Questions for the experienced onco growers on the forum

[Tom Waters]

It's a delight to see all the photos of oncos on this forum, both in the wild and in gardens. As someone particularly interested in the role of gardeners in helping conserve these species, I'm hoping to get a "big picture" of the prospects for perpetuating them outside their native habitat.

Some questions for those growing a number of oncos for some years:

1. Where did most of your original stock come from?

2. What would you estimate your long-term success rate to be in maintaining the species? What accounts for most of your losses? What's the most important thing you've learned?

3. Do you propagate both vegetatively and by seed? What are the benefits and challenges of each method?

4. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the prospects for maintaining populations in gardens in diverse locations?

Thanks very much in advance to any of you who take time to reply!

Tom

[Hans A.]

Hello Tom,
I think there will not be many forumist who grow Oncos in the garden, most will grow them in bulbframes or greenhouses   - and I am also thinking to build a bulbframe for some species. So far all species are growing in the garden. I will try to give my opinion to your questions shortly.

1. smaller part from "comercial" stock (Janis Ruksans, Jim and Jenny Archibald...)-larger part from friends/specialists/ASI- mainly as seeds.
2. this depends very much the provenance of the species and where you garden - here northern species of higher altitudes are tricky, southern (wintergreen)  species do "well",  a good  care always is necessary, in this way many are growable here. Softrot is the most common reason of losses if you do not notice it early enough.
 learned: There do not exist 'easy' Oncos ;The best way to grow Oncos is from seeds.
3. mainly seeds - advantages: different clones, free of illness, much cheaper, and even if wild collected not as harmful to populations ( possibly a problem when you buy rhizomes from comercial collectors/ seller - in my opinion a 'hobby' never should be a danger for natural populations). And finally it makes much more fun to see the development from seed to a flowering plant!
4.optimistic (if not I would have stopped to grow them ) also it is not easy -  important are the correct conditions and to grow groups - better to grow 5 different plants of one species than 5 different species. Very careful work is needed to avoid hybrids, when different species are grown only handpollination and protection of stigmas guarantee true species seeds and should be marked as such.

[arillady]

Tom,
The majority of my oncos came as seed from David Shahak in 1989 - 1995 so they are mainly not pure species but species hybrids. I am trying to build up a collection of species - and like Hans I find the southern lower altitude species do better for me here in South Australia.
Most are from seed from BIS,SIGNA and of course now ASI, one or two from J&J Archibald, but some I have received as rhizomes from Marcus Harvey in Tasmania who imports a few.
I have nearly lost Iris camillae after having a really good clump that I divided up and shared. I am now hesitant about dividing up any clumps. There  is a tiny bit of camillae left which I hope will get going this year.
Seed grown plants always seem stronger and maybe can adapt better to conditions that they find themselves in.
Pat

[Tom Waters]

Thank you for your replies!

[BULBISSIME]

Hi Tom, some tips from France 

I grow my oncos in 3 different ways : Iris frame, bulb frame (pots) and greenhouse(pots)

They come from suppliers ( plants and seds) but mainly from friends, as I swap lot of them.
I'm quite confident growing them for many years, but some of them are more difficult to grow here of course, mainly the low land species which like heat.
The main issue is water, more that frost, and if you don't take care of it, you will lose them ... for sure !
I prefer to propagate by seeds as , like hans and Pat, it's the best way to get different clones, virus free plants; vegetative way for swaps.

At the end, I'm optimistic regarding maintening species in the garden with quite a lot of specialists gardeners in the world.

Fred

[Tom Waters]

Thank you, Fred!