Marilyn asked about starting iris seeds, and I thought it might be a good topic for a new thread. I'm not an expert here, just doing it for a couple years. I read what Paul had put in a thread on Cubits. I let them soak in clean water for a week, changing the water every day. Then I put them on a damp paper towel and wrape them in aluminum foil and place them in the refrigerator for about 6 weeks or so. I check on them periodically after about a month, and sometimes you will see a tiny white root showing. Then I plant them in pots about a half inch deep and put them near a window. Last year I had some that really had a high germination rate, and some that didn't germinate at all. Sometimes they can can take up to 3 years to germinate I hear. I was told that Ghio's Staring took three years. Maybe Paul, Kent, Brad, and some others will add their techniques and we can all learn to be better at it.
This is what they look like when they first start to come up.
This is what they looked like in June when I planted them into their beds
I would have liked to get them in the ground before then, but I didn't have the bed prepared. I'm making the bed for next years this fall, so it will be ready. As you can see I'm stealing space from the veggie garden for this.
They're doing quite well now, some have lots of increases. I think the one with the most has 6, but many have 2 to 4 increases already. I hope some of them bloom next year.
