Iris is the Greek word for rainbow and is apt for a plant that comes in nearly every colour imaginable. Bearded iris are low maintenance plants that are found in temperate zone gardens around the world.
Irises are usually identified by three upright flower petals, standards, and three downward curved petals, known as falls.
There are three groups of iris, Bearded, Beardless and Aril. Fuzzy, caterpillar-like segments tucked into the falls is called the beard and is what identifies a Bearded Iris from any of the beardless varieties.
Bearded Irises have stiff spear-like green leaves that grow in a fan pattern from rhizomes that spread rapidly into large clumps.
The Bearded Iris group contains the largest number of varieties and come in so many sizes that they have been classified into types according to their height.
The Canadian Iris Society lists these types as:
Aside from being a low maintenance plant of statuesque beauty, Bearded Irises can be found in so many gardens because they can withstand quite cold winters and yet do not rely on cold weather to bloom.
Some beardless varieties are actually bog plants and must be in consistently moist soil to thrive. Bearded Iris rhizomes, however, will become diseased and rot in too wet conditions, although the plants are extremely drought tolerant.
Bearded Iris prefer to grow in a spot with well-drained soil that gets 6-7 hours of sunlight every day. If the plants don’t receive enough sun, they will fail to bloom.
When planting Bearded Iris rhizomes, dig the ground deeply to ensure adequate drainage; adding compost and peat to the planting site will help to keep the soil loose and well-drained.
Unlike most flowering plants, the iris rhizome must not be completely buried. The rhizomes need to be at least one-third to one-half of their depth out of the soil. Some gardeners place the rootless rhizome on the soil surface and press it into the soil.
Others recommend digging a very shallow spot for the rhizome and burying it with only a light covering of soil. Watering well after planting will then wash the soil off of the root backs and anchor it into the ground.
If the rhizome comes with roots attached, dig a ‚”moat” around an island of soil just big enough to hold the rhizome. Balance the rhizome on this island and arrange the roots in the moat. Cover the roots with soil, hill more soil around the rhizome and water well to ensure the roots are in contact with the soil.
After blooming, cut flowering stalks back to the rhizome taking care not to damage the rhizome itself. Leave the iris leaves to collect as much sunlight as possible for next year’s bloom, cutting away only dead or yellowing leaves.
In late autumn, the leaves may be cut back to about eight inches in height and remove any dead leaves or debris from the surface of the rhizomes. It’s important that the rhizomes remain uncovered and dry. In places where winters can be severe, a mulch of branches or straw will protect the rhizomes from freeze-thaw cycles.
The Canadian Iris Society recommends that Bearded Irises be divided every three to four years. Mid July until the end of August is the best time to divide the clumps of rhizomes.
Dig the entire clump from the ground and wash away any soil clinging to the roots. Cut the rhizomes into pieces each with a fan of leaves and some roots attached. Discard any rhizomes that are soft or damaged and cut the leaves back to six inches high.
Allow the rhizomes to dry for at least eight to ten hours and as long as three days in a dry place out of direct sunlight. This allows the cut area of the rhizome to scab over and be protected from soil-borne diseases.
Replant the rhizomes as described above, arranged them in groups of three or five, eight to twelve inches apart, so the inside of the leaf fans face the centre of the grouping.
Plant Bearded Iris with other flowering plants that share the same drought tolerance such as, oriental lilies, daylillies, gladiolus, hydrangeas or sedum.
Source:
Canadian Iris Society
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