posted
Please help, I have a very large flower bed with only irises and daffodils in it. For the past two years I have noticed my irises have not been doing well, we were having a drought and I thought it was due to lack of water. Last fall I covered 1/2 of the bed with shredded paper and grass cuttings(I wanted to see how it would help the bed I had heard it was very good for the plants). We had approximately 40 inches of snow and plenty of rain over the winter. My daffodils came up and had the best showing of flowers I have ever seen. Today I went out to clean the bed and get it mulched, and discovered that the irises rhizones were on top of the ground or buried very shallow I could pull them all out by hand, except for one 2 foot section which seemed to be fine. I immediately removed all of the irises. Now I do not know what to do, should I destroy all of the plants or can I clean them and replant them. Should I remove the daffodils? Can anyone help me?
Plants: 1 | From: Emmitsburg, MD | Registered: May 2003
| Seeded: 64.12.96.70
From what i have read, the major problems affecting irises are borers (moth larvae) and bacterial soft rot. Other problems are aphids, spidermites,and slugs. These pests can carry dieseases. I personally have already had to spray mine last week because they were covered with aphids and spider mites.
posted
Iris's don't like to have anything on top of their roots or rhyzomes (can't remember if that's how you spell that word.) I made the mistake the first year of gardening..( I inherited a few plants with the house we purchased)... with some iris's, I put on tons of hand sifted compost to make the dirt around there more nicer and easier to weed and more nutritious, well the following year they didn't bloom as much and I thought well they're getting over crowded and next fall I'll transplant them well later I read that they do not like things on top of them..the roots grow half in the dirt and half out of the dirt. I'll lay odds that it was the newspaper on top of the rhyzome and this keeps the moisture on top..... The daffodils love it because they come from way under the dirt and the newspaper was just more dirt for them to push through so they weren't effected by it... Having the stuff on top will definately incourage those iris bore's to come eat your rhyzomes, nice cool and moist and dark place for them to be in...... Hope this helps?? Weezie
* * * * Weezie
Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it. - Bible - Hebrews 13:2
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