Planting Bearded Irises : thegardenerplanet.blogspot.com

 

Planting Bearded Irises

Some perennials provide beautiful flowers, while others require little care. Few, however, exhibit both of these characteristics to the same extent as bearded irises. Bearded irises offer a lavish floral show, evergreen structural foliage, and low maintenance in an easy-to-plant and grow package. They're a great long-term investment for north Texas gardeners, with hues and sizes to suit every taste. Our specialized collection of bearded irises arrived in August, just in time: here's how to make the most of them in your garden.

What are bearded irises?

Bearded irises reproduce through rhizomes, which are fleshy, root-like modified stems from which the leaves and roots arise. The rhizomes will come dry, but don't worry: they're designed to resist this temporary desiccation and will sprout new growth shortly after planting. To begin, soak your rhizomes briefly in plain water or a dilute solution of water and organic root stimulator. While not completely necessary, it does provide them an added boost.

Some rhizomes will have desiccated roots, while others will have few. If you are transplanting recently excavated divisions from a clump of bearded irises, your rhizome pieces will have new roots attached, which you should leave in situ.


Bearded irises take little maintenance, although they do need good drainage; planting the rhizomes too deeply or in heavy, damp soil will most certainly cause rot. Expanded shale is a wonderful amendment for our area's thick clay soils, breaking up the soil and improving aeration and drainage. Furthermore, adding organic compost will enrich the soil while enhancing its structure.

When placing your rhizome, carefully disperse the roots throughout the planting space. To avoid transplant shock, the existing foliage on actively growing divisions has been trimmed back into a 'fan' form.

Plant rhizomes only deep enough to maintain them at the soil's surface; when finished, the top of the rhizome should be slightly visible. After planting, you may want to anchor the rhizome with a sod staple to keep it upright until the roots begin to grow.

How will bearded irises bloom?

During and after bloom, remove spent blooms from the stalks as new flowers appear, and remove the spent bloom stalk when flowering is finished. This keeps the plants clean and directs developing resources to the foliage and rhizomes.

Bearded iris clumps are often divided every three to four years, depending on the variety's vigor and clump thickness. Crowded rhizomes generate fewer blooms over time, so digging and splitting them on a regular basis will improve the floral show. Bearded irises are truly powerhouse perennials, with spectacular flowers and gorgeous, gray-green sword-like foliage that makes them stand out in any landscape.