Louisiana Iris 'Betty Tucker'

Louisiana Iris 'Betty Tucker'
Iris

Unusually early bloom here 2/20/2008

Very pretty bloom. When does it usually bloom?

Hazel--
Actually, its supposed to be a late season LA according to its registration stats but its always bloomed mid-season for me in the past. This year I guess it just decided to lead the pack and be the first selection to bloom. It is also one of the tallest varieties that I grow.
Debbie
=)

Debbie, thanks for the information. Silverfluter gave me some Louisiana iris; however, she didn't know the color of the blooms. I planted them late last summer. They are up; but, I haven't seen any bloom stalks coming up yet. I am hoping that they are the blue-purple ones.

I had been praying for rain, We are having a "mini" drought in my area. Rain was supposed to arrive this past weekend (didn't receive a drop) and today. Today, it developed right over the center of San Antonio (missing my area) and moved northeast. San Antonio has received 1/16 of its normal rainfall this fall and winter. I am afraid that there won't be much of a wildflower display here.

Hazel--
You might want to pick up a 1 lb bag of either soil sulfur or "Holly-tone" or some other type acidic granular brands (I just use the organic ones--soil sulfur is usually cheapest and is over by bone and blood meal) and pull back your mulch and put it around the base of your LA Iris'. I have to do that even over my way east of you. They like acidic conditions--but it doesn't have to be greatly acidified. I do this in Jan and also in October, but anytime is fine.

It's still only drizzling over here--we need rain too. We had a lot of rain last winter and spring. But the rain just "turned off" here in July and we've had a very dry fall and this winter has been much less than I like to see (although not abnormally low). We are in a La Nina pattern this winter which tends to take the moisture North of us (thus the record-breaking snowfalls in the midwest). I hope we all get some needed rainfall soon in Texas because after it starts getting hot, we are at the mercy of hit and miss afternoon thunderstorms or the gulf to brew something up (and that can be a scary proposition).

I know what you mean about the dry side of town--east of me (Houston proper) and Beaumont--Port Arthur area always gets more rain than here.

Debbie, our area is realy alkalline so I have powder sulfur that I add to the soil for acid-loving plants. I had not palced any around the irises. I think that I will try the grandular type. Again, thanks for the info. I had to put plants in the greenhouse due to the terrifically strong, constant wind. My brugs' and my gereniums' leaves were being ripped apart. We're going to have a hard freeze tonight so I had to fill my greenhouse back up.