SULFUR POWER
Versatile substance is your garden’s best friend, nourishing the soil while killing pests
Q: With all of your teachings last week about re-working an iris bed, I have a couple more questions. First, why do you do the “shake and bake” application with the sulfur? Next, my iris bed doesn’t need re-working, but I need to know, what do I do with the old blooms that mine have? They look so ratty! — L.T., Rio Rancho
A: The use of sulfur has a three-fold benefit. Think of it as a multivitamin for the plants and the soil. Sulfur helps “unlock” the mineral iron that tends to get bound up in our naturally alkaline soil. Being able to pick up the iron they need, the plants are less likely to suffer from chlorosis — a yellowing of leaf tissue due to a lack of chlorophyll. The sulfur helps in keeping the soil healthier.
Second, sulfur is a very safe and effective fungicide. Even though our climate is quite dry, plants especially the roots, can be affected by some molds and mildews that can easily keep a plant from thriving. If you’ve snapped apart any iris rhizomes there is that new “fleshy wound,” so to speak. The sulfur will assist the plants in sealing and healing that fresh wound.
Thirdly, sulfur is a pesticide. In fact, sulfur is one of the oldest elements that is used as a safe and effective pesticide. It helps control thrips and mites that suck the life out of your plants. So now you can see why I recommend doing the shake and bake sulfur application whenever you are re-working an iris bed.
Since your concern is the tidiness of your bed, don your best keep-yourself-safe clothes, a clean wiping cloth and some isopropyl alcohol and grab the cleanest, sharpest pair of stout scissors you have. Looking at the iris, grab the stalk that wore the bloom and following it down into the plant, cut it out as deeply as possible. Now be cautious that you don’t cut into the leaf clump of the mother plant. Your aim is to remove as much of the bloom structure as safely as you humanly can. That bloom stalk could have a few leaves growing along and out of it but they need be eliminated with the stalk. Again, your aim is the complete bloom stalk. As you cut remember to wipe the blades off using the alcohol-dampened cloth after each cut to eliminate the threat of spreading infection. Be thoughtfully tidy. If the leaves of your iris are really long and droopy you can snip them back a bit, too. Notice that iris leaves are naturally pointed, so mimic that look if you are going to shorten the leaves. You probably don’t need to cut off much from the length of the leaves, just enough to eliminate the droopiness of those leaves.
After you’ve gotten the area tidied consider applying a dose of the super phosphate or a balanced fertilizer to the soil, then offer a good deep watering. You need to remember that they’ve finished giving you their all this season; it’s been hot and for the most part very dry and they are recouping so they can reward you again next year. By eliminating the spent bloom stalk and perhaps shortening the established leaves, the plants are more able to concentrate on re-feeding themselves, getting ready for next year. Helping them along is always a good thing and having a non-ratty looking, truly loved bed is even better. Happy Diggin In.
Readers: If you have time to offer and want to learn all about horticulture, it’s time to mark your calendars. The Master Gardener class for 2018 has been announced. Applications for the Albuquerque Master Gardeners class of 2018 will be available online only beginning Monday, Aug. 14. Go to www.abqmastergardeners.org for information. There is an informational recruitment meeting on Thursday, Aug. 10, from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Albuquerque Garden Center, 10120 Lomas NE, to help you understand the commitment you’ll agree to when accepting this opportunity. So mark your calendars, plan on attending the informational meeting and get ready to learn.