I photo everything for record keeping. This way I wont think there is room for more plants in an area when I am making garden plans for spring when its Feb. and nothing is showing above ground.There are 4 photos in this album.
http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4...

Very smart. I tend to just plant one on top of another. Really, my worst problem is seeing an empty space, and thinking I can cram something in there, and then they're too tight together.

Polly, what a gal! I love to hear about other people doing what I'm always doing too!

Yepper, that's me!

When I planted an entire garden in 1 season I needed a system to mark where I had plants and what they were so I could make color choices for the comming season. I used white plastic spoons. My family thought I was nuts but now that they have the same problems I just sit back and grin.
The plastic spoon method also saved me some money. Buying 2 plants for the same space seemed lavish.
This is an april shot. Spoons galore but I am usually ordering plants at this time of year so I need to know where plants can go.






I know it looks like a mini graveyard but its a system that worked.3 years later I dont need the spoons.

Amazing the difference in your garden now, Jo. Even then it looked so nice and neat.

The spoon trick is really good advice. I actually did go ahead and make labels for all those fancy daffs I got 3 each of, so at least I'll know where they are. (Probably on top of other daffs, but oh, well )

thanx

Its a nice morning so I took photos of new plants now. Leaf growth is encouraging but do I have to cut these off to avoid borer problems?

No, do not cut them. borers are quite able to lay eggs on the rhizomes. New growth is your bloom for next year.

Thanks it did seem counter productive. How do these newbies look to you Lucy?

Looks like normal growth for new irises. Some leaves may brown, but not the smaller leaves.

thanks

Wow, they're looking good! You'll find most of the leaves will be trash in the spring, anyway.

Thanks veryone. I seem to remember new leaves in the spring. The TBI's we have here are DD's. I am partial to Dwarfs and never really followed their cycle,I just planted them and waited to see blooms in early spring.
NOW I have a few newbies and am dealing with rizomes above the dirt? or rizomes below the dirt?

I hover over the newbies and cant believe the size of the leaves comming from a rizome the size of the end of my thumb. Danas Purple ( not a registered iris) was smaller than a walnut and has grown steadily since it was planted. I am hopeing for at least 1 stem from it in spring.

Part of the rhizome above the dirt. Like a duck sitting in the water. The ones I can see the rhizomes in the picture look perfect.

goodie ,i hope they stay like that.

After rains mine tend to get dirt over the top of the rhizome, but when I'm fertilizing, or out working around them, every once in awhile I just push it off. Doesn't seem to hurt.

Thats my methos too. I am out everyday so I come across the covered ones now and then.

If dirt gets on top of mine I do not worry at all, if you planted like Polly stated then they will be OK with some dirt on them.

D

dirt is ok, they just don't like being buried. After all, the rhyzome is a stem.