The colorful, Spring-flowering iris is one of the easiest plants for the average homeowner to grow. Its colorful, prismatic hues are a delight for all to behold, while its culture is well within the scope of any beginner. Hybridizers have extended the period of bloom to produce a much longer season than hitherto imagined.
If the types are chosen carefully and the flowering schedule of each variety checked before planting, an almost continuous show of bright flowers is yours from late May until late June, depending on the locality.
Also, it is now possible to obtain many different and interesting Fall-blooming iris, although the care of these is slightly more difficult than the more familiar Spring iris.
A Few Simple Rules
It is easy for the home gardener to achieve spectacular effects among his iris if a few simple rules are followed carefully. First and foremost is the need for good healthy stock. Iris are no different from other plants in this respect; so it behooves the prospective grower to choose the variety and quality of his iris plants with care if he desires large, healthy blooms with a minimum of effort.
Once the iris are planted, there is very little further attention needed, but the first steps, including the necessity for good soil and adequate fertilizer, are extremely important. This combination assures stronger plants with sturdy branching, and, in turn, it means more beautiful flowers.
Most Popular Types
The two most popular types offered in catalogs of American growers are the bearded and the beardless iris. The bearded group is the most widely known and used and received the name because of the characteristic, bearded growth on the flower.
These can be purchased at any price from a few cents to 25 dollars, depending on the newness or the age of the particular variety. Naturally, the latest introductions of the breeders command the highest prices, but the average person can obtain as much color and enjoyment from the lower-priced, older varieties, leaving the novelties to the hybridizers and collectors.
The Color Range Is Wide
Bearded types are obtainable in all colors and shades from white through yellows, pinks, and blues, with many having varicolored markings. Each year, the Dykes Medal is awarded to the best iris which the breeders have produced, and many well-known iris have achieved fame because of this recognition.
Among more prominent blues are Helen McGregor, Chivalry, and Blue Ensign, while the more inexpensive ones of this color are Blue Delight, Great Lakes, and Calling Me. Whites are obtainable in Admiral Nitnitz, White Knight, Snow Velvet, and Winter Carnival, while the most prominent yellow-orange is the popular Ola Kala.
There are well over one thousand different varieties of bearded iris offered to prospective buyers today by American growers.
In preparing the beds for planting, one should keep in mind the fact that bearded iris need plenty of suns to produce good blooms, while too much emphasis cannot be placed on the need for adequate drainage, which means fairly dry conditions.
Ideal Planting Time
The best time for setting out the new plants, and for dividing crowded groups, is immediately after the Spring blooming season. Then the new divisions have ample time to become well settled before the cold weather.
Many gardeners are utilizing the method of raising the beds if the soil is mostly clay; this serves the double purpose, if enough height is added, of elevating the flowers to eye level, and providing proper drainage.
Of course, a considerable amount of loam must be brought in to achieve this unusual and pleasing effect of raised beds in a garden.
Before planting, the soil should be worked to a depth of ten to twelve inches; the lower level should have a base of about four inches of well-mixed, organic fertilizer. This is where the prudent gardener’s compost pile comes in handy, with some well-rotted cow manure and a small amount of bone meal already mixed.
Nitrogen fertilizers are not recommended here, as they tend to force the growth of the foliage rather than help the flowers toward abundant bloom. Good garden loam is then added to the bed with the earth being raised above the level of the ground, always in the case of the bearded type.
The bulbous rhizome should be set horizontally, just below the surface of the loam, with the fibrous roots being spread at a downward angle. The soil should then be tamped fairly tightly around the rhizome, and well-watered. Thorough, repeated watering is necessary only during extreme dry spells.
Related: Lengthening Iris Season
Beardless Kinds Like Moisture
Beardless iris need plenty of water at all times, being originally swamp plants. The rhizome is much smaller than that of the bearded iris, and should never be dried out if one wishes for healthy plants.
They prefer a slightly-sour soil and need richer fertilizing than the bearded group. Cow manure may be used more plentifully by inserting them out, and here nitrogen fertilizer can be used moderately.
The earth should not be raised above the level of the surrounding soil, and bone meal, which is effective as food for the bearded group, is better omitted here. Each species has its peculiarities, and likewise, each grower has his own particular success rules for the production of the largest and best blooms.
Careful Planting Brings Results
The iris planter must be patient, as the flowers are usually produced the second year following the setting out of the original plants. The most beautiful flowering results are produced by careful planting, and one must keep in mind the characteristics of each group to achieve the best results. Iris propagates rapidly, and for that reason, should not be planted too closely.
The recommended spacing is eight to fifteen inches apart, according to the type of garden one wishes. Plants should be (lug up and divided when the growth is too cramped, which usually occurs at three to five-year intervals.
When one is replanting a crowded section, it is best to divide each clump down into single rhizomes and follow the suggestions previously given for planting. If the same location is used, there should be a complete refilling of fresh topsoil, rather than using the old earth.
Winter mulch for iris has long been a debatable subject. Most certainly, if one has transplanted iris late in the season a mulch is a necessity; many successful growers still advocate mulching all iris in the northern climes each Winter.
Iris makes the prettiest picture when massed together to produce an intensely-vivid show of colors, although they are equally suited for borders and smaller groupings, mixed with other flowers.
44659 by Leo Litwin