Juno Iris cultivation help please!!??

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

OK, my wants were greater than my logic and I have just received Iris willmottiana and Iris graeberiana in the mail.  I've had troubles with the junos in the past (I've tried bucharica a couple of times and lost it, kept damp in summer, warm and dry in summer...  ) and I really shouldn't have bought these, but I just couldn't help myself.  Can people please pass on their growing experiences with these guys (and the other junos for that matter) so that I have a better hope of growing them?  I'd really rather not lose them.

I figure that whatever happens the experiences put down in this discussion will help others who are trying to get into these beauties as well.  Thanks in anticipation.   

[Lvandelft]

Paul, as you'll know, there are many different types of Juno's and there are almost as many methods in cultivation.
I think the easiest are I. willmottiana and bucharica. They are grown here together with other bulbs
and fit well in storing together with other bulbs, i.e they need about the same time of heat as Hyacinths or Tulipa. You might even force them to flower from January-February on.
In that case keep bulbs in august at 23 C and then appr. 5 weeks at 20 C. Then you plant them in a box or pots and cool them 6 weeks at 9 C + 4 weeks at 5 C. and afterwards at 2 C.
Cooling has to start the end of September and after 15 weeks you can start taking them in the glasshouse
at 12 to 18 C.

If you want to know more about other Juno's then have a look at:
http://www.junos.ca/HTML%20Pages/articles.html
Sorry I cannot do more for you to help.
Good luck
Luit

[David Nicholson]

Luit, your Link does not appear to work?

[Lvandelft]

Sorry, I tried several times with different FTP's but could not open them either.
So try this : search for Alan McMurtrie+Junos.
You'll come to a site where on the left you will see: Juno's-an overview.That's it.
Would like to know what I did wrong. I copied the http:// etc. and inserted it in my message???

[David Nicholson]

Luit, I will try it and see what happens.

http://www.junos.ca/HTML%20Pages/Junos-AnOverview.html


Later Edit: it works but is different to the hyperlink you gave-no matter it works

[Lvandelft]

Thank you David.
Now you'll have something to read there? 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

What a wealth of information !
Thanks very much Luit (and David) - it will take some reading ...

At first sight the site seems to have been abandoned since 2004 - is anybody aware of other, later postings by A. Mc Murtrie ?
He also mentions a book he's writing (end of the nineties I think) -
is this book on the market

[Susan Band]

Luc,
Alan Mcurthrie is also famous for Iris reticulata and these pages seem to have been updated in Sept 2007. I have tried some of this reticulata hybrids bought via Janis Ruksans, he seems to get them from him to sell on. They are really great, there was an article by him in an AGS mag a couple of years ago on his hybrids. I will post a couple of pics on the reticulata thread. Don't know about a book on JUnos, prehaps he has got too envolved in hybriding the reticlatas

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks Susan !
I thought the name sounded familiar - I did see it in Janis Ruksans catalogue...  must try and get hold of some of these ret. hybrids.... 

[Lvandelft]

He also mentions a book he's writing (end of the nineties I think) -
is this book on the market 

Luc, the only book of McMurtrie I know is one with beautiful paintings of Scottish Wild Plants which I
saw a few weeks ago at De Slegte.
But she was a lady.
Luit

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Thanks Luit - you're a big help... 

[Lvandelft]

    

[David Nicholson]

Luc,
Alan Mcurthrie is also famous for Iris reticulata and these pages seem to have been updated in Sept 2007. I have tried some of this reticulata hybrids bought via Janis Ruksans, he seems to get them from him to sell on. They are really great, there was an article by him in an AGS mag a couple of years ago on his hybrids. I will post a couple of pics on the reticulata thread. Don't know about a book on JUnos, prehaps he has got too envolved in hybriding the reticlatas

I first found Alan McMurties Web Site in the middle of 2007 whilst seeking information on the Internet on Iris reticulata varieties and growing tips. I noticed that the site hadn't been updated since 2004 and Emailed him asking if he intended to update the site or whether he had abandoned it. He replied saying that he had been very busy growing (and working!) but indicated that he would bring the retic. parts of the site bang upto date, and he did. I found him very approachable.

[Andrew]

Howdy All,

I've had troubles with the junos in the past (I've tried bucharica a couple of times and lost it, kept damp in summer, warm and dry in summer...  ) and I really shouldn't have bought these, but I just couldn't help myself.  Can people please pass on their growing experiences with these guys.

Hello Paul,

How can you lose I. bucharia ?

With your growing experience, what were the supplied plants like ?

I purchased three bulbs in 2004. All were put in clay pots each with a different mixture, a John Innes, second hand peat based and my garden soil (a nice loam). All grew and flowered the following year. Stored dry over summer in a greenhouse. They all have continued to grow each year but flowering has slowed down, due to me not feeding/watering enough I suspect. Last year I moved one to a plastic pot and I planted one in the garden. All are beginning to grow now. Hopefully they will be back to flowering next year.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

The Alan Mc Murtrie site is an enormous source of information.
Thanks Luit and David for pointing it out !