Iris (Iris), or iris, is a very numerous genus of plants, including several hundred species. Among them, we can find excellent plants for planting the shores of ponds, for garden beds, and for rock gardens. Some irises are also popular as cut flowers. See what it is like to grow irises in your garden, when is the best time to plant irises, and learn about their best garden varieties.
Iris, iris
Iris, iris - cultivation in the garden
Wonderful, colorfuliris flowerscan be enjoyed from the beginning of spring to mid-summer.Iris flowers, named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow, combine a beautiful architectural form with the richness and subtlety of colors in a unique way. Irises are a very diverse group of plants, differing not only in appearance but also in growing requirements. Nevertheless, there are some cultivation rules that work well with most of ourgarden irises
First of all,the iris cultivation siteshould be warm and sunny to slightly shaded.
Note!Irises grow much better in the sun, the flowers are more beautifully colored and the rhizomes are he althier. However, it is worth knowing that in full sun the flowering of iris may be a bit shorter, and in light shade, we will admire their flowers for a much longer time.
The cultivation of irisesis successful in an average garden soil, preferably quite permeable, with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (soil pH from about 6 to 7.0). These plants definitely hate full shade and excess moisture.
There are, however, significant differences regarding soil requirements. And so, for example, somerhizome irises , such as Siberian iris (Iris sibirica) or yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus) require much more fertile and moist soils, which allows them to be cultivated at the edge of a pond.
Forfertilizing irisescompost and biohumus are safe, but avoid manure and nitrogen-rich mineral fertilizers. Too high doses of nitrogen favor the development of fungal diseases of irises.
In the cultivation of irisesin garden beds it is very important to remove weeds and weeding very gently so as not to damage the delicate and shallow rhizomes of these plants. Therefore, we only remove the weeds by hand, avoiding sharp tools and loosening the soil.
Planting of onion irisesis done from the end of summer to October (September to October), so it is identical to other onion flowers planted in autumn.On the other hand,rhizomes are planteda bit earlier - from mid to late summer (mid August to mid September). Before the onset of winter, the rhizomes of irises are protected against frost by spreading a thin layer of mulch. Dry leaves, chopped straw, conifer twigs or garden bark can be used as mulch material. In spring, we remove the mulch so that the sun's rays warm the soil better.
Iris, bearded iris
Irises, irises - species and varieties
Due to the variety of irises, their systematics is very complex. For our amateur needs, we can adopt the following division:
- rhizome iris(they have fleshy underground shoots, called rhizomes):
- beard irises(their characteristic feature is the presence of a dense brush of hairs on the lower petal),
- beardless irises(they have no goatee or combs on the lower petals),
- onion moths :
- veined iris (low, ideal for rock gardens),
- swordfish (easy to grow, but some of them may not survive winter, often grown in greenhouses for cut flower)
Individual groups of irises differ in appearance and requirements. If you wanted to cover all genres thoroughly, you could write a whole book about them. Therefore, below I will present only the most popular irises, the most common in our gardens and recommended for cultivation in Poland.
Iris, Siberian iris
Irises, rhizomes
Bearded Iris
Bearded irisesis characterized by a streak of hair, the so-calledchin, along the middle nerve on the lower lobes. The rhizomes should be planted in early spring or at the end of summer (the period of post-flowering rest). The site should be sunny, and the soil permeable, well-drained, neutral or slightly acidic. When the soil is too compact, loamy, it should be loosened by adding sand and peat. Excess water causes rhizomes to rot. Therefore, the rhizomes should be planted in raised beds or on slightly sloping ground for better water drainage.
Rhizomes are planted shallow so that the ridge of the rhizome is level with the ground. The top of the growth of the rhizome should be facing the sun.In winter, protect the rhizomes from frost by covering them with any mulch material.
Siberian iris (Iris sibirica)
Siberian irisis a representative of rhizomatous and beardless iris. Unlike beardless irises, beardless irises do not have the characteristic beards or combs on their lower petals.Their rhizomes are also a bit slender and they grow buried in the ground, not on its surface.
Siberian scythesrequire sunny positions and moist (but not wet!) Soils with a neutral or acidic pH. Rhizomes are planted in late summer or fall, 2.5 cm deep.
One of the most interestingvarieties of Siberian irisis 'Perrys Blue' (Iris sibirica 'Perrys Blue'). This variety blooms profusely, producing blue spring flowers (blooms from May to June). The plant is fully frost-resistant. It can be planted in flower beds. It looks great next to a pond.
Yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus)
It occurs commonly in Poland, near the shores of freshwater and on wet meadows. It is frost-resistant. Large, dark green, stiff sword-shaped leaves. Gorgeous yellow flowers emerge in late spring. It grows luxuriantly and is perfect for planting the shores of ponds.Rhizomes are planted in early spring or late summer in water at a depth of about 30 cm. Especially attractive is the variety 'Variegata' with leaves with green and cream stripes.
Iris, Dutch iris
Irises, onion irises
Onion irisesare grouped into 4 separate types: iris (Iridodictyum), juno (Juno), swordfish (Xiphium) and Gynandiris. I will focus here on the most popular ones - iris and swordfish.
Iris / veined iris (Iridodictyum reticulata)
These are low (15 cm high) irises that bloom very early. Their blue, purple or purple flowers appear at the end of winter. They are perfect for rock gardens, borders and for establishing an early spring garden in a container. They require sunny and quiet positions. The soil should be well-drained and warm quickly.We plant the bulbs at a depth of 5 to 6 cm.
Irys / Dutch swordfish (Xiphium hollandicum)
They are one of the easiest iris to cultivate, although they can freeze in winter (therefore, in winter, the onion leaves should be covered with mulch material). They are perfect for flower beds and for driving at any time of the year for cut flowers. They are distinguished by large flowers of blue, yellow, white and purple color. They bloom in June. They grow up to 40 and 60 cm in height.
They require sunny and sheltered positions. The soil should be fertile, humus and well-drained. It should heat up quickly in spring. We plant the onions bought in the spring in a garden shop from April to May at a depth of 10 to 12 cm. You can reproduce by separating the incoming bulbs after flowering, when the plants are dormant (July).
Irises for the pond
Irises are often recommended for planting a pond It is not surprising, because they look perfect on the water. You should know, however, that not every iris will work in such a position.
Asan iris for a pondis best suited, the above-mentioned yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), which it is often referred to simply aswater irisThis plant grows excellently on water shores and in wetlands. Therefore, we do not have to worry that at the edge of the pond, it will be too wet for this iris. It can even be planted directly in the ponds or garden ponds, at a depth of no more than 40 cm, ie the coastal zone.
The original appearance of the water irisblends perfectly into the water landscape. This is evidenced by the Latin name pseudacorus, which comes from the Greek and means "false calamus". It was given due to the similarity of leaves and rhizomes of both plants.
