Apr 2008 Newletter

Sunday, April 6, 2008 - Refreshments & Socializing at 1:30 PM, Program begins at 2:00 PM,

"Iris Hybridizing Iris through the Seasons" - by Guest Speaker, noted Iris Hybridizer and Photographer, Terry Aitken of Aitken's Salmon Creek Gardens – Terry has won AIS numerous awards and medals throughout the years. He has also held numerous positions with the American Iris Society, including President and AIS Bulletin Editor. Terry is currently AIS Regional Vice President in Region 13, Portland, Oregon, home of most of the nationally know iris hybridizers. Originally from Winnepeg, Manitoba, Terry has run Aitken’s Salmon Creek Garden in Vancouver Washington for over 25 years.

It has been an extremely wet February and March. In the Poughkeepsie area there was 18 inches of rain (and melted snow) over the last two months. Rot is already appearing in my garden. You know you have soft rot if you have mushy, smelly rhizomes. Here is an article on Soft Rot from Don & Ginny Spoon’s (Winterberry Gardens) catalog:

“We control outbreaks of soft rot with a treatment Dial antibacterial liquid hand soap with Triclosan diluted 1 part soap to 4 parts water. Also, the Dial hand soap has a fragrance that seems to repel the flies that spread the soft rot sodium lauryl sulfate that helps return the soil pH to near neutral. A second follow up treatment usually stops the soft rot. You can use the hand soap undiluted to cover deeply infected rhizomes. (Others swear by the effectiveness of Comet cleanser to control soft rot.) Acidic soil favors the soft rot bacteria. Powdered or granular lime (calcium carbonate added to acidic soil is a good way to prevent soft rot as it buffers the soil to a neutral or slightly basic pH. In this sweet range (pH 6.7-7.3) the iris can best absorb the nutrients from the soil. Also soil high in clay favors soft rot. Ideal soil is called loam with equal parts of sand, silt and clay plus about 10% organics. Irises planted in well-drained soil containing adequate sand and silt usually do not have soft rot.”

Ed note: Be sure to clean your gardens of iris debris both in the fall and spring. This too can help prevent soft rot and borers.

Sunday, May 4 , 2008 - Refreshments & Socializing at 1:30 PM, Program begins at 2:00 PM, Community Room, Marlboro Free Library, 1251 Route 9W, Marlboro, NY 12542

" Ikebana, the art of flower arranging" - by Guest Speaker, Mary Ann Robinowitz, a professor of Ikebana. Mary Ann has been taking classes in Ikebana for 20 years and also teaches. She will give a demonstration as well as lecture.