Hi Tom: Yes, I understand all about the growing conditions effecting "PLANTS". A true gardener know all about these factors. Yes, we all understand about longer, shorter, cooler, hotter, etc. Yes, this years flowers (blooms) definitely will show the affects of the season before. Such as smaller, shorter, and no blooms. That is something gardeners have been dealing with and understand since the beginning of time. Crowding...not in this case. It had plenty of room. You say many things we can control such as water, fertilization and crowding. I can not control water since Mother Natures seems to have been providing wayyyyy to much water this year. My dirt is excellent rich black soil, the same as it was planted in last year and for crowding, I stated that it definitely was not crowded. So we have to discount everything except too much water, which in my belief should basically account for loosing iris due extra water.
All the above possible reasons , including to much water in my case should not have caused it to revert back.......on the same iris. Still looking for an explanation. Notice ,not only the horns are missing, but it has not bloomed even close to what was suppose to be. Nice frilly standards??? Color variation.
So am I and the other home gardeners to expect this from any and or all of my space age iris? Perhaps a person should not purchase them until they become stable........how many years should they prove stability before they are put on the market? I thought it was 5 years?
