I’ve taken the plunge into Arilbreds so I’m documenting my experiences growing them in New England as a way of deciding how successful they can be for me outside of an arid climate. I have chosen OGB (½) and OGB- (¼) cultivars to experiment with, the first being the more questionable of the two types for my climate. I also want to point out that I have these varieties planted in different beds with varying soil compositions, with most in the sandier soil, and the others in an aerated compost mix. I’m not sure how or if it will affect the outcome, but initially I feel that the sandier soil is more ideal for desireable arilbred conditions.
*Please excuse the little weeds in the pictures!*
In the sandier bed I have:
Genetic Artist (OGB) and Jewel of Omar (OGB-), which are next to each other. Jewel of Omar initially lost its central fan, but without any rot issues to the rhizome; both have put out increases. I got these as bonuses from Blue J Iris.
Aztec Prince (OGB), Undue Influence (OGB) and Brash and Bold (OBG-); these came from Stout Gardens. All are putting out increases steadily. Undue Influence also lost the central fan.
Sand Dancer (OGB) is one that I’m most excited to see. I was told by Rick Tasco that he would set the bud for me, and then I would have to keep it alive. So there’s a good chance it will bloom next spring, but the outcome is unknown after that. I am impressed with how well it is doing thus far. That one was a bonus to experiment with from Superstition Iris Gardens.
A few others from Superstition Iris Gardens are Signal Butte (OGB-), Free as the Wind (OGB-) and Warrior Prince (OGB-). They are recent Arilmed intros that were mixed with SDBs. These three seem to be the most happy of the bunch; Signal Butte especially with 6 increases.
Galaxina (OBG-), a 2015 intro and Eye to Eye came from Mid-America Gardens. These were both a little slow to start, and Eye to Eye had difficulty getting settled initially. I had to move it from a different bed into this one, adding some compost below the roots, which helped it finally root down. Now it seems quite happy. Galaxina has been a slow grower overall thus far.
The last two are from the aerated compost mixed beds:
Red Ahead (OGB-) is a new Mid-America intro from this year and like Galaxina is a bit of a slow grower despite getting a little more sun during the day. Both Red Ahead and Galaxina share a sibling named Heart of Hearts, which I do not currently have.
Another one from Stout Gardens which is in a different section of this bed is Desert Snow (OGB). I’ve had the most difficulty with this cultivar. It died way bad initially and I thought that I had lost it entirely, but it developed out a small section of healthy roots to grab onto the soil. Over the past few months it has put out a single increase with no central fan. I am hoping that it can pull through, but I’m skeptical. I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on this one, and probably give it some fertilizer in the spring.
Lastly in yet another section of this bed is Cindy Rivera (OGB-) which was a new Baumunk intro that I got as a bonus From Stout Garden. It has been slow growing thus far, but probably not getting as much sun as it should right now. Only one increase so far, but more could appear in the spring. I’m excited to see the bloom on this one; from the pictures it is quite pretty.
I want to point out that the climate was quite dry this summer in New England, particularly in Massachusetts and could be a contributing factor to the initial success of these Arilbreds. I did water them, but sparingly. Their rhizomes have remained quite dry and firm overall. This could change during years where it may be more wet, but I’m making a note of the excessive dryness to compare.
