Iris cycloglossa

totototo@telus.net totototo@telus.net
Mon, 14 May 2007 07:51:12 PDT
I've bought three starts of this Juno iris from Fraser's Thimble Farm 
in 2003, but no flowers until now. Somebody — I don't remember who — 
commented here a few months ago that Iris cycloglossa is a snowmelt 
plant. This spurred removal of the pot from a coldframe, where it 
endured a regimen of not entirely benign neglect, and promotion to a 
bench on the patio, where it is directly under my beady-eyed gaze.

The move was followed by regular, copious watering, plus regular 
feeding with very dilute Phostrogen. The latter is a trick learned 
from one of the old guard of the local rock garden club: when asked 
how he flowered difficult bulbs so well, the reply was "a pinch of 
Phostrogen in the watering can every time I fill it."

Anyway, I want to thank the list in general, its administrators, and 
the individual who posted about this iris. It's made a difference: I 
have two flowering stems, each with two buds. The top bud on one stem 
opened yesterday and the top bud on the other stem will be open 
within a few hours.

For those of you wondering if Iris cycloglossa is worth tracking 
down, one disappointment: somewhere it's described as having a clove-
like scent, but it doesn't. It's sweetly scented, but not of cloves. 
For a clove scent, try Paeonia cambessedessi.

And to answer two obvious questions:

Phostrogen is an English-made soluble fertilizer, analysis 10-10-27, 
plus 1% Mg, 4.3% Ca, 4.2% S, and 0.35% Fe. Possibly no longer 
available in North America. (I bought a lifetime supply some years 
ago.)


Soil mix: modelled on the well-known John Innes potting mix, but 
amended with an equal volume of fine granite grit ("canary grit"). I 
find my usual potting mix too heavy and water-retentive for many 
bulbs; adding lots of grit seems to make it work much better, while 
also slowly releasing potassium.

Isn't success wonderful? I'm very happy.
-- 
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Maritime Zone 8, a cool Mediterranean climate

on beautiful Vancouver Island


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