Irises, with their easy-to-care-for nature and beautiful blooms, can be found in many gardens. Particularly popular are the velvety perennial varieties, which are a true highlight of any flowerbed. Therefore, many beginning gardeners are interested in the intricacies of planting and caring for these flowers outdoors.
What types of irises are there?
Today, there are more than 750 varieties of irises, but the most popular among gardeners are:
- Dutch - a hybrid, flowers can be of a wide variety of colors, begin to bloom in early summer, can easily survive the cold, but in severe frosts they need shelter, although it is better to dig up young bulbs for the winter;
- Ensiform - stands out for its unusual bud shape, the most capricious of all plant species, therefore it is suitable for experienced gardeners;
- marsh - the most "tenacious" species, can easily grow even in marshy soil and near bodies of water;
- Siberian - luxurious flowers are collected at the very top of the peduncle, blooms profusely for many years, has good resistance to cold.
Soil and planting site
Neutral or slightly acidic soil is the best choice for irises, but alkaline or acidic conditions are not suitable. In an acidic environment, irises will not only fail to bloom but will also be susceptible to attack by various bacteria. If the plant is already planted in such soil, it will need to be neutralized by adding chalk, ash, or lime.
Roosters also dislike heavy soil; such soil should be mixed with compost, peat, or sand. Excess peat is also undesirable; in this situation, adding organic matter is essential.
You may be interested in:Another important consideration is choosing a planting location. Bettas love sunlight, so the site shouldn't be in a shaded area, as without full sun, the plant will bloom weakly and for a short time.
When choosing a location, it's also important to consider groundwater levels, specifically how close they are to the ground surface. If they're very close, you'll need to either raise the area by at least 15-20 cm or prepare a drainage layer.
When to plant cockerels
When to plant irises is the main question for gardeners interested in such a beautiful flower as the one pictured. Planting and care in open ground can be done in both spring and summer, as well as fall. However, it's important to note that irises can be bulbous or rhizomatous.
And if we're talking about planting and caring for irises in open ground in spring, we're talking about bulbous varieties. Irises can be planted in any spring month, as long as the soil warms up to 10°C.
The cockerels should bloom in early summer, but as practice shows, they begin to bloom only the following year, and even if it happens that the buds open in June, then, as a rule, the flowering is very weak.
When planting and caring for irises outdoors in the fall, they need to be planted before nighttime temperatures drop below 0°C—at least a week, preferably a month. This will allow the plant to establish itself and prevent frost damage.
You may be interested in:However, mid-summer is generally the best time to plant cockerels, and experienced gardeners insist on this. This gives the plants time to develop buds, helps them avoid freezing in the cold, and encourages flowering the following spring.
In the middle zone, irises can be planted in August, in warmer regions – in October, which is unacceptable for Siberia and the Urals.
Siberian irises are more suitable for planting outdoors in northern regions. They are more resilient, and their care requires providing them with sufficient light and fertilizing twice a day.
You may be interested in:Dutch irises, however, won't survive the cold, so they should only be considered for outdoor planting in warmer climates. Care includes plenty of light, low humidity, and proper winter storage of the bulbs.
Preparing the bulbs and planting
Bulbous irises, their planting and care, won't pose many problems if the bulbs are properly prepared. Before planting them outdoors, soak them in a fungicide such as Fundazol or a pink solution of potassium permanganate. This will prevent the planting material from rotting.
The instructions for planting cockerels are quite simple:
- Prepare the holes and soil. Add sand for drainage, but if the soil is loose, sand is not needed.
- The depth should be equal to the height of the bulb, only multiplied by three, approximately 5 to 8 cm.
- The distance between the bulbs is from 6 to 10 cm, but if you want to grow a beautiful bouquet, this distance can be reduced.
- We press the bulbs lightly into the ground so that they do not pop up to the surface and cover them with soil.
- Water and mulch with compost or peat.
It is possible to plant not only bulbous but also rhizomatous irises in open ground:
- We dig holes in the prepared bed, make a small mound in the center and place the main root on it, and distribute the lateral roots along the sides of the hole.
- We cover the main root with a sand layer no more than 2 cm thick, and cover the lateral roots with soil.
You may be interested in:Watering
Monitoring watering is especially important during periods of rapid growth, when buds begin to form and bloom. Once the iris has finished blooming, watering can be stopped, as the plant requires rest.
Top dressing
To ensure that cockerels delight you with their bright and lush blooms, they should be fed:
- in spring – nitrogen-containing fertilizers;
- bud formation – fertilizing with phosphorus and potassium, possibly with nitrogen;
- flowering - phosphorus with potassium.
Digging up bulbs
Experienced gardeners strongly recommend digging up iris bulbs, especially Dutch varieties, otherwise they can rot due to frequent rainfall. While other early flower bulbs are dug up after their leaves have completely dried out, there's no need to wait that long for iris bulbs.
As soon as the leaves turn yellow, which usually happens 12-14 days after they bloom, the bulbs can be removed from the ground.
The dug up bulbs should be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then dried for 2-3 weeks and stored in a ventilated area.
Wintering of irises
Iris species such as Siberian, swamp, bearded, and Japanese irises are cold-hardy, so their bulbs can be left in the ground, but it is important to prepare them for winter.
In the fall, the bulbs should be covered with roofing felt or a simple plastic box to protect them from rain. In winter, dried leaves or spruce branches are suitable for warmth. However, young bulbs should be covered for the winter; mature bulbs don't need to be, as they easily tolerate frost.
Diseases
Diseases to which cockerels are susceptible include fungal and viral infections:
- Mosaic is a virus transmitted by aphids. The disease can be identified by spots and stripes on the leaves. There is no suitable treatment, so infected seedlings should be removed immediately and the plant treated with products such as Actellic or Confidorm.
- Bacterial rot – appears on leaves as brown spots. In this case, the affected area should be removed and the plant disinfected with potassium permanganate. If the disease persists, the plant will have to be completely destroyed and the soil treated with antibacterial solutions.
- Gray mold - the disease can affect both the root and the leaves; in the latter case, the flower is treated with a fungicide, but if the root is affected, the plant will have to be dug up.
Common causes of disease include overwatering, freezing of roots, lack of potassium or
phosphorus.
Pests
The most common pests that can harm or completely destroy a plant include:
- Cutworms are a dangerous pest that eats the base of the flower stalk and causes bacteriosis, so we use malathion as a preventative measure;
- iris fly - its food is a bud that has not yet blossomed, which leads to its death, for prevention: “Actellic” or “Aktara”;
- Thrips are malicious pests that first affect the leaves, then the buds and the entire plant. Treatment: malathion with laundry soap, “Aktellik”, “Aktara”;
- The mole cricket attacks the roots and can be controlled by adding crushed eggshells to the soil. You can also fill the burrows with a solution of soap or laundry detergent.
Sometimes slugs can eat the leaves, but it's not that bad, the main thing is that there are no weeds around the cockerels.
Irises are amazing flowers that amaze with their size, shape, and variety of colors. Not everyone knows, but these flowers are used not only to transform gardens but also to extract essences for perfumes. To ensure irises delight with their beauty, it's important to carefully consider their planting and learn all the intricacies of caring for them outdoors.
Features of iris transplantation in autumn
How to properly care for Siberian irises outdoors