Like my other post, these irises were planted at the same time and in the same area as what I mention here:

All of these were planted as a single rhizome in Sept-Oct of 2016. So that makes them 1.3 to1.4 years old. They were planted in the new beds in my field. (The irises don't grow as well in the other beds...even though they were amended and replanted.)

This time I circled the original rhizome.

In the Loop (started off as a single rhizome)


Money In your Pocket (Started as a single rhizome)


Black Phantom (Was divided down to a single rhizome and replanted)


Rich Girl (I was sad it only put out one increase...not anymore ) (Ignore the horrid leaf spot)


Lady In Purple (was divided down to one rhizome and replanted)

Holy cow, Rich Girl!

Lady in Purple has beautiful foliage

Rob ~ You said you had a lot of losses, but you also have a lot of increases. I have some that are growing nicely, but at the same time I have many that have very small rhizomes and mold! I scrubbed them all again today, and apparently I didn't get rid of it entirely the first time. I will check every day, and keep on scrubbing. I never knew that iris gardening could be so tedious. I want them to thrive, but some are just not doing well. When it looks like the mold is gone, I will spray with Serenade.

Since the irises usually start blooming in the middle of May, I will fertilize on March 31st.

This the "thrivers", or as Tom said the "survivors". I have plenty of slow growers in my other beds.

Evelyn, for the mold i would put 10% bleach with 90% water in a spray bottle and spritz them with it. mold grows where it is continually damp and that is not good for irises. good luck.

That's how I get rid of it too. I'll even use a "soft" toothbrush and give the rhizome a little scrub.

Liz, Lady in Purple has the strongest pbf that I've seen. It's one of my favorite irises and I had the honor of mentioning that personally to Anna Cadd. Let me know in Summer if you want a piece.

I hope Anna Cadd is o.k. I heard she was unwell and had to go to the hospital.

UndertheSun said: That's how I get rid of it too. I'll even use a "soft" toothbrush and give the rhizome a little scrub.

That is exactly what I did. I will check them again tomorrow.

Dachsylady86 said:Lady in Purple has beautiful foliage

Yes she does!

Oh know Jan, I hope she's ok too.

Here's an example of how irises are slow growing in my other beds. These were all planted around the same time, but in different areas.

First up is a comparison of Lady in Purple.
versus

Next is Black Phantom.
versus

Quite the difference!

I keep forgetting that some of you are in much warmer areas than Kentucky. There is not much happening here but I can see a few little increases coming up which will be covered in snow toward the end of the week.
I do not have a picture as all are wet and brown now but my most prolific increasers are Serena Louisa, Star in the Night and Roaring Twenties as far as two year clumps are concerned.

Rob, and others. Anna Cadd is o.k. now.

Thanks Jan!

i wish anna well, and look forward to meeting her in a few weeks.

She's a charming woman and very knowledgable about iris hybridizing, Daphne.

I have been impressed by the magnificent rhizomes on display in this thread. Be it climate or my insufficient gardening skills, but I can't get irises to produce rhizomes like that.

I removed all of my noid irises when I started to acquiring named ones in 2015, so this is probably a little too short time to really decide which are "thrivers" or not long term, especially as this initial growth to some extent is decided on how large the rhizome is when planted, but of those from 2015 that were replanted in 2017, TB 'Dangerous Mood' really stood out when it comes to speed of growth. I would say that it grew at least 50% faster than other vigorous TB's such as 'Paul Black' or 'Tom Johnson' planted at the same time, but those can also be highly recommended for wet and cold climates.


I believe IB's normally grow very fast, they are certainly the fastest growers here, but of those 'Red Zinger' was in a category of its own. Commercially grown in the Netherlands it was spring planted and bloomed in its first year. I have praised it before, because of its strong growth, but will happily do so again.

I think a lot simply depends on where you've got the iris planted as Rob showed in his recent comparison of the same variety planted in different beds.
I grew Paul Black in one of my beds of my ordinary clay soil. Not only did it not thrive, it practically died out. I moved one surviving rhizome to my raised bed and the last two to a heavily composted, south- facing bed right next to my house and they are now all increasing like crazy.
I've been growing Dangerous Mood for three years in a bed with very good topsoil and it has increased every year but at a very moderate rate. I'm glad it's growing well for you, because it is very lovely.