IRISES: The Bulletin of the AIS - Summer 2018 Edition

By Andi Rivarola 

A warm welcome to those who are seeing IRISES, the Bulletin of The American iris Society for the first time. If you are a member of The American Iris Society I hope you enjoy this new issue.

The Summer issue of the AIS Bulletin is already available for online viewing and accessible via the Emembers section of the AIS website. The print copy has been mailed via the U.S. Post Office. On the cover this time, the Winner of the 2018 President's Cup, Louisiana iris 'Acadian Sky' by none other than hybridizer Joe Musacchia (R. 2017). Congratulations!

Note: to access this area of the website you must have a current AIS Emembership. (AIS Emembership is separate from the normal AIS membership.) Please see the Electronic Membership Information area of the AIS website for more details.

Don't miss the entire line up of the 2018 Convention Award Winners, on pages 2 and 3.

Our friend, Kelly Norris received an award from the American Horticultural Society, take a look on page 9.

News from the Novelty Iris Society, Species Iris Society and others can be found on "Section Happenings," on page 12. 

News on the AIS Foundation's Ackerman Essay Winners were announced, and you can find the announcement on page 17.

Memories in writing and images of the 2018 New Orleans National Convention extensively covered in this issue on pages 20 — 26. 

Notes and images from the combined Tall Bearded Iris Society and Region 13 Spring iris tour are covered on pages 27 — 31, then on 34 — 35.

We also had an Aril Convention this year, held in Las Cruces, New Mexico beautifully covered on pages 36 — 47.

And, last but not least a very informative article called, 'Winning the Borer War," on pages 48 and 49.

Not a member of The American Iris Society? Please see our website for information about becoming one: http://irises.org/

There's a lot more to see and read in this edition of IRISES, either in digital or print formats.

Happy Gardening!

The Next Generation: Starting PCI Seeds

Kathleen Sayce, August 2018

With fall approaching, Iris seeds are ripening in the Northern Hemisphere, and seed exchanges are getting ready to distribute fresh seeds this coming winter. 

Seeds got away! Use organza bags to hold seeds until you can gather them.

Late summer is a good time to review both well-tested methods to start PCI seeds and known pitfalls that will definitely limit success. 

PCIs have tiny rhizomes and cannot be successfully shipped live around the world; shipping seed is the only way to share this iris group outside the US at this time. 

Pacifica Iris seeds naturally disperse from pods during mid to late summer. When fall rains begin in their natural growing area, those seeds start soaking up moisture, then germinate in winter to early spring. 

Nearly ready to harvest, one more week and the seeds in these Iris douglasiana x I. chrysophylla pods will be ripe and ready to harvest.

If you live on the West Coast of North America in zone 6 or warmer climates, you can put seeds in flats outside and let the weather work on the seeds directly.  Fresh seeds often germinate quickly. Older seeds may need two or three years to decide to grow. Seeds may stay viable for five to seven years. 

If you live elsewhere, where winters are colder, drier, or hotter, then a little creativity is needed. 

Cool wet winter conditions can be replicated by using a refrigerator or toilet tank to provide cold soaking. 

In the fridge, change the water daily. Use small plastic bags for each seed lot, and a small mesh strainer to catch the seeds. Turn them out into the strainer, rinse them under the tap in fresh cold water and also rinse out the bag. Use a spoon to tuck the seeds back into each bag. 

In a toilet tank, seeds go into mesh bags, and regular flushing of the tank provides clean cold water. 

Either way, let the seeds soak for 30 days, then take them out and plant in flats outside.

Pitfalls to avoid include: 

  Use warm water to soak seeds.

  Hold seeds in a location that is too dry. 

  Hold seeds where temperatures stay too warm. 

  Hold seeds where temperatures get too cold—generally colder than zone 6 or 7—but note that some species do well when held under a thick layer of snow over winter. 

  Use a soil mix that is heavy, drains poorly, and or is alkaline.

  Use containers that let roots heat up when sunny. 

Collectively, these iris seeds will decide that too dry, too warm (or hot), too cold, too wet, or too alkaline means ‘do not grow.’

Not shown:  the mesh cover for this flat, which kept the seeds well protected; ten seeds were planted, nine germinated, and eight are thriving.

As seeds germinate, they become tasty snacks for birds and rodents. Protect them! Hardware cloth covers over flats work wonders. 

When I started growing Pacifica Iris from seed, I thought I was getting old seed lots, or had the wrong soil mixtures. Nope, none of that:  I had persistent, sneaky, determined seed thieves, including voles, squirrels, jays and crows. 

All these tips, and more, can be found on SPCNI’s website at pacfiiccoastiris.org.

Payne Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Payne Medal 2018

'Kimono Silk'

'Kimono Silk'--image by Brock Heilman

'Kimono Silk' (Bob Bauer and John Coble, R. 2008). Falls white, central dusting of bright blue between the white rays, yellow signal; style arms pure white, crests same. 'Lake Effect' X 'Frosted Pyramid'.

This medal is restricted to Japanese irises (JI). It is named in honor of W. Arlie Payne (1881-1971). W. Arlie Payne was at first interested in peonies, but in the late 1920's, he "discovered" Japanese irises. He started hybridizing Japanese in irises in 1932. Over the next three and a half decades, he raised many thousands of seedlings. One of the most exceptional aspects of his breeding program was that it was developed in the early years using only six cultivars of the Edo type. Payne took line breeding to a new level of intensity. The American Iris Society awarded Arlie Payne its coveted Hybridizers Medal in 1964. When he died at the age of 90, in 1971, he was universally revered as the world's premier breeder of Japanese irises

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

Eric Nies Medal 2018

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Eric Nies Medal 2018

‘Lemon Chiffon Pie’

'Lemon Chiffon Pie'--image by Jan Lauritzen

'Lemon Chiffon Pie' (Anna and David Cadd, R. 2006). Creamy yellow self; large gold signal blending to cream; ruffled. 'Media Luz' X 'Candle Lace'. Cadd's Beehive 2006. Honorable Mention 2010; Award of Merit 2014.

This medal is restricted to spuria irises. It is named in honor of Eric Nies (1884-1952). Eric Nies was born in Saugatuck, Michigan, but soon after Nies moved to California, he became interested in irises of all types. He obtained his first spuria irises from Jennett Dean, who operated one of the first iris specialist nurseries in the U.S. Spurias were his special interest. His first cross was with I. orientalis with 'Monspur’ He interbred seedlings from this cross, and in the second generation there was a virtual explosion of color: blue, lavender, brown, bronze and cream. During his lifetime, Nies was recognized as the foremost breeder of spuria irises in the world. Marion Walker took over his seedlings and breeding lines after he died in 1952.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.