I used to haul the iris residues to the dumpster also, but Chuck Chapman says that they can be composted also. Soil is full of bacteria anyways. So i have been composting mine this year, but I don't put it back on the iris beds.

crowrita1 said: I read once where, in the depleted soils of Europe, they used what they called the "three row system"....one row held the "crop", the 2nd row was where manure,.... animal AND human...kitchen scraps, etc. was buried, and the third row was a "cover crop". The use of the row was alternated, over the three years. Downside, only one third of the field was "producing a crop"....upside was that there WAS a crop . I do only "cold " composting....everything from the kitchen, and plant waste (except for iris parts), including *some* of my grass clippings, goes into one, of two large piles. In the early spring, I fork off the un decayed stuff, then scoop out the "good stuff", and replace the un decayed stuff back , to what will be the "start" of the next pile.
iris "parts" , and any 'deadheads" that would introduce seeds to the soil, all go to the "dump"( we have a separate collection for "green waste"). I only use the "compost" on veggie gardens, all the iris beds get their organics (too MUCH organics, in fact!)through the use of alfalfa meal, corn gluten meal, and a fully composted mix of peat / cow manure...

Any vegetable matter that decays turns into a slimy stinky mess. The compost pile just mixes everything together. I let it all decay naturally and then move the bulky stuff that remains next year to another pile, and use the former pile to plant in. Like daylilies, for example. Of course living in the country I can have compost piles here and there and everywhere.


uote="yadah_tyger"]Another reason you don't want to use Iris waste parts is they turn into a slimy substance that really stinks. I have a pile of discarded fans in the far corner of my yard and it smells pretty bad. A good compost pile shouldn't smell. Another sign of a good compost pile is the presence of worms. The more worms, the better. [/quote]

Sure. Bring a truckload of it to Iowa and I will trade!

bbwyo said:I live in a hi altitude mtn area where the soil is mostly sand and silt. Soil holds little moisture. any ideas on how to add a bit of clay?

I have heard this so often, but I don't think its true. You want to use coarse builders sand. Concrete is made of sand and portland cement, a special product.


quote="tveguy3"]When you mix sand and clay you get concrete! [/quote]

Sand with clay will turn the soil rock hard if you don't mix in other soil additives too, such as compost. While not true cement, the silica in the sand will form hard plates with the finer particles in the clay after the clay gets saturated with water (a heavy rainstorm).

Any coffee shops nearby that give away large bags of grounds? Can be used directly without composting it and will help keep the clay less cement-like after rains, but may take several applications of course. It is better than sand. Since it is acidic some ground limestone should be used along with it. It is something that animals won't be tempted to dig up as well.

I live in one college town and work in another. Boy do we have coffee houses! Never thought to ask them for grounds. Great idea Dave!

The soil here in Southern New Jersey is Sandy. My iris beds love it. I don't really amend the soil at all with anything, and the iris grow well, most have all bloomed, however there were a few that did not, as a result they have been removed from the iris gardens.

Some varieties are more sensitive to moving and replanting and take longer to bloom, some up to 3 years. Beyond that I tend to remove them also. Sand is almost devoid of all nutrients so will need something in the mild amendment category at times, but it is great for not letting the rhizomes sit in wet soil.

Lyn, I love your horses. Are they Arabian? Beautiful! I had a mare, years ago that was very similar.

bluegrassmom said:Lyn, I love your horses. Are they Arabian? Beautiful! I had a mare, years ago that was very similar.

My horses said to thank you for the compliment. They are Paso Finos.

DaveinPA said:Some varieties are more sensitive to moving and replanting and take longer to bloom, some up to 3 years. Beyond that I tend to remove them also. Sand is almost devoid of all nutrients so will need something in the mild amendment category at times, but it is great for not letting the rhizomes sit in wet soil.

I agree. I had a much more difficult time in Northern New Jersey where the soil is Clay
than I do here in Southern New Jersey, and I have yet to amend any of my soil where the
Iris gardens are, and last Spring they bloomed their heads off, so I am pleased with the
results.

I have heard of play sand which is too fine, paver sand which I do not know what it will turn into, and sacks of Quikrete which I have seen people use since it is coarser than play sand. What do you all recommend and where can you get sand since all I have found at HDepot and Lowe's is play sand. Maybe I need to go to the lumber section instead of the plant area.
Any advice? The soil in KY has lots of limestone in it but my ph seems to test as medium and balanced.

No, no to the Quickrete! [Just add water and get rocks.] Use pure sand, rough builder type, from the lumber/builder area. Or just start adding compost gradually. Or rake in lawn clippings and coffee grounds. In fall chop up the leaves that fall and add them, with a little ground limestone because most are acidic. It all works including my very unconventional burying of kitchen veg/fruit waste in 4-6" wide trenches between irises that are about 24-30" apart [look up "sheet composting"]. In 2 months will not recognize much of anything if redug then. Just don't wrap the clump with the stuff.

Limestone and Quikrete with rain would give you a concrete mixture wouldn't it?

Yup, so swap the Quikrete for builder's sand.

I have found that Home Depot carries play sand all over the store; meaning they seem to have only one product. Yea, I know, the shelf has different skew numbers, but........

Not good, Greg. It is definitely NOT play sand that you need!

I will have to go to the other end of Lowe's and check out builder sand or go to the Woodford Feed in the next county that sells that kind of stuff in bags. I have asked at HDepot and know they only sell the play sand.
Thanks for the ideas. I will check out "sheet composting" although I am one of those people who tend to plant closer than I probably should.

A long time ago I read an article about putting your 'kitchen waste' in a blender to make compost faster. I always thought 'yuck', but if you bought a blender at garage sale A blended drink for your garden. It would be interesting to do a couple test areas.