JUNO IRIS, 2016

[Steve Garvie]

Iris fosteriana -One week later than the previous image and not looking too bad.


Iris rudolphii: A recently described species from Uzbekistan ( http://www.zobodat.at/pdf/STAPFIA_0099_0205-0207.pdf )


Iris nicolai


Iris rosenbachiana: "Sogor Lake". This form always looks its best just before dusk when the blues are most saturated.
 

[PeterT]

Iris leptorhiza grown from Jan Jilik's seeds, Iris narbuti - a bulb which I bought in 2011 (I think), and Iris persica, all of which flowered here around Christmas day.

[Otto Fauser]

Steve , as always the most superb images of Junos and Reticulatas - no one on the Forum beats your quality . Excited to see the photo of I. rudolphii . I knew of it as a newly described species ( from Jan Jelik ) but had not seen a photo of it . It looks close to I. narbutii !

[Steve Garvie]

Steve , as always the most superb images of Junos and Reticulatas - no one on the Forum beats your quality . Excited to see the photo of I. rudolphii . I knew of it as a newly described species ( from Jan Jelik ) but had not seen a photo of it . It looks close to I. narbutii !

Many thanks Otto.
Whilst my "Iris rudolphii" seems to match the description and image in this paper describing I. rudolphii as a new species ( http://www.zobodat.at/pdf/STAPFIA_0099_0205-0207.pdf ), I also struggle to see the difference between this and I. narbutii.

[Eveline]

Hello Steve,
may I ask you, please, where did you Iris rudolphii get from? A friend of mine is searching for it.

[Steve Garvie]

Hello Steve,
may I ask you, please, where did you Iris rudolphii get from? A friend of mine is searching for it.

Hi Eveline,
My plant came from Jan Jilek.
See: http://www.wildbulbs.eu/cypripedium/catbul.php

[Eveline]

Thank you, Steve. I know this interesting bulb list and some time ago I tried to get in contact with Mr. Jilek. Unfortunately he did not answer. I will try it once more. He seems to be the only seller of this lovely Iris.

Steve, thank you for your wonderful photos.

Does anyone grow Iris hoelleri?

[Steve Garvie]

Thank you, Steve. I know this interesting bulb list and some time ago I tried to get in contact with Mr. Jilek. Unfortunately he did not answer. I will try it once more. He seems to be the only seller of this lovely Iris.

Steve, thank you for your wonderful photos.

Does anyone grow Iris hoelleri?

Thanks Eveline.

Here is an image of my Iris hoelleri from last year (it flowered in mid-March):

[Eveline]

A breathtaking photo! Bulb from Jan Jilek too, I suppose.
Wonderful, thank you.
I really do hope that Mr. Jilek will answer me.

[Steve Garvie]

Jan is back and forward between Europe & Central Asia.
I have heard that unfortunately he may be unwell at present though I cannot verify this.

I owe him money for an order I received in 2015 (in two installments in April & September).
I have sent a number of emails offering payment but have not received a reply. I am desperate to make payment as he is a very useful source of some stunning Central Asian bulbs. 

[Eveline]

Thank you for the information, seems I have to await until some hopefully good news will arrive.

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Hello Steve,
I love the photos of the iris that you post you must have a really wonderful collection.do you have any tips on growing from seed.
Do you soak your seed prior to sowing and what sort of mix do you use. I hope you don't mind me asking as I have quite a lot of species Iris seed to sow as soon as Autumn arrives here in a month or so. Cheers John.

[Steve Garvie]

Hi John,
Thanks for your kind words. The truth is I'm not a very competent grower and still have a lot to learn.

Most of my Juno Iris were bought as dormant bulbs but I do have a few from seed.
Unless obtained fresh, Juno seed is somewhat unpredictable and erratic in germination. I Have tried soaking seeds in hydrogen peroxide (-a 24hr bath in 3% (10 vols) peroxide for 12-24 hrs) with some success. It may be that different strengths (or duration in the bath) might yield better results.

My Junos are all grown in coarse sand-plunged long tom clay pots. The potting mix is primarily based on coarse sand with added grit and pumice. I have had better results since dropping loam from the mix but I always add powdered dolomitic lime with a pinch of bonemeal in the base of the pot. The bulbs are placed such that their roots sit in this mix but the bulb baseplate is slightly higher with the gap then filled by washed coarse grit which is also used to cover the bulbs extending to just below the top rim of the pot. The pot is plunged but not too deeply as I like the pots to dry out quickly once watering ceases in late Spring.
Perhaps it's just my imagination but I suspect that the powdered dolomite seems to encourage the potting mix to "set" when it dries out at the end of the growing season -almost like a cement mix; this seems to prevent excessive dessication of the bulb/roots and discourages rot.

[PeterT]

Hello Steve,
I love the photos of the iris that you post you must have a really wonderful collection.do you have any tips on growing from seed.
Do you soak your seed prior to sowing and what sort of mix do you use. I hope you don't mind me asking as I have quite a lot of species Iris seed to sow as soon as Autumn arrives here in a month or so. Cheers John.

I think that Iris seed is best sown at the end of summer, before winter starts.

[Tasmanian Taffy]

Hi Steve and Peter,
thanks for the information Steve, and Peter I will be sowing my Iris seed in the first week of Autumn which here in Australia is in about five weeks time.
Cheers John.