I'm sorry to hear you have had more losses Arlyn. If you have a list of the new losses can you post it? Maye some of us can help replace a few of them. I know that if I have any of the ones you lost I would be very happy to share!

I've been adding them to my "initial" list, as I find them, Marilyn......I have some from yesterday to add yet....but, I'm sure there will be more . I see that several that I had 'treated" and potted up, have not survived, either . I have another batch to dig....and treat, today...I can see from the color of the leaves that they are developing problems.

My heart goes out to you Arlyn. It's hard enough losing one, but you have had such a run of losses...word escape me.

Thanks !

My first official doa is grape snakz a broken color iris. Have two others that I'm watching.

Arlyn? Was this a new spot they were moved to?

No, it's in all my beds....some worse than others.....but all beds are having troubles.

Sorry you had be to 'baptized' into iris growing...but if you grow any number of iris you are going to lose a few. I hope your other ones pull through!

It always seems like the ones you want most are the ones you loose, or that get set back. I have a few that haven't rotted, but you can tell by the stunted leaves on the main rhizome that it's not going to bloom. I think sometimes the rhizome forgoes blooming to send it's energy to the babies. I have several like that. I think the largest complete loses I had this year was among the seedlings. I hate that they died before I got to see some of them, but so far I haven't lost an entire cross, so I should get to see some.

seedlings which wimp out would not have done well. but it would be nice to know what they looked like.

Arlyn - I must admit I am ignorant of what leaf spot does and the ramifications of it. So I spent yesterday reading up on it. I am so sorry. I was especially shocked on how extreme the remedies can be once it's in entire beds I mean, soil removal. So I will pray that the Lord puts an end to this and restores your gardens and soil.

Blessings

Thanks, John ! Actually, leaf spot....either the fugal (most common, here) or bacterial....really doesn't seem to hurt the plants...other than, of course, robbing them of leaf surface . That , of course "robs" the plant, and probably does impede growth....and LOOKS bad, but, what you DON'T want is what I DO have ! There are several plant diseases that, when you read up on "cures", or prevention", usually start out by saying, "dispose of infected plants". I always 'read" that as saying, 'you're screwed' .
There are several forms of "botrytis" , each using a different plant as it's favorite "host" (most do target 'root crops").., as well as several forms of the erwinia bacteria, again, each seems to like different 'plant part". Sad to say, most of the information I have read, and most of the people I've talked to (extension agents, farmers, greenhouse operators, etc.) agree that both pathogens are present , in the soil, almost everywhere, but usually in small enough concentrations that they don't pose a serious threat.....UNTIL "something" happens to put stress on the plant, which lowers it's ability to protect itself against them, so, really all I can do is keep my nose to the wheel,and keep trying different forms of action......solarization is the next thing I'm going to try......until I hit on smething that brings my loss % down to something that's bearable . Thanks again for your concern !

It is always sad to see some gone, but especially those that are hard or seemingly impossible to replace. Keep posting what works and what does not work so all learn.

The stalk just broke off White Hot. It was kind of wonky from weather stress but it would have been a first time bloom. Hope it puts up another stalk. Frustrating year.

We are colder than Superstition, but White Hot grows well in N. England.

When I look at your Goner list, Arlyn, I get sick to my stomach! I wonder if the stress is coming from cold weather with no snow cover. The worst year I had for rot came after a really cold winter and no snow cover. I always leave a cover of leaves on my irises over winter, and take it off in the spring. That bad year most of the irises I lost were in an area where the wind blew away the leaf cover, and the rabbits ate the iris leaves down to the rhizome.

Some days, Tom, I *think* I have the answer....and then, later, I find out I *don't* ! I've blamed:
1)the weather (up & down winter temps, lack of snow cover, too MUCH snow cover, too much rain........take your pick !)
2)soil composition (I *amended* to get a more organic soil, which is so loose the iris tend to grow themselves deeper, also it is an ideal breeding ground for pathogens, with it's high organic level
3)cultural mistakes (did "bed burning" stress the plants more than it helped them ? would they have been better off being mulched lightly, before winter? Have I bred a "super fungi" through use of fungicides ?)
4)have I inadvertently "shipped in" pathogens piggy backed on rhizomes......and, am I shipping them out ??
At any rate, the most distressing thing is the realization that I have been a poor "steward" for the plants....many of them quite scarce.......along with the fact that I may have been "shipping" trouble to other gardeners, along with a few rhizomes !

Everything I have ever received from you, Arlyn, is happy and healthy. I don't do much after planting them except water in prolonged drought conditions so I attribute their health to the good care you gave them before they came to live with me.

I haven't seen any unhealthy plants from the rhizomes you sent me Arlyn, nor have any neighboring irises shown disease symptoms.

Every day I find a rotted fan somewhere here -- until yesterday, only one fan in a group has rotted. Yesterday I found the single fan of one Iris, rotted. And this was an Iris that I moved last year from the Garage bed to the Fencebed. For the life of me, I can understand how that Iris could live in the Garage bed (where I had all the rot issues last year) -- and then croak in the Fencebed which has great drainage and full sun.

Sometimes I think that some of them are just determined to commit suicide.