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Heartful Thanks
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I wish to thank each and every one of you for your patience over the last few months when our iris sales had to be put on hold during my husband’s long illness. I did appreciate the many condolence communications, and I thank you for those too. Now it’s time to pick up the threads and put The Tijara Iris Garden back into business again.
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Last bloom season gave us a magnificent display of lovely blooms. The ending of the drought helped achieve that end result also. Quite a few new players stood out and are definitely headed for world registration. Keep an eye out for Tijara Best Bet, Tijara Lu-Lu, Tijara Sister Act, Tijara Two Step, Tijara Boys' Club, Tijara Night Stranger, Tijara Chant, and Tijara Team Len.
Last Season's Star Performers
Tijara Chant
Tijara Kevin's Dream
Tijara Night Stranger
Tijara Sister Act
How great it is to have the drought and the bushfires behind us, and the ever so challenging coronavirus hopefully headed for control. Every day I enjoy seeing the farm covered with an abundance of pasture and dams again filled with precious water. Though I must say keeping abreast of the rampant weeds is challenging.
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So, let’s have a look at what our most likely iris problems under the current weather conditions are likely to be:
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Leaf Rust: The leaves become covered in rusty coloured spots, go yellow and eventually die off. If you’re a bit fussy you can treat them with an antifungal spray. We don’t do that as it is not detrimental to the plants in any other way.
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Rhizome Rot: Rhizomes rot from excessive moisture near where the leaves join onto the base. There is a noticeable offensive odour. Clear away all rotted material to let air into the area. If the rot persists, spray with an antifungal treatment or a weak solution of bleach and water. Ensure that the plant is not waterlogged as all iris need good drainage for healthy growth. Raised garden beds are always a good idea for the management of this problem. Their soil should be friable, and nutrition placed well below or around, not touching, the rhizomes.
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Other Necessary Iris Care: Your plants will also benefit greatly from an autumn treatment of a good fertiliser such as rose food or dynamic lifter [again, spread around the plants, not over the rhizomes] and a soil conditioner such as dolomite. Here near Canberra our soil is gravelly and poor nutrient-wise with a high clay content, so we add some rock minerals to the mix.
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Stay well and happy gardening, from Shirley at The Tijara Iris Garden at Burra N.S.W.