Aril Society International

[Hans A.]

Hello Pat,

there should be no problem sending pollen by mail - if it is kept dry it can be used also after several weeks - dry pollen also can be freezed to use it the next season - if I remember well there exist old ASI articles about this theme.
@Rafa
In my opininion it is better to interchange seeds  - just think about the variations you can find in Iris acutiloba ssp. lineolata or Iris kirkwoodii    Iris kirkwoodiae Chaudhary   - I would prefer not to cross the different forms.

Nice to hear about the seeds of I. haynei and I lortetii - hope they will become more common in future in cultivation.

[Otto Fauser]

Hello Pat, a warm welcome and very nice to meet you here on the Forum, as there are so very few
gardeners here in Australia interested in growing arilbreds , let alone the pure Oncocyclus and Regelias
species.You will be much more successful in your dry and hot climate in South Australia, than I will be
here close to Melbourne ,in a cool temporate Rainforrest area. But by giving them special care I have
grown [and lost] over the last 35 or so years many species.I once managed to raise and flower in 12 months from seed I. iberica , received from the Tiflis Botanic Garden.But more often than not seed
will not germinate- but sometimes, if you keep your seedpots long enough ,after 4-8 or so years.
  I always use the soaking in bleach method for seeds of Oncos and Junos.
 The Regelia  I. afghanica from a Paul Furse collection is still hanging on.
  Thank you for the healthy and strong plant of I. camillae.
           Otto.

[Rafa]

Hello Otto,

Is your Iris afghanica a fertile clone? I am growing two clones of Iris afghanica from Martyn Rix collection, but both are infertile. Maybe we can exchange pollen?

ALl the best,

Rafa.

[arillady]

The people you meet when you least expect to!!
Hi Otto hope Iris camillae keeps on well. I have been covering my arils with more gravel lately to raise the amount of top gravel - with our days and nights starting to come in a bit cooler I wonder if I will see movement soon from the arils. Will check the ones I have dug and have in paper bags for any signs of growth.
And yes I agree that there is not many of us trying to grow arils and arilbreds - most of the local iris society want the biggest and the best tall bearded and will not look at species. Is an isolating pasttime but when you have friends and like minded people all over the world....... what more do you want?

[Paul T]

So Pat, you actually lift and dry the arils do you?  All, or just some of them, and if so which and why? (if you don't mind me asking)  I was heart broken when ibirica ssp elegantissima didn't make it, and have been loath to try any more of the arils since, but I adore the shape and colour of pretty much every arilbred I have seen, and any pics of the species etc.  Would love to try them again, but didn't realise that they needed to be lifted and dried.  Those which you have in gravel, do you cover them to stop any summer rain getting onto them?

Thanks for any info.

[arillady]

Depending on the weather and where the arils are planted is whether they get dug or left in situ - this year I dug quite a few that were going backwards where they were with plans to replant them in a better prepared site and other arils which were in areas that if we had heavy rain would stay moist too long. I must remember to get the next load of gravel delivered to the top of the garden and not the bottom as, even though it is good exercise trying to push a wheelbarrow load of gravel up a fairly steep hillside, with many stops for deep breaths, it is far easier to just load and move across the hill. I do agree too that sand holds moisture too much and that is why I am using far more gravel than in the past and also moving further up the hillside. Some years, when it rains quite a bit the hillside oozes water further down the hill so newer planting beds are located toward the top where there is no chance of water collecting.
I prefer to leave the arils where they are as digging seems to retard flowering for the following year.

[Otto Fauser]

Is your Iris afghanica a fertile clone? I am growing two clones of Iris afghanica from Martyn Rix collection, but both are infertile. Maybe we can exchange pollen?

ALL the best,
Rafa.

Hallo Rafa, unfortunately my old tired clone of I. afghanica is self sterile and does not flower every year-but if it does I would certainly be happy to send you pollen,
  ciao, Otto

[Rafa]

Is your Iris afghanica a fertile clone? I am growing two clones of Iris afghanica from Martyn Rix collection, but both are infertile. Maybe we can exchange pollen?

ALL the best,
Rafa.

Hallo Rafa, unfortunately my old tired clone of I. afghanica is self sterile and does not flower every year-but if it does I would certainly be happy to send you pollen,
  ciao, Otto

Thank you Otto,

I think the clones I grow will have flowers this year so I will send you pollen and maybe you can aplly it to your clones when blooming. You can keep the pollen dry in the fridge.