The one time I received an iris order that came wrapped in newspaper had moldy and rotted rhizomes. While old newspapers are economical and more green friendly, they seem more prone to accumulating too much moisture at spots in direct contact with the rhizomes. That hasn't happened too often with excelsior. Sawdust sounds intriguing as you say absorbs extra moisture, but does it get heavy when filling up a box? Is it a by-product of lumbering and thus "green" also?
