Irises are very popular among gardeners around the world. In the natural environment, they grow in most of the Northern Hemisphere. Flowers are grown from the subtropics to the Arctic Circle. A special position among the entire species diversity is occupied by bearded irises.

Botanical Description

Daisies or roosters, very common and popular among gardeners, are representatives of the Iris family. The name of the species is due to processes with setae located on the petals. The popularity of the flower, in many respects, is due to its flowering period - in the summer, when spring plants have already bloomed, and autumn ones have not yet blossomed. Besides, males have a rich palette of colors.

Depending on the size of the plant, bearded irises are divided into such subspecies:

• dwarf (40 cm);
• mini dwarf;
• medium size (40–70 cm);
• small flowered;
• middle binder;
• high (above 70 cm).

Rhizome is located close to the surface of the earth, in some cases comes out of it. The plant can be propagated quite easily, you just need to take part of the root and transplant to the right place. The stems of iris can be single or bundled. Leaves have a flat shape, most of them are grouped at the root neck.

Flowers are single or growing inflorescences. Perianth is not divided into a corolla and a cup. Males visually look like orchids. An iris bud of any kind consists of three petals growing straight up, and three more directed down.

In the central part of Russia, flowering of bearded irises usually takes place from late spring to July. This culture is unpretentious to the quality of the soil, but it reacts extremely poorly to its increased humidity. In addition, the flowers tolerate winter frosts that are characteristic of the middle strip and the north-west of our country.

Landing rules

On how competently and correctly you plant males on your site, their further growth, appearance and ability to further reproduce depends. Irises can in no way be called moody plants, but they require some care and participation.

Compliance with some simple rules and recommendations will help you to plant flowers without any problems, and almost guaranteed to grow them healthy and beautiful.

Did you know? Of particular relevance to irises in the United States: a purple plant is considered the state symbol of Tennessee. In a new light you can see wild cockerels of all shades of blue, where they are called the “blue flag of America».

Soil preparation

The ideal soil for planting males is a substrate with neutral acidity and good moisture permeability. On soil with pH 5.5, the males grow only green mass, the buds remain weak and often do not reach the abundance of color and size to those that grow on a neutral or slightly alkaline substrate.

On heavy clay soil, excess moisture will stagnate, and this culture does not tolerate it.

However, flower growers know the secrets of growing killer whales on a substrate of any type:

• if the soil does not allow moisture to pass through well, river sand (1-2 buckets / 1 m²) is added during digging.
• peat is added to heavy clay soil;
• lime, chalk, dolomite flour or cement dust are added to soil with pH 5.0.

Landing time

The most favorable time for rhizome transplantation is August, the time when the killer whales will bloom. Plants begin to prepare for wintering, accumulating vitamins and necessary minerals in the roots for this. In the southern regions, you can plant flowers in the spring.

In principle, bearded irises have such an unpretentious disposition that they can be transplanted throughout the entire growing season. But the flowers planted in late summer and early autumn have the strongest immunity, the best survival rate and the highest percentage of germination.

Landing place

Place for breeding males, you should choose a well-lit sunlight and protected from drafts. The plant normally takes root on any soil, but it feels better on loam - often this is expressed in a rich and lush color.

An excellent option is a plot with a slight slope in the south or southeast direction, protected from drafts. When preparing it, you should also take care of the drainage.

Plant care

Males, despite the fact that they normally grow on almost any soil, still require regular, although not too complicated, care. Among the most important measures necessary for the normal growth and development of flowers, one can distinguish dressing, weeding, watering, cutting greenery after flowering and preparing for winter.

Did you know? Siberian iris treat scurvy, yellow plants are used as anti-dandruff preparations based on white cockerels help with lung diseases. In addition, the roots of the plant are used to treat syphilis, dermatological diseases and gastrointestinal organs.

Watering frequency

Rabbits collect moisture and all the useful elements they need in their own rhizome. This plant organ performs approximately the same function as a camel hump - it stores nutrients.

Flowers use this reservoir when the supply from outside of these nutrition components has, for some reason, sharply decreased or even stopped, for example, during drought. That is why bearded irises do not need frequent watering, they have enough moisture, even in the dry season.

When planting males, remember that they need irrigation only during a period of very severe drought, or when transplanting a shoot with a weak root.

The root system of the iris first spreads directly below the surface of the soil, and only after having grown and having reached a certain degree of branching, it begins to go deep. It is because of the surface location of the root, Loosen the soil with extreme care so as not to damage it.

The root system actively grows in the first two years of life, branches abundantly and is overgrown with thin hairs. In the third season, the active phase of growth ceases, and this organ switches only to nutritional functions - it draws moisture and necessary substances from the substrate.

Top dressing

As for feeding males, opinions on this issue differ. One part of amateur gardeners believes that the plant does not need additional fertilizers at all. Their opponents take the opposite position, arguing that the cockerels require a rather impressive assortment of food.

First of all, it should be understood that if it is worthwhile to apply fertilizer when growing irises, then only on scarce soils. About which ones are best suited for a particular type of soil, we can draw conclusions after soil analysis. One of the most important characteristics of garden soil is its acidity level.. However, there are some general rules that should be followed in any case, fertilizing the flower garden with irises.

Important! Irises react very poorly to an excess of nitrogen, fertilizers containing this mineral should be used to a minimum. Fresh mullein or incompletely decomposed compost is generally contraindicated for these flowers.

Top dressing is performed three times per season, according to this scheme:

• in spring, nitrate fertilizers are applied (potassium, sodium, or calcium nitrate). They contribute to a better growth of flowers, a set of green mass. It was recommended that they be submitted no later than the first decade of April, the norm - 1 tbsp. l. dissolved in 10 l of water per 1 m². For spring top dressing, the Kemira Universal wagon has proven itself, it is used according to the instructions;
• summer top dressing is performed at the very beginning of the formation of bud ovaries. A good option is this composition: 1.5 tbsp. l ammonium sulfate and the same amount of potassium chloride per 1 m²;
• two weeks after the irises bloom, they are fed superphosphate (3 tbsp. l / 1 m²).

Chemicals are applied either with irrigation, well dissolved, or on moist soil, in any case, followed by loosening.

When and how to transplant

Every year, on the sides of old shoots that have already faded, new rhizomes appear - the flower occupies the territory, growing in breadth. Only the outer shoots are actively developing and blooming, while the inner ones dry and die. These dead rhizomes and stems, interwoven, go to the surface of the earth and form in the core itself a not-so-pleasant sight.

When you see in the center of the bush a ball of interwoven remnants of dry roots and shoots, be aware that this is a signal that it is time to plant the flowers. Typically, this phase of iris growth occurs in the fourth to fifth season of plant life.

If for some reason you can’t transplant them in the current season, it does not matter, the event can be delayed by removing the neoplasm in the core of the plant. To do this, just break out all the dry stems, roots and shoots located in the center of the bush.

Dwarf varieties of killer whales can grow in one place for ten years. High grades require transplantation already in the third, maximum, fifth season. More precise dates depend on the particular variety and growing conditions.

But to draw conclusions and decide on the need for transplantation should be based on the appearance of the flowers. If you notice that they have become weaker than in previous seasons, they do not bloom as abundantly as before, you know - it's time to transplant the plants.

In the garden, you should choose a platform open for sun rays, suitable for growing irises (the choice of the "right" site was mentioned above). Males should be planted in a place where flowers of the same species or their immediate relatives did not grow before.

The soil should not be depleted by the same plants, or contaminated with inherent diseases of the species. In the event that the flowers are again planted in the same place, the substrate must be replaced.

Make it easy:

1. In the place of the flower garden where the males grew, remove the top layer of soil with a thickness of 15–20 cm.
2. Mix peat, river sand and humus in equal parts.
3. Fill the bottom of the pit with a drainage layer (expanded clay, river pebbles, crushed brick or tile) 5–7 cm thick. Lay the prepared soil mixture from above and pour 2% potassium permanganate solution. If the soil is clay, remove the pillow 30 cm thick, lay a drainage layer (5–7 cm) on the bottom, and 15–20 cm sand on top.

After the irises have faded, the plant will direct all its forces to root growth and the supply of nutrients for the winter. About 20-22 days after flowering, you can divide the bush.

Important! In the middle lane, the transplantation of males is recommended to be completed before the end of summer so that they have time to take root in a new place and not freeze with the onset of frost. In the southern regions, this operation is also performed in September.

In order to divide the rhizome, prepare a solution of potassium permanganate (2%), or iron sulfate (5%). In this tool, it is necessary to disinfect the garden tool (knife, pruner, etc.) after each use.

Slices on the rhizomes also need to be treated with the indicated solution, or with fungicides such as Bravo, Topaz, Abiga-Peak, Previkur, etc., but it is better to use simple wood ash for disinfection of rhizomes. It is enough to sprinkle with powder the place of cut. The procedure itself is quite simple, and consists of two stages: dividing the root and directly transplanting.

Iris is planted in a new place this way:

1. Dig up the plant to be transplanted with a shovel. You can gently pull it out with your hands, but in this case there is a risk that a part of the root will remain in the ground.
2. With a sharp knife, separate one or more parts of the rhizome so that roots and at least one rosette remain on each part of the division (the place from which the flower will grow). If you did everything right, such a part of the plant must definitely give birth to a new flower.
3. Remove dirt from the dividers and check their quality with a simple palpation: The surface must be solid. If a soft spot is felt when pressed with a finger, it is cut out - twisted with the tip of a knife, like a potato eye, or scratched to a healthy tissue.
4. Place chopped rhizomes for 15–20 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate (1-2%), then roll in ash, and leave to dry for 2-3 days.
5. After two to three days of drying, you can begin to plant the dividers in a new place. To do this, on a pillow of sand or fertile soil, put the rhizomes and sprinkle them with the soil that you prepared. This should be done in such a way that the planting material is barely sprinkled with a layer of earth, it is not necessary to dig it deep.

The recommended distance on the beds between dwarf irises is 15–20 cm, between adjacent plants of medium height - 20–30 cm. When planting varieties with high flowers, a distance of at least half a meter should be maintained.

When to Cut Leaves

Toward the end of August, the dying of old dry greenery begins. In various varieties, this phase does not occur at one time, and passes with some differences. During this period, you need to remove the external dry foliage, and the one inside - cut off 30-50% of the length.

Thanks to such a simple operation, the males will not only look better (the greens will become brighter, the color will be more abundant) next season, but the risk of developing diseases caused by dead foliage is noticeably reduced.

Shelter for the winter

Dwarf varieties, as well as medium-sized iris, do not need winter shelter. But large irises, whose height reaches 60–70 cm or more, must be prepared for winter frosts. The best shelter will be dry oak foliage. The advantage of oak is that rodents do not start in it.

To build a high-quality shelter is quite simple:

1. Prepared for winter plants (external dry leaves and core removed, internal pruned, replanted, if necessary, completed) to fill with dry oak foliage.
2. Lay a pine or spruce spruce on top, cover the structure with a garden film like lutrasil.

Such a shelter will not let your tall irises freeze, and they can safely survive any frosts.

Did you know? There is a rather interesting method of warming iris plantings: they are simply sown with winter cereal crops (rye, barley), and weeded in the spring. Cereals, letting down roots form a sod layer, which reduces the conductivity of heat by the soil and prevents the roots of irises from freezing.

Currently, botanists and flower growers are aware of about 800 species and more than 50 thousand varieties of cockerels. Despite such a wide variety of this genus, many gardeners opt for bearded irises. There are several reasons for this - their unpretentiousness, ease of breeding, and of course, beauty and an incomparable palette of colors.

Watch the video: Planting Iris (November 2024).