Iris Reticulata - 2017

[olegKon]

Iris Kathrin Hodgkin

[Alan McMurtrie]

Hi Oleg, your blue Retic is Blue Note, which is a sport of Pauline

[olegKon]

Thank you, Alan. As always you are quite precise. The best connoisseur of reticulatas. May you have every success in your work we all worship

[Cfred72]

Can someone advise me? When I harvest the seeds of Iris reticulata ... How to keep them? Ambient temperature? In a paper bag, in sand like the Narcissus? Sow them at what time? In September? At what depth? Just below the surface of the gravel grains that cover the pots or more deeply like the Crocuses, Narcissus, ...
Thank you for your valuable feedback.

[johnw]

Iris reticulata 'Harmony' today, the most reliable & persistent reticulata here.

johnw

[Janis Ruksans]

Two white reticulatas - one from Armenia, really true white, another from Alan Mc'Murtrie - 'White Caucasus' - slightly bluish (flower on left)

[Janis Ruksans]

And now surprise from Iran - purest white Iris bakeriana (Iris reticulata subsp. bakeriana)

[Cfred72]

Who can tell me if they are seeds of Iris reticulata?

[Alan McMurtrie]

Hi Fred, without question those are good Reticulata seeds.  I do have pictures on my website -- menu: Seeds - 1.
Two of the photos are shown below.  Note: some of the seeds in the second are clearly no good (hollow)
As to how best to plant them, I hesitate to give advice.  I'm not happy with my own germination rates.
At the moment my suggestion, especially for a small number of seeds, would be to plant them right away.  Myself I would plant them in the ground, not in a pot.  I have difficulties with plants in pots for a number of reasons.  One is due to watering (not too much, and not too little), and the other is temperature swings during Winter.  My solution is simply to let Mother Nature take care of them by planting about ˝" deep or a touch more in the garden.  I mulch with a bit of straw (to help keep the ground frozen over Winter; and to retain a bit of moisture when the ground is starting to dry out in early Summer).  So a light cover over Summer; heavier over Winter simply to keep the ground frozen
I was sent some seeds from Holland in each of the past 2 years.  The seeds sent 2 years ago germinated.  Of the 3 batches, two are coming up like grass.  My own is not coming up nearly as well.  All of the seed was planted late in the Fall.  I have no explanation for the differences.  As expected, virtually none of last year's germinated; but I expect it will next year (i.e. most germination after the second Winter).  All of the seed was treated with gibberellic acid in hopes that would improve germination.  I plant my seed in Fall because that's when I have time to clear an area for it.  This year I hope to plant a small amount of seed as soon as it ripens.  I'm not expecting that will make a difference, but we'll see -- it happens I have a bit of space by the area cleared for 2016 seed.
As to why the 3 batches of seed from Holland are doing differently I have no idea.  They were all treated the same on my end.  There was no indication of what the pod parent is.  At least one is Eye Catcher (98-NP-4)

I've added a photo showing the corresponding seeds that were planted in Fall 2015 -- the heavy germination were the seeds on the right

[Cfred72]

Thank you for the reply Allan, I will sow in pot as of this weekend and put in nursery outside waiting for next year.
Thanks for your advice.

[Mini bulb lover]

It's nice to finally have some flowers after a 2013 sowing of some of Alan McMurtrie's bee pollinated Iris retics.  As it will probably be many years before any of Alan's hybrids become commercially available here in Australia (if ever) then trying from seed is the next best thing.

04BS, 04IH, 04IM.

[fermi de Sousa]

Some Retics now in flower:
Alida
Violet Beauty
George
cheers
fermi

[fermi de Sousa]

Iris 'Springtime'
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Alan McMurtrie has updated his  website with 2017's bloom - www.Reticulatas.com

[Maggi Young]

News from Alan McMurtrie in Canada about  some new ( double-sided) postcards he is preparing about his new reticulata iris  being trialled....  he hopes to visit the SRGC Dunblane Day  again in February 2018   to catch up with Scots friends....

"I've just finished designing 2 postcards to show off some of my most interesting new 2017 hybrids. The one exception is Holland Glory / Holland's Glorie which actually first bloomed in 2003. 38 m of it were planted this Fall in Holland (rows are 1.5 m wide between tractor tires (roughly 1.3m wide planting area). It will be a few more years before we have enough stock to start sales.

I never imagined so many colours & patterns were possible with Reticulata Iris ! I have opened up a whole new world."









www.Reticulatas.com