Spring planting of bearded and beardless irises

The snow has melted, summer cottage work has begun, and the florist is already planning how the irises will be planted in spring. These plants can be planted in the area that you are preparing for the future flower bed: the roots will make the soil structure looser. When breaking down a flower garden, you need to take into account that irises begin to bloom in May and end in July. They will decorate the flowerbed when the early spring flowers have already wilted, and the summer ones have not yet blossomed. The bearded iris looks unusually beautiful, its petals are covered with villi. Plants are unpretentious, do not require thorough soil preparation and complex care, and up to 11 flowers can bloom on each stem.

What will we plant

Irises reproduce both vegetatively and by seeds. The second method is too complicated, you will have to wait 2-3 years for flowering. Why do you need such a hassle? This method is used at breeding stations to develop new varieties. If you still want to experiment and get a flower of an unusual shape or color, sow the seeds in early spring or autumn in a nursery. There young plants will develop for 2 years, then you can plant them in a flower bed. In the northern regions, the grains do not have time to ripen before the onset of cold weather. If there is a threat of frost, cut the pods and keep them at home until the seeds are ripe.

To properly prepare the site, think about what kind of irises you will plant on the site. All varieties bloom well for 4 years, then they need to be transplanted. The Siberian species can live in one place for up to 10 years, but these flowers have a drawback: they do not fill the air with aroma. For bearded varieties, you need soil with a good outflow of groundwater and rainwater, they grow better on hills, and marsh iris loves moisture, it is often placed near water bodies. You can plant bulbous varieties, they have a richer palette of colors, an interesting combination of colors. This species has one drawback: immediately after flowering, the bulbs must be dug up and stored all summer in a cool place, and in the fall they must be buried again in the ground. If the extra work doesn't scare you, enrich your flower garden with these plants.

The owners of summer cottages usually prefer the cultivation of bearded irises and propagate them by dividing the rhizomes. If you want to start planting in spring, take care of preparing the tubers in the fall. There are recommendations to divide the bushes at the end of September, but it will be correct to look not at the calendar, but at the plant. When the flowers wither, and the greenery and underground parts continue to develop, it's time to harvest the rhizomes. You may have to do this work several times: each variety has its own ripening time. Do not wait until all the bushes are ready, if you are late, the quality and vitality of the planting material will deteriorate.

Dig up the plant, shake off the ground, and cut it apart. Each new seedling should have a bunch of leaves and an underground part of two annual links. At the rhizome of the main bush, cut off the dried parts and shorten the root processes by a third. Completely remove dry and damaged leaves from all fragments, and cut off the top half of the remaining feathers. Treat the underground part with a disinfectant solution, dry it, sprinkle the wounds from the cuts with crushed coal and sulfur and put it in a dark, cool room, where the seedlings will be stored until spring. Sometimes flower growers do it easier: before planting with a shovel, they cut off part of the bush and transfer it to a new place. In this case, there is a risk of damaging the plant, but usually both the main bush and the cut off fragment feel good.

Advice

Rhizomes of beardless irises may dry out during storage. This species overwinters well if the tubers are planted in a container with soil.In the spring, plant a seedling that has begun to develop along with a lump of soil.

Flower garden for irises

Irises love the sun - choose a place for a flower bed in a bright area protected from strong winds. Dig up and loosen the soil. If you want to create comfortable conditions for the flowers, get rid of the roots of weeds and larvae of pests, sift the soil through a large sieve. Soil moisture depends on the type of plant: bearded irises need soil with good drainage, while marsh and Siberian varieties prefer to grow in wet areas. On good soil, these flowers can develop without additional fertilizing, but if you decide to apply fertilizers or herbicides to the ground, the flower bed will be ready for planting only in a month.

If the land is not very suitable for growing irises, it can be improved.

• Add potash and phosphorus fertilizers to the greasy soil.
• If acidic, neutralize the soil with chalk or ash.
• Add sand and peat to the loam.
• A sandy flower bed can be improved with clay.

Dig holes 10 cm deep. The distance between the plants depends on the height of the aboveground part:

• curb varieties - 15 cm;
• irises of medium height - 20 cm;
• high bushes - 50 cm.

If you are going to make a multi-tiered flower garden, plant the lowest varieties on the south side, and the highest on the north. The distance between the rows should be at least 70 cm, then all the bushes will have enough sunlight.

Spring planting of rhizomes

Rhizomes winter well under snow, but if young bushes do not have time to get stronger, they may die. Therefore, planting irises in spring is preferable to planting in autumn. If you want to see flowering bushes this summer, hurry up with a flower bed device. In the southern regions, the soil is ready at the end of March, in colder regions it can be planted in April or May, later it is not recommended. The rhizomes are very hardy, they will take root at any time, but the bush must have time to form and release flowers. The first summer, do not expect large lush inflorescences, the plant will enter full force only in the third year.

See the state of the rhizomes. Cut out diseased, damaged or rotten parts, shorten the long branches. Disinfect the planting material in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then treat it with a growth stimulant. Be sure to keep the planting material purchased on the market in a disinfectant solution: you do not know in what conditions the tubers grew and were stored.

Advice

If you are going to plant several rows of irises of equal height, make a slide from the bulk soil with a slope to the south. The rear bushes will be elevated and get enough light.

At the bottom of the holes, make a mound of sand and place the rhizome on it. When burying plantings, be careful not to confuse what type of flower is there. In beardless varieties, the rhizome and part of the stem should be underground, and not completely bury the tubers of bearded irises, the top should remain in the air. If you are planting varieties that need to be buried, cover the ground with a layer of mulch 5 cm thick. With a thinner backfill, the weeds will have enough strength to break through the compost, and they will happily attack the flower garden. Water the plantings well, this is necessary not only to moisten the soil, but also so that no air cavities remain around the roots. If the weather is too sunny, shade the plants in the early days.

When planting, keep in mind that this flower can move, and next year it will be a few centimeters from where you placed it. If, at the same time, the fans of the leaves are directed in different directions, the flower garden will look disorderly and unkempt. Place the bundles in one direction, it is better that they are turned along the row, and the flowerbed will immediately take on a decorated look.

Caring for young plantings will not cause much trouble. If you have prepared the ground correctly, the flowers will not need feeding at first.Abundant watering will be needed for plants only when the buds begin to set, moisten before that when the topsoil becomes completely dry. Weeding will take most of the time: the root system is located at a shallow depth, and rough tools can damage it. Remove weeds by hand with a small hoe. To prevent diseases, spray the bushes with Bordeaux liquid, and treat pests with karbofos.

Output

Irises will take root well and give abundant flowering if you take into account the peculiarities of each species when planting. Some can grow in moist soil, while others need soil without stagnant water. There is a general requirement for all varieties of these plants: they all love the sun, and do not bloom well in shaded areas.

It is very difficult to weed a flower bed, with a hoe you will damage the roots of bearded irises, which are located on the surface. To make it easier for yourself, sift the soil in the flower garden or spill it with herbicides. After the introduction of chemical compounds, the rhizomes can be planted only after a month. Many species do not tolerate waterlogged soil, it is advisable to arrange a flower garden on an embankment, you can also make good drainage or add a hydrogel to the ground. Do not be afraid that caring for irises will take you a lot of time, if you plant the rhizomes correctly, the flowers will not require much trouble from you.