Saved some rhizomes from borers...replant?

15 years ago

I was wondering when it would be safe to replant the teeny peices of rhizomes I managed to save after the borer bleaching treatment. There is still a bit of rot (as evidenced tiny white maggots-yuck!) but they are putting down fresh new roots and the rot seems to be clearing in most...it is hard to believe that a tiny 1 inch peice of rhizome will put roots down and try to survive!

They are in plastic pots right now....just wouldnt want to put them back in the ground and have borers at them again

:( My garden is super full and the only spot that they can go is where they grew before the borers detroyed them.

I a in zone 5B

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Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
the borer eggs were laid in very early spring.. up on the leaf.. and they crawled down in the shaft between two leaves.. boring their way down to the rhiz ...

they are NOT soil borne creatures.. so once the rhiz's are cleaned up.. they go right back into the soil ...

whether or not the tiny pieces will bloom next year.. is the only mystery left to time ...

but odds are.. if the rot was removed.. they will live..

for the most part.. they are not foo foo plants ...

ken
jbplantobsessed
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi Ken, thanks for the reply :)

I noticed after I dug them out that a few borers were still in the soil (maybe some leftover rotten rhizomes left behind?)

Do you think if there are any borers left in the soil at this point if I were to replant the rhizomes now in the same spot that they would find them and re-enter or perhaps the week of not having any fresh rhizomes starved them?

I guess I could leave them in the pots, but would prefer them back in as I have about 20 pots scattered all over the patio LOL
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
the borer has to turn into a moth.. and fly away and lay next years eggs ... check the link ...

so if something like sevin or some other lightweight APPROPRIATELY LABELED chem ... or an organic ... treat the soil and replant in a couple weeks ...

but i still dont understand why you are finding them in the soil .... or why they would be feeding on old rotted rhiz's

are you a bug-a-phobe???? my guts telling me you are seeing things that arent there.. lol ....

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
15 years ago
what i used to do.. when the soil bothered me..

go dig a hole behind the garage.. and get 3 to 5 shovel fulls of soil ... throw in wheel barrow ... wheel over to planting area ..

get something else to hold soil.. dig out 3 to 5 shovel fulls from the area.. go put it in the hole behind the garage.. and put the new soil in the planting hole ... tamp it down well ... goodly?? ... more betterer??? ... and replant the rhiz's ... we dont want them settling too deep.. depending on your soil type ...

then you will be all set.. w/o chems ... and you can quit worrying ...

ken
jbplantobsessed
Original Author
15 years ago
LOL....I AM a bugophobe after seeing those HUGE slimy things hiding in those irises and freaking me out when I found them haha...nothing has ever bothered me until these guys!

I think I will do the soil thing....just to be sure :P
Thanks for your help :)