The Rural Voice, 1994-06, Page 53importantly, you have to do your
pollinating during the hours of 6
and 10 a.m. This ensures a sticky
environment for the pollen.
Evening pollination won't work
since the flower has had all day to
dry. You gently pull down the fall
to expose the stamen and break it
off. This is from the pollen parent.
You then pull open the fall of the
pod parent and gently drag the
stamen over the pistil (stigma) to
pollinate. Cover the flower with a
"baggy" to keep out bees and
within a few days there should be a
noticeable swelling at the base of
the blossom to indicate that
pollinating has occurred. Mark the
date, pod parent and pollen parent
on a tag and tie to the stem with the
producing pod. In about two
months the seeds should be mature.
The pod tums brown and will split
open. You might consider staking
the stem to avoid having your seed
spilled on the ground with a high
wind or knocked over in stormy
weather. Once the seeds are ripe
you can plant them right then or
save them for next season.
If you decide to save the seed
keep them in a sealable baggy with
three eyedroppers of water to keep
them from drying out. Seal the bag
and store in the vegetable crisper
section of the fridge. You can start
these seeds in March under lights or
a greenhouse.
Michael noted that you can have
as many as 60 seeds and each will
produce a different colour of iris.
From those seeds collected you
might only have three or four iris
that are worth saving. There is no
one dominant colour. Breeders are
still trying to come up with a true
red colour. The closest they have
managed is a russet colour or a red
more like a deep cherry colour.
Michael avoids cross poilinating
between iris bought from the same
breeder. The breeder uses several
varieties for his basic gene pool and
if you cross the genes you may get
a weakened version of the original.
It takes as many as six to eight
years to get an iris to market. The
Gardening
stock is ready for sale when results
from tests for hardiness, resistance
to wind damage, and tolerance to
borers are analyzed.
Iris take very little care. Some
growers may go so far as to mulch
their iris in the winter with
evergreen boughs. You can use
wheat straw which doesn't pack
tightly like oat straw which should
be avoided.
I always thought iris bloomed
from every piece of rhizome. Not
so. Michael pointed out that iris
will send up flower stalks on last
year's new growth. Therefore it is
important to lift thick clumps every
three to four years, pare away the
old rhizomes and lay out the newer
ones. Carefully place the rhizome
on a small hill and cover only the
roots. Iris planted deeply often
smother and rot before they can
push themselves up to the surface
where they should be planted.
Another tip Michael left me was
for the delicate Siberian iris. It is
r".
important that these small cousins
to the bearded iris get sufficient
water after they finish blooming.
Without this water they will not
bloom the following year.
Fortunately the cool wet weather
we had in May could be a mixed
blessing for some gardeners.
If you are interested in more
information about iris there is a
Canadian Iris Society and a
membership is $5, or $12 for three
years. You get a quarterly
newsletter that offers tips and
locations of shows and sales. You
can write to the chairperson Mrs.
Irene Specogna, R.R. 5, Bolton,
Ontario L7E 5S1. There is a
branch to the Iris Society in
London. They have an auction sale
every August but the date has not
been set yet. If you are interested
give Michael a call closer to that
time and he can fill you in.0
Rhea Hamilton -Seeger raises two
children, and is a skilled cook and
gardener.
MAITLAND MANOR NURSERY
& LANDSCAPING
"Make Something Beautiful Happen."
See us for all your tree, shrub,
evergreen, roses and perennial needs.
Call for help in planting, mulching,
pruning and for landscape design
and installations!
THE ��F
GARDEN
COUNCIL
Hwy. 86 - East of Bluevale
519-335-3240
JUNE 1994 49