Iris Care

Well, if it ever stops raining enough, so that buying a bag of compost isn't a back breaking task, I'll take care of those iris and day lilies this week/weekend.

Iris are great early summer bloomers and the Japanese and Siberian varieties are great additions to any water features. Judging by the leaves in my hostas, I've got bearded iris. I actually like bearded iris. My dad would find tons of these bulbs at the county yard and bring them home because my mom loves them. Their yard is a multitude of different colors of bearded iris. They are a tad finicky and my dad's lost some.

According to Breck's website, Bearded Iris prefer sunny spots, but don't mind shade. The Dutch varieties don't like standing water and prefer well draining soils. Although, the soil should be kept moist when the iris is getting ready to bloom. This bulb likes air though, and prefers to be planted at the surface, or just under it. It is recommended to mulch the bulbs in winter to protect them from ground heaving. Bearded Iris prefer being spaced out 8-10". However, they can tolerate being placed together with the fan of leaves pointed outward for a more showy planting. Just give the bulbs room to spread.

Be careful though, if iris clumps become too crowded, the blooms may suffer. The clumps should be divided in late summer, about a month after the plant is finished blooming. First, lift the rhizome out of the dirt. Then with a sharp knife, cut the younger sections away from the older, more central rhizome. The babies can be replanted immediately, although a day in the sun won't hurt anything and may help the iris in the long run. Brecks recommends throwing away the center rhizome if there isn't new buds coming off it, counciling that that plant is past its prime and probably won't flower again. I suspect that's for the next year, not the year you divide it, though. I'd rather err on the side of caution and give the plant another year to gain energy. Besides, unlike Brecks, I'm not trying to sell irises every year. *wink* And I don't need the best display on the block. I think that honor goes to the vegetable jungle two houses down.


Yesterday's precipitation: intermittent light rain -- trace