Thanks people.
It's easier for me to handle this amount of seedlings each year by growing in deep pots.There are also less weeds, though still far to many, its easier when they are on concrete and simple to move to a better position to pollinate or photograph.Our summers are far too hot and dry and strong wind ruins what you have waited a year to see.
I should have made arched shade house covers over these stock yards, I have the 6 metre long weld mesh now for over a year, plus the shade mesh, but not the time or energy, let alone the agility.I may get in a couple of European back-packers in the summer to do it.There are always heaps of German, Swiss, Dutch, Belgiums or Italians doing a 2 -3 month working holiday in Australia and looking for short time work before moving on to their next point of interest.It would only take a couple of days anyway.
After several days of 18C - 21C which had me flat out pollinating the daffodils, heavy rain has been forecast for the next week, so gave my Japanese iris their first fertilizer this season.What I use is NPK of 7.8-3.8-9.6 with 13.9 sulphur and 8.4 calcium.If any Australians are ready this, this is an Incitec product known as Complete 2,2 and 1.
The soil Tom, was dug from a local farmers peat bog just over two years ago.I bought 45 cu metres and before that 10 cu metres.The 10 cu metres is better quality peat and I use this to start them off in their 68mm pots.The rest of the peat, 35 cu metres was spread to create a future daffodil and siberian iris garden, the last 10 cu metres is what you see in the last lot of pictures and it is from here that the final potting is done.I have bought enough soil to last until they cart me off, willingly or not
Leslie, I'm expecting over half to bloom this year, in fact more as I've grown them better this year with the experience I learnt after the first year and Teresa, I hope your new Japanese iris grow like topsy for you.
Can't wait to post any new decent blooms on this years seedlings.
SNAKE SEASON STARTS ABOUT NEXT MONTH
.We have heaps and all are deadly.I am going to try a new deterrent that I researched.It's just phenyle, which you spray in the area where your snakes may slither.Apparently as they taste the air with their forked tongues, the smell puts them off and they buzz off.
Here is a picture taken yesterday of the new area with oats as my green manure crop for the second year.
14-2-29 
14-2-34
I know some of you enjoy this journey as much as I.There is nothing like pollinating a bloom, collecting the seed, going through the sowing process, germination, several potting-ups, and finally a flowering stem showing colour.Will it be sufficiently different, or just another Jap iris, pretty, but just so-so.
If the latter, keep trying as once you get the hang of it, they are so easy and rewarding.
I can see that you have good reason to run out of "Puff", that looks like a great deal of work you have done. Is the soil not good that you keep the all in pots, or do they just do better that way? I can't wait to see pictures of the new blooms.
