Reticulate Iris 2010

[fermi de Sousa]

You're lucky to get 10s in your packets Guff, we only get 5s.

At $3 to $8 each, we only buy in ones or threes!
cheers
fermi

[Guff]

Why so much per bulb?

Iris histrioides George was the most at $4.40 for 10 bulbs. The others were either $3.80 or $3.90 for 10.

[Lesley Cox]

It is probably because our respective (NZ and Aus) supplies are so low. In NZ there are no local sources of home brown bulbs and in Aus, probably only MH in Tasmania so they're all a bit expensive. Our comparatively cheap ones ($4.99 or $5.99 for pack of 5) are imported in bulk from Holland and packeted here but after chilling or 6 months before they're on sale, success rates are far from 100% and sometimes nil% at all. At least in Aus, Marcus's bulbs are likely to survive, not being from the other hemisphere.

A local (Central Otago) source gave us some hope a couple of years ago but those who bought some found they were infested with ink disease.

[fermi de Sousa]

Hi Guff,
yes, as Lesley said,we don't get the cheap mass produced bulbs from Holland and smaller growers here don't have a lot of "margin" to play with.
One grower in Central Victoia has been able to grow Retics quite well and his prices are more reasonable - unfortunately it's only a side-line for him and he sells at markets and not by mail-order.
cheers
fermi

[PeterT]

It is probably because our respective (NZ and Aus) supplies are so low. In NZ there are no local sources of home brown bulbs and in Aus, probably only MH in Tasmania so they're all a bit expensive. Our comparatively cheap ones ($4.99 or $5.99 for pack of 5) are imported in bulk from Holland and packeted here but after chilling or 6 months before they're on sale, success rates are far from 100% and sometimes nil% at all. At least in Aus, Marcus's bulbs are likely to survive, not being from the other hemisphere.

A local (Central Otago) source gave us some hope a couple of years ago but those who bought some found they were infested with ink disease.

The Ink Spot desiese is a pain, I think it is brought on by stressing the bulbs with drought before they are properly dormant- does anyone else have views on this?
I find that bulbils (not offsetts) can be detatched and grown on to produce clean stock and I do this regularly to ensure fresh bulbs of my retics in case a pot full goes down with Ink Spot. I also dust the bulbs with fungicide, and dolomitic lime except for winowgradowii and its children.

[Guff]

Could someone post a picture of Ink Spot on the bulbs. I recall seeing black colored marks on some of my bulbs.

What does Ink Spot do?

[Maggi Young]

Been looking for a photo of a bulb with Inkspot but  can't find one ..... a search online didn't get me very far, either.
The problem is caused by a fungal infection which will debilitate and finally kill the bulbs.
This may help....

Ink spot
(Drechslera iridis)
Dark reddish brown elongated spots with chlorotic margins. Older leaves develop gray centers. Dark spore masses may be visible on lesions. Usually older leaves are infected. Irregular inky-black stains occur on Iris reticulata bulbs. Disease may be severe on plants undug for 2 years.
Disease is favored by mild (68° to 77°F), moist conditions. Fungus survives on infected bulbs and debris.
Dig bulbs every year. Remove and destroy all debris; rotate on a 3-year basis.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r280111911.html


 Photo of infected leaves on a larger Iris......

http://garden-photos-com.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=20&_bqH=eJwzTS1LCnUJLkn3dK6KsgwLcM1zC89OzTY0yE.2MjewMjQAYyDpGe8S7GybWZRZrAZmxjv6udiWANmhwa5B8Z4utqEgZUVRkaWBbnkRScauavGOziG2xamJRckZAD_0HzU-&GI_ID=

[PeterT]

I think this picture is of a Pogon leaf Maggie, I have seen bacterial rot on bulbous Iris and Evansias also on other beardless sections but I was not aware that Ink spot crossed within groups of Iris.
 For those who do not know - on an infected reticulata bulb there will be black sclerota (scabs)on the outer layers of the bulb tunics. They may be the size of a small pin head upwards and can often be flicked off with a fingernail. Any bulbs with these black scabs or black leisions should be destroyed unless being planted in the hope of producing bulbils. Keep the pot far from other retics! This can be successful and the bulbils seem to be healthy, the infected parent bulb is usually only a husk the following year. 
I do associate the onset of the condition in reticulatas with premature yellowing of the leaves - sometimes before they are fully grown, followed by patchy withering and going grey and now I think about it I have seen black specs on such leaves.
In my experiance this happens more to bulbs under glass where growth is interupted by drought.
For this reason I use leafmould or peat in my compost for reticulatas. I have better results with a more moisture retentive mix.
To make the point- I have never grown I winowgradowii under glass and I pot it in 75% leafmould, It also grows amoung trilliums. I have never seen Ink spot on its bulbs

[Lesley Cox]

That sounds like very good advice Peter. Now I come to think about it, I have seen tiny black specks on retic leaves, among potted plants - never in the garden - and those I'm pretty sure, on reflection, are the ones which don't do well or even don't do at all, the following year. Maybe we have more of this about that I ever dreamed of. I'll be looking very carefully from now on. One thing though, if the small black specks can be flicked off with a fingernail, it would be very smart NOT to do that, or to do it in a controlled environment where the scabs can'r be spread about.

[angie]

Thanks Peter for that advice. I am new to these Irises and any information that I can have will be a great benefit to me. I have mine in pots so I shall add leafmould in the next repotting.

For winter do I cut back the leaves or will they die right back.

Angie

[Lesley Cox]

No Angie, don't cut back the leaves - or on any bulbs. They do look a bit untidy but they feed the bulbs and build them up for next year's flowering. They'll die away soon enough. When they do, and can be wiped away by hand, fill the holes they came from by lightly forking over the soil. Stops rain from concentrating on the bulbs and stops creepies from delving down to find comfortable homes.

[angie]

Thanks Lesley for the advice. Some of the leaves had started to die back but today I noticed new leaves starting to appear at the base of the plants. Hopefully I will get a good display next year, well I hope so anyway.

Angie  

[Miriam]

Iris vartanii is the first Iris to flower in Israel (November-December).
Unlike other reticulatas, it does not require much cold in order to flower.
Here are some pics from my garden. Unfortunately, this year we have horrible weather here- hot and no rain!
So, in nature almost everything is still dry  

[art600]

Alaways happy to see the reemergence of this reticulate iris    .  This year it is very early, yet others treated in exactly the same way show no sign of growth.

Please excuse poor quality of second photo

[BULBISSIME]

Nice species Miriam,

but what a pity regarding the weather