Many flower growers prefer to grow irises on their flower beds. And this is not surprising, because they symbolize joy. According to legend, when Prometheus gave people fire, nature itself rejoiced, even a rainbow appeared in the sky. She could be seen all day, and in the morning, when people woke up, irises were found in her place. Now these flowers can decorate any site. To do this, you only need to know how to plant and care for irises.
Irises: planting and care in the open ground
How, when and where to plant irises? This is one of the most interesting topics for avid summer residents who are used to seeing their site beautiful and well-groomed. After planting, these plants do not like cold, therefore young seedlings should have time to get stronger before frost. They are fatally affected by a temperature of -10 ° C and below.
Irises
During planting, the following factors must also be considered:
- Plants are best planted in the morning.
- On the street should be warm days.
- Be sure to exclude drafts and wind.
High varieties of irises are planted at a distance of about 70 cm, and dwarf ones are at least 30 cm.
Since bearded irises do not like stagnation of water, they must be placed in drained soil. If this is not possible, flowers are planted on small elevations, from which water flows well. The place should be well-lit, in the shade of the plants bloom poorly. However, it is allowed that in the afternoon the flowers were in partial shade.
Important! Before planting, you must well weed the soil and clear the area of weeds.
Some gardeners also sift through small cells. You can simply use the Lontrel or Lintura herbicides that successfully kill the weeds. After using them, it remains only to collect the roots of weeds.
Lontrel Processing
Not less than 3 weeks to prepare the soil. Although the flowers of the iris are picky, but if we are talking about exquisite species of plants, then it is better to prepare the soil yourself. Nourishing soil will give plants the opportunity to bloom magnificently.
To prepare useful soil you will need:
- compost;
- garden land;
- phosphorus-potash fertilizers;
- wood ash or dolomite flour, which is used to deoxidize the soil.
If the soil is clay, sand needs to be added to it and vice versa, if it is sandy, then clay is added to it. In order to disinfect, the soil must be treated with Baikal or Fitosporin-M.
Planting irises in the summer
Summer is an ideal period for plant transplantation, since during this period new rhizome processes only begin to grow, and their active growth will begin approximately 2 weeks after transplantation.
By the time the flower bud appears, the roosters have time to take root.
Planting irises in the fall
In autumn, specimens are well propagated, in which the bud is already laid and its length has reached 6 cm and diameter is 3 cm. At this point, the iris should have a well-formed root system and if long rains do not begin, then by the next year the plant will get stronger and give excellent flowers .
Important! It is necessary to plant males in the fall no later than in the last days of September.
Planting irises in spring
Spring planting of irises begins in late March and lasts until May, inclusive. It all depends on climatic conditions.
Before planting, you need to inspect the rhizome well. It is necessary to cut out damaged and rotten places, as well as to disinfect the roots in a solution of potassium permanganate and treat them with a growth stimulator, for example, Ecogel or Zircon are suitable.
If the sprouts are purchased on the market, then they need to be kept for some time in a disinfectant, because who knows in what conditions they were stored.
Planting onion irises
Bulbous species must be planted at the end of summer or at the beginning of September, so that before the first frosts they manage to take root and strengthen. In the southern regions, landing can be carried out in October.
Bulb planting
If there was a need to plant bulbs in the spring, you need to simulate a cooling, then this year you will be able to enjoy the flowers that have appeared. To do this, the bulbs in a container or in a pot are placed on the balcony or in the refrigerator. It is only necessary to make sure that the shoots are directed straight up. Seedlings are planted in the ground in April or May.
Step-by-step landing process
To grow plants from the bulb, you need to familiarize yourself with the information on planting irises and caring for them. To do this, adhere to the following recommendations:
- You need to choose the right place for landing.
- Prepare the soil and knock out the holes.
- The depth of the landing pit should not exceed 8 cm. The same distance is maintained between the bulbs.
- Planting material is laid out on the bottom of the pit and pressed a little, and then sprinkled with soil.
- After planting, the plants are watered.
- At the last stage, the soil is mulched with peat.
Growing irises from seeds
It is possible to grow males from seeds both in September and in March. However, if the frosts are too late, then before they occur, the sprouts have time to appear, and they simply freeze.
It is best to deal with seeds in February. To do this, they are wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in a container with a lid under the freezer. There, seeds are stored for 30 days at a temperature of about 3 ° C.
Important! In March, the container is filled with earth and the planted seeds are placed in a warm place. When sprouts appear, they are provided with additional lighting.
How to care for irises in the garden
Males belong to picky plants. Therefore, caring for them is very simple.
Leaf pruning
The main thing is to periodically pluck weeds. This must be done manually, since in roosters the root system is close to the surface and can be damaged. Despite this, you still have to occasionally gently loosen the soil - this is necessary for better air circulation.
Dry flowers that have fallen to the ground should be periodically collected, since they attract pests. You should also ensure proper watering, top dressing and treat the plants with pest and disease remedies.
Attention! If it is not planned to plant the cockerels, then after flowering they need to be cut, leaving leaves 2.5 cm long.
Watering mode
Until the buds form and bloom in the flowers, they need to be watered twice a week. Further throughout the summer, the soil is watered only with complete drying out, if we are not talking about the Siberian and bog species. These plants love moisture.
Important! It is necessary to choose a planting site taking into account that groundwater does not come close to the root system of the plant. Irises do not tolerate them.
After the flowering period ends, irises should temporarily stay in dry soil.
How to feed irises in spring for lush flowering in the garden
The first spring fertilizing with nitrogen is carried out when the snow has completely melted and the earth has dried out. This happens depending on climatic conditions, from the end of February to the middle of April.
The second feeding is carried out when the irises begin to grow buds. During this period, they need phosphorus-potassium fertilizing. Both of these nutrients are found in Agrofoska.
Phosphorus is also found in bone meal products. However, such a substance is difficult to absorb from the surface, so you need to make small grooves around the irises and fill them with this fertilizer.
Attention! If we are talking about acidic soil, then superphosphate can only strengthen it, therefore, for such soil it is better to use phosphorite flour.
Feeding with potassium is carried out using fertilizers such as sylvinite, furnace ash and potassium sulfate.
Potassium sulfate and sylvinite are added to the soil with the calculation of one and a half tablespoons per 1 m². Ashes are scattered around the plant in the amount of 3 tablespoons per bush.
During flowering, males need fertilizer with potassium and phosphorus. Feeding is necessary only in liquid form, otherwise the roots may suffer from burns.
Fertilizers
Winter preparations
In order for the flowers to tolerate winter well, they must be properly looked after from the moment of planting:
- Plants are planted on a hill so that in winter there is no stagnant water near them.
- After the flowering period ends, the bulbs should be in dry soil and dry well.
- It is only necessary to dig them out when all the leaves of the plant have dried. Bulbs are placed in a cardboard box, each wrapped separately in a cloth, and sprinkled with peat. The box is put on the balcony, or in another cool place.
- You can leave the bulbs for the winter and in the ground, but at the same time they must be covered with dry leaves, which will protect from frost.
When to transplant irises after flowering
When can irises be propagated after flowering? This question is of interest to many gardeners. As soon as the roosters fade and young links form on their roots, but the buds do not yet appear, they are ready for transplantation. Annual shoots can be transplanted when they reach 3 cm. With young roots, you need to be as careful as possible, because they are very fragile.
Attention! If you miss this moment, you will have to wait until the end of August or until the beginning of September.
How to plant irises correctly
When planting irises is already known, now you need to get acquainted with the basic rules of reproduction:
- You need to share the bush with the help of a pitchfork. After it is dug up, the remnants of the earth are removed from the roots.
- Dry leaves are eliminated, and the roots are cut off, leaving about 10 cm. The leaves are also cut. Only 15 cm should remain.
- The mother bush is divided into parts, and a weak layer is dipped into a solution of potassium permanganate.
- The cut is treated with activated carbon with the addition of sulfur.
- After the roots dry out a little in the sun, they are treated with a growth stimulant.
- Then the processes are planted in the ground in the usual way.
Iris disease
Most often, males are susceptible to:
- Bacterial rot. The causative agents of this disease winter in the soil or on plant debris. Bacterial rot appears when snow melts, or after flowering. The cause of the appearance is an excess of nitrogen in the soil, as well as dense planting and dampness. First, the base of the leaves becomes soft, and then the entire leaf turns yellow and dries. In the second stage, bacterial rot affects the entire fan and penetrates the root. There is a very unpleasant odor. Many flower growers prefer to destroy the plant than to start a long and not always successful treatment. However, there are cases when the antibiotic Doxycycline was applied to problem areas and the plant came to life.
Bacterial rot
- Fusarium Its cause is too much humidity. First, gray spots appear on the leaves, then rhizome rots and dries. To avoid infection, you must follow the rules for the care of males and avoid mechanical damage. The affected plant is eliminated, and the place where it grew is treated with copper chloride. For other plants, Vitaros or Topsin-M is used.
- Leaf spotting. Dense plantings, high humidity and a lack of phosphorus lead to this disease. The disease mainly manifests itself in the second half of June and until the end of July. In the fight against leaf spotting, drugs such as Strobi or Ordan are used.
Why irises do not bloom
If irises are improperly looked after, they may not bloom. So why not blooming irises? There are several reasons for this. The main ones include:
- Wrong landing.
- Lack of space. After 5 years, the plants grow so much that they must be planted.
- Lack of light - in this case, an iris transplant becomes a necessity.
- Lack of treatment from pests.
- Bad soil that is not at all suitable for these species.
- Non-observance of wintering rules.
Attention! Now that everything is known, about the transplantation of irises in the summer to another place, as well as about the features of their care and cultivation, it remains only to acquire the processes of these excellent plants and enjoy their flowering in their country house.