'Bottle Rocket' is not completely dead yet, but as "Goners" is the established thread name for the heartaches our beloved irises sometimes brings us, I'm sticking with the name.



'Bottle Rocket' had previously been rotting from the "toe" end, but now it has started rotting from the fan end as well. Rotting from two ends, really doesn't look good, but as it was sent with a tiny increase the size of a pea that has some roots on its own, there is still fair hope for survival.

A while back I noticed the fan was breaking of, but surprisingly didn't see any rot at the base and the growth point seemed OK. However this was indeed still a sign of an underlying problem.

Today I noticed a tiny suspicious mark on the rhizome. Probing this with the tip of a knife I found the mark to be soft and there was underlying rot, but not widespread or smelly. However it was obviously enough rotted for the rhizome to decide it could no longer sustain the main fan, so it fell of.

It is good to be able to pick up on these small signals our plants sends us from time to time. Although I didn't get this completely right from the start, I at least picked up on the problem a bit earlier, than if the fan hadn't broken off.

Still curious what caused the rot from the start though.

Awww, that's a beauty too. Hope she recovers.

It's lucky you noticed the rot William. I hope the side pea takes off for you

Thanks! Even if it dies, some losses are to be expected and I'm sort of okay with that, as long as I do what I can to prevent it. We have been very wet here for the last 6 months, with almost no chance for the ground to dry up and high humidity as well, so I will take a few losses happily as long as it isn't a disaster.

I am amazed and very grateful not to have found any rot (yet) this season with all the rain we've had.

(Hope I didn't just jinx it! )

I only have a couple of leafless potatoes out of the 100 (or so ) rhizomes I got in 2017. All the rest have one or more tiny, but green and healthy looking fan(s).

Lilli, I really hope they will stay healthy.

No leafless potatoes among the new rhizomes here, unless of course I count the few I have decapitated myself because of fan rot. But, hey if they wanted to keep their heads, they shouldn't have started to rot in the first place!!!

I hope so too!

Harsh but true!

I do hope they recover though!

You guys scare me! I purchased a few iris before my obsession took hold last year and never lost a single TB that I know of. Have some that haven't bloomed but all increased with no care taken. Please don't excommunicate me but up until this last year every other flower type was just filler between my babies, the peonies, didn't recognize iris for their unique beauty. I don't even think I ever watered them directly except with planting, never soaked a rhizome before putting it in the ground.....any watering they got past spring was from our infrequent rains and the occasional possible creeping of the water put on the peony roots via drip lines. Not even once have I fertilized those poor things, they've just sat there, rooted, watching me care for those OTHER plants. I've never gotten a rebloom but I assumed that was because of my zone, not neglect. Now I'm afraid karma is going to bite me with losses on the new rhizomes I planted last summer! I anxiously walk the garden, looking for any that have no green, obsessing.....so far everything looks okay to my inexperienced eye but the winter has barely started......

Liz - If they haven't died on you yet, I think they will be okay. Do give them some fertilizer before bloom time though so they can give you their best show.

I will, thanks for the advice! I use BulbTone and FlowerTone on the Peonies as well as Azomite, would those be suitable for iris as well?

What's the NPK rating on those fertilizers?

William

3 5 3 for bulbtone and 3 4 5 for flowertone

Thank you Rob and Lilli.

Liz, sorry if I have added to your fears. I think we have very different climates, so most of my own issues are unlikely to happen to you. It sounds like you have a very dry climate, is that correct? Here in contrast the soil hasn't dried out at all since May last year and even the fans have been wet to the touch 24 hours a day, almost all autumn and winter with few exceptions. Not only has it been very wet, but I also live in the forest, with many conifers, so even if there is sun, it is to low in the sky in winter to reach most of my plantings.

I think (and hope) your climate will protect your irises from most rot issues. Maybe just watch out for freeze damages on the new rhizomes, in case there is no snow cover. I had some plans to cover my own plantings with some spruce branches, but so far it has been a very mild winter, so had no use for it. It would just have trapped even more moisture.

LizinElizabeth said:I will, thanks for the advice! I use BulbTone and FlowerTone on the Peonies as well as Azomite, would those be suitable for iris as well?

Azomite, which supplies micronutrients/trace minerals, is an excellent addition to any fertilizer regimen. Bearded iris especially talls are fairly greedy consumers of the available manganese, copper and molybdenum in soil. Most soils have adequate amounts but an organic source, such as Azomite, especially at bed preparation time will show significant results in deep green foliage, better disease resistance, and deeper, richer flower color

Good to know and thanks, Tim. I typically add Azomite and BulbTone to the planting hole for my peonies, will start adding to the planting regime for iris as well.

William, you're correct about my climate being very dry. We have had very little snow so far this winter so I will take your advice and add mulch for insulation until the spring.

William, let me know if Bottle Rocket really is a goner - I should have a replacement for you.

Mika

I'm going to look into Azomite, I've never heard of it before.

I use it a lot. My local nursery carries it.

I started looking into Azomite too this afternoon. Low and behold, look at the smart ads to the right as I read the previous posts. I must say, it's a bit freaky.