Iris

[bobm]

I planted 4 Iris clumps about 3 years ago. They thrived and doubled in size every year. This past Winter and Spring, it rained and rained some more to record levels. This was not to their liking, so they started to show signs of being chlorotic. Last Saturday, a section of a clump callapsed. I called Washington State University Master Gardener Dept. ... they said that soft rot ( Erwinia caratovora ) is starting to be seen in this area now. They recomended to destroy the infected rhyzomes. However, some of the individual Irises are starting to droop in the other clumps too. So, I became the executioner and armed with a shovel dug up , up and away all of the clumps.

 

[Smart Red]

Horrors! I don't know if I could do it.

 

[Nyboy]

Plant flag iris mine are planted in water.

 

[thistlebloom]

It seems that Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis ) might be the help you need Bob.
Here's an abstract on it's use against Erwinia c.

 

[digitS']

That's interesting, @thistlebloom

Bob may not have needed to destroy the others ... maybe they are still in the garbage can!

I've had that soft rot before. It was years ago and I'd moved some iris and didn't know how I should plant the rhizomes. One I got too deep. At least, that's what I decided later. I only removed that one horrible thing and they others were fine.

I was recently reading about a newly discovered antibiotic. It's from the soil and that's where many antibiotics originated and it's where they found Bt. Here's part of what was said, "Bacteria in the soil compete fiercely for nutrients. To get an advantage, they produce toxins that kill their neighbors. According to Lewis, soil bacteria 'fight with each other. We borrow those compounds and use them as medicine.'" link

Steve

 

[ninnymary]

It seems that Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis ) might be the help you need Bob.
Here's an abstract on it's use against Erwinia c.

I understood that perfectly!

Mary

 

[bobm]

Since the clumps were getting more and more chlorotic and more parts of the clumps callapsing. I figured it was too late to save them from their inevitable demise. There are 5 lavenders that are more dead than alive, so they will have to be pulled out too from too wet feet. Too, I have to hoe, hoe, hoe out hundreds of new weeds. Also, I have to plan for new plantings to fill in the 9 vacant spaces for the County Garden Tour on July 23rd so I can't dissapoint the public. The plastic will be getting a workout.

 

[Nyboy]

LOL for a minute Bob I thought you where going fill the spaces with plastic plants, then realized credit card