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Iris Bacterial Rot: Can other plants get it?

10 years ago

HI All,

I just dug out some tall bearded irises that have bacterial soft rot. I know how to deal with them, but I wonder if other plants can get from the soil if planted in the same spot. Is this rot only bad for irises, or can a dwarf spruce get it as well?

Thanks in advance for your info!

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Comments (4)

ronalawn82
10 years ago
kpt951, I would have replied, "Not likely." Then I read this.
"The effects of soilbome soft rotting Erwinias
are not clear. When potatoes follow potatoes or
another crop that is susceptible to soft rot, the soft
rot bacteria can be found in soil samples as long
as refuse from the susceptible crop persists. Soft
rotting Erwinias were thought to die out when
this residue disappeared. However, the use of new
techniques has demonstrated that Erwinia bacteria
can persist in the soil after the disappearance
of residue. The role of these soil bacterial populations
is unknown. Since some potato lines have
been maintained apparently free of blackleg the
reinfection rate must be low in some soils. Rapid
reinfestations of seed lots free of Erwinias have
been reported, but the source of this recontamination
is unknown."
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
i dont know what that has to do with the interface between a tuberous iris.. and a spruce tree ...

i would not hesitate to replant outside the species ...

but if the spruce died.. i would never associate it with the iris rotting ... it will die for other reason ...

ken

ps: i mean.. i can see a loose association with a rhizome and a tuber/potato.. but i have a hard time working the spruce into that equation .... but i am impressed if you spent time researching what the OP did not ...
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^This is what lots of the leaf nodes look like. ^This is what the inside of one of the leaf branches that is affected looks like ^Another leaf "joint" ^Part of one of the main stems about 1/4 way up the plant ^These are running most of the way up the plant...only about the upper 1/3 or so seems pretty clear of these I trimmed away most of the dead foliage and any leaf branches that showed the outward signs of the brown decay after taking these, but there are still spots along the main stem (Such as the second picture from the bottom) that are split and decayish looking. I do only have the three big plants...I suppose I can just leave it until it fully dies to see if I can get any more ripe fruit off it and discard the soil in this pot. I am still just very curious what it might be.... All my other plants seem perfectly healthy and show no signs of whatever this is. Thoughts and opinions?
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Kimmsr
10 years ago
Iris Soft Bacterial Rot is pretty specific to the Iris family and is most common in soils that might be too wet for an Iris. The Iris Borer also can be a cause of this disease.

Here is a link that might be useful: Iris Bacterial Soft Rot
ronalawn82
10 years ago
kpt951, my post was not meant to impress.
I was going to reply that it was not likely that the causative organism of a "bacterial wilt" will persist in the soil. Even if it did, it will infect through wounds, by an insect vector or by pruning / harvesting tools.
This is based on my experience with 'leaf scald' in sugar cane and bacterial wilt in tomatoes.
But Mother Nature has made a fool and liar of me before; and I have learnt to be extremely cautious in making unqualified statements.
In looking up the "soft rots" I read that the potato soft rot pathogen, the Erwinia, bacteria
can persist in the soil after the disappearance
of residue.
In the attempt to answer your enquiry I learned something.
Hopefully it has been a mutual experience.
Thank you.

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