailing, Baby Sister and Springs Brook are good repeaters here, too. Summer Revels amd Pink Haze small repeaters.

As far as JIs, Exuberant Chantey, Southern Son and Thoroughbred have done well here.

I'll have to try Chartreuse Bounty IrisMA.

I have had repeat bloom on Coronation Anthem most years. This year got lots of nice repeat bloom on RANMAN, which bloomed it's brains out to begin with!! Multipetaled siberian with very vigorous growth for me. My repeat bloom stalks tend to be scattered around the very outside of the clump and show up about 2-3 weeks after the clump has finished blooming.

The other repeaters which we grow, don't do so here--sigh. Even when our bed had more sun, they stayed oncers.

Now I understand. You all gave me exactly the information that I was looking for. I will be making a note in the years to come to see if Big Blue repeats again.

Linda