Bearded Iris are one of the most popular perennials in gardens throughout the world, and we’re not surprised! They will eat holes in the rhizomes which can later be a home for pill bugs and result in soft rot from the rhizome’s injury. The following instructions are easy to implement and should lead to beautiful iris blooms year after year. Garden sanitation and visual inspection of your plants is most important. This is also the best time (plants are normally dormant during the heat of July and August) to divide and replant iris that have become overcrowded, usually after three to five years. Keep newly planted rhizomes well watered until they show active new growth. Everyone has their own methods for trying to eliminate moles. Break out bloomstalks as soon as bloom season is over. The photo to the below shows iris being planted in groups of three. They are June bloomers and generally planted only in the fall.
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Bearded irises are relatively easy garden plants to grow and will give good results with a minimum of care, but like all plants, the better the culture the more magnificent the display. For this reason, there are irises that thrive in moist, boggy conditions, others that enjoy bone-dry alpine soil; irises that love full intense sun, and others that do well in shade. Whe the rhizome arrives, the plants will have been wrapped in damp paper and plastic bags. The common pill bug Armadillidum vulgare normally feeds on decaying vegetation but will burrow out holes begun by crickets in iris rhizomes. In the spring, apply a low-nitrogen 6-10-10 fertilizer around your irises. ***** we are now accepting orders for a few special iris varieties, as well as mixed bags of unnamed irises. Their shells look like armor and they are known for their ability to roll into a ball. When it comes to selecting the perfect Bearded Iris for your spring garden, the task may become daunting as there are thousands and thousands (!!!) ‘Immortality’ is a tall bearded Reblooming Iris which flowers in June and then offers a second crop of pristine white flowers in … Japanese should be planted a little deeper, about two inches, as they make new roots on top of old roots. Ugly! Louisania foliage in southern climates will remain green and should not be cut off.There have been no confirmed reports of the iris borer west of the Rocky Mountains.Note: Much of the above planting information was derived from William Shear’s bookBeardless irises will be a beautiful asset to your garden if you meet their cultural requirements. It has the same life cycle as the iris borer. Notice that each of the rhizome “toes” face inward towards each other about 8 inches apart as they are planted.There are hundreds of species of crickets in the U. S. Crickets feed on just about everything. Plant your iris at least four weeks before your first hard freeze or killing frost.This small rodent is blackish brown to grayish brown, 5-8 inches long resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head with pointy nose, and smaller ears and eyes. Once established, irises should be watered when the top three inches of soil dry out. A better practice is to remove the entire clump, replenish the soil and replant a few large rhizomes.Beardless irises are generally planted in the fall but may be planted in August, September and October depending on your climate. Many times a secondary infection of bacterial soft rot will also occur. They are most active in late evening and the night when males begin their serenading to attract female mates. In autumn the moths lay their eggs on old iris leaves and other nearby debris. Immediately remove the rhizomes and soak the roots overnight in water. Gypsum is an excellent soil conditioner that can improve most clay soils. Keeping your garden clean from debris goes a long way toward avoiding the conditions conducive to both pests and diseases.John Weiler, an iris hybridizer and long-time professor at Fresno State University in California, wrote in The World of Irises: “Irises are free of diseases and easy to grow!” “How many times [has] that statement been made by an enthusiastic writer in a magazine article, gardening book, or newspaper [?]. Some afternoon shade is beneficial in extremely hot climates, but in general irises do best in full sun. Also it prevents sun scalding to Louisiana rhizomes.It is important to keep your iris beds free of weeds for optimum growth. Check with your local authorities as to pesticide and fungicide use.In some years this can be a major problem that can almost wipe out a planting if allowed to spread without remedial action. Early damage is hard to detect but as they grow they begin to attack the edges of the center foliage making notches and leaving slimy frass.