Growing Arilbred Irises in Central Oklahoma
by Loretta Aaron
(reprinted from The Aril Society International 1995 Yearbook)
(reprinted in electronic form with permission from the Author.)
Growing arilbreds in Oklahoma's unpredictable weather requires a few tricks.....and perhaps a sense of humor. Unless you live in central Oklahoma, this article may not make much sense. From central Oklahoma northward, it was once a rolling prairie, and the wind came sweeping down the plains. The wind still does. We have planted many trees, and some of them do withstand the wind.
Many years ago, when I was quite young and believed just about anything could be grown if it were just planted, I started sending away for free garden catalogs, especially if they were iris catalogs. I received a catalog with a full-page picture of ELMOHR (Loomis- Long '42). And it was expensive. $1.00! I sent away for that fabulous iris. This was around 1947. It was the first bloom of ELMOHR that sent me down the path of addiction. During that period they were called "oncocyclus" and "regeliocyclus" iris. Now we call them "arilbred", which is much easier to pronounce and spell.
When I moved to the home were I now live, back in 1950, I took rhizomes of all of my 35 tall bearded irises, and of course ELMOHR. I was glad I did not have to make a choice of taking my two small kids or ELMOHR. I continued to send away for any iris with the name "Mohr" in it. I had LADY MOHR (Salbach '43), WILLIAM MOHR (Mohr '25), BLUMOHR (Marx '49), PURISSAMOHR (Weidner, R. '49) and of course, ELMOHR. About five years later I visited an iris show, and on the queen's table was a great specimen of an iris named JALLAH EFFENDI (White .'51). I try a few new ones each year. Some do not like the erratic climate of central Oklahoma, and quickly go dormant, and remain dormant, i.e., dead. As the years passed, I tried new approaches. Most now thrive and do well.
Through observation I soon learned it was not the hot dry summers that did them in; it was the sudden temperature changes as winter nears spring. Often the temperature in mid- February would reach around 80 degrees for several days, then the arilbreds would put up new growth quickly. Around mid- to late-March, when buds are showing, we will often have a temperature drop from 80 degrees to around 15 degrees in 18 hours, and remain that low for several days. In 1987, I lost 15 varieties from such a drastic temperature drop. Now I prepare for this temperature change, and have not lost any since I started mulching them when I hear of a sudden temperature change on the radio. My arilbred irises are grown on the highest area of my garden, about ten inches higher that the surrounding areas, which does get the water away quickly. During the summer months, I grow a patch of dwarf marigolds. After frost, the skeletons of the marigold plants are stacked in an area behind a shed. When the dire warning is sounded that a hard freeze is expected, I take one or two of the marigold skeletons and hook them over the marker to hold them in place so the wind will not blow them away. Then, a mixture of dried leaves and grass clippings is scattered over the clump. This is allowed to remain until the last week in March, or until I feel it is safe to pull this away. Should the winter months be bone dry, I do water occasionally. With the mulch, the iris patch does look a bit unkempt, but it does the trick. When I have more iris to cover than I have marigold skeletons, I use an old bathrobe to cover the rest. The bathrobe is held in place with rocks or bricks, as a high wind could blow the bathrobe into the yard next door, and that could take some explaining. An old blanket would also work.
After the mulch is removed and all debris cleared away, I make an application of a fungicide to control the "mustard seed" fungi, which is so disfiguring on the iris foliage during wet periods. Should buds be present, do not use the fungicide, as it could disfigure the blooms. Check the directions on the can to make sure the material has been cleared for use on iris. After bloom is over, the fungicide could be used for continued control. In late September, I use a light application of a 5-10-5 fertilizer around each established clump.
Some of the arilbred irises are very stingy to increase. A few that increase well include KUZA NAME (Hager '83), WHISKEY MACK (H. Danielson '82), ABU ZABAD (Rich '73), and all the "Omars," such as JEWEL OF OMAR (Boswell '86), OMAR'S SISTER (Boswell '86) and DOME OF OMAR (Hawkinson '73). You really do not need all three, as they are so much alike, but all bloom heavily in addition to increasing well. I have tossed out a few dozen as they did not bloom well, or I did not care for them after I saw the bloom.
Following is a list of arilbred irses that grow well and put up maginificient bloom in my garden:
PERSIAN PADISHAH (Shockey '88)
ESTHER THE QUEEN (Hunt '68)
KALIFA'S ROBE (Hager '90)
BRONZE FALCON (L. Danielson '88)
TWILIGHT DANCER (H. Danielson '71)
TABRIZ (Kidd '81)
LAHARA (Sundt '64)
BETHLEHEM SONG (Foster '68)
CHENIK AGA (White '54)
BURRA SAHIB (Hager '90)
GENETIC ARTIST (H. Danielson '72)
GENETIC LEADER (H. Danielson '72) and
STARS OVER CHICAGO (H. Danielson '73)
Always a favorite is the smaller OYEZ (White '38). If this one is in bloom during show time, and you enter it in a show in our area, it is usually chosen as best arilbred by the judges. The bloom is exotic. Each year I try a few new ones, which does make the iris season more exciting. I have added eight new ones for next spring. I shall save all my marigold skeletons and gather up a few more bricks, as I want to see the bloom next year.
I still have ELMOHR.