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After admiring them for years, I’ve started adding irises to my garden. They didn’t look like much the first year or two as they settled in, and I wondered how long I would have to be patient with them. But this spring, some of them began blooming in earnest, and I realized I wanted to grow more and more of these wonderful flowers!
Bearded Irises are tough plants and easy to grow, for all their beauty. I’ve asked many expert growers for advice, and I’ve learned there is no “one true way” to grow irises. But one truism emerged about their culture: Bearded Iris rhizomes hate to be wet! Plant them shallowly, keep them relatively dry, and they’ll thrive.
A great way to find planting tips for your area is to contact a local chapter of the American Iris Society. Local chapters often hold rhizome sales, a great way to pick and choose new irises. Some iris cultivars simply do better than others in a given area. Local growers can tell you which ones increase quickly or re-bloom well for them.
TB Iris 'Red Zinger' from DGer "JoanJ"
Take advantage of the late season iris sales! Check the DG Classifieds, and go to Garden Watchdog to search the "Plants: Iris" categories for a list of retailers. Irises need 4 to 6 weeks to start growing before first frost, so time your purchases accordingly. July and August are generally good months to divide iris, if you know somebody with extras to share.
These step by step instructions are for planting Bearded Irises of all sizes, from Tall Bearded Iris (TB) to Miniature Iris. Other kinds of irises have different culture requirements. See the resource "sticky" thread on the Iris Forum for more information.
1. Choose which rhizomes to plant. A rhizome will only bloom once in its life. Its energy then goes into producing daughter rhizomes that bloom in their turn. Larger rhizomes can be cut away from the mother rhizome and planted on their own. They will bloom in a year or two. Planting a mother rhizome with nubs and little rhizomes attached will give you a blooming clump in a few years.
2. Disinfect new rhizomes. This will help prevent rot and kill any iris borers. Add 1 cup household bleach to 1 gallon of water. Soak rhizomes for 10 minutes, rinse well, and lay out to dry. It's OK to wait days or even weeks before planting, but sooner is better. Some people trim old roots; others use them to anchor the rhizome in its new spot.
First bloom on TB 'Loudon Charmer' from my local AIS chapter
3. Pick a location. Irises prefer dry conditions and need excellent drainage. Full sun is best, although many older and heirloom varieties will still bloom well in partial shade. Some people have dedicated iris beds; others mix irises with other plants that don't need or want a lot of water. As long as the iris is in a sunny spot where its rhizome can stay dry, all will be well.
4. Prepare the soil. Bearded irises will grow in sandy or clay soils but not in soggy soil. For better drainage, plant in hills or raised beds and add amendments like compost and sand. Some people recommendstarting bearded irises in pots; others pooh-pooh this as an unnecessary extra step. But if you're still digging their bed when your new irises arrive, then potting them might be the best way to go.
5. Consider placement. Irises should be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart. Planting so all rhizomes run in the same general direction looks better and helps to keep clumps spaced out as they increase. When I have several rhizomes of the same cultivar, I like to plant them as a clump. For a natural look, let them angle away from one another a little, as though they grew from the same imaginary mother rhizome.
6. Plant the rhizome. Do not bury the rhizome! It may look like a tap root, but if you plant it deeply, the iris will die. Some people plant irises with the rhizome just barely covered with soil; others swear as much as half of the rhizome should be showing above the ground. Some people plant at ground level; others raise up mounds of dirt and plant irises in hills, like cucumbers. Some people mulch in between clumps or hills of iris; others leave bare dirt in their iris beds but put down a pre-emergent herbicide such as Preen. Any of these options work just fine.
Purple TB iris from DGer "nminmd" blooming 1 year from planting
7. Water in the new iris. Continue to water two or three times a week until you see new growth, and then let the rain do your watering. A few time release fertilizer pellets can be added when you plant, but many advise against fertilizing new irises. Polymer moisture crystals (such as Soil Moist or Watersorb) can be used sparingly when you plant to soak up any extra water. 8. Avoid winter "heaving." If you’re planting late in the season, a rock on top of the rhizome will help keep the new rhizomes in place during freeze-thaw cycles. Last year, I laid Christmas tree branches across the bed of new irises until early spring. If rhizomes do heave up out of the ground, just push them down again and tamp the soil down around them.
TB Iris 'Indian Chief' and columbines
Plant your bearded iris shallowly, in a sunny spot with good drainage, so the rhizome can dry out quickly after a rainstorm. By keeping some basic planting principles in mind, you will figure out what works best for irises in your garden. Like so many garden topics, there is no "one true way" to grow irises. So pick a way, and give them a try! Whether you plant one rhizome or one hundred, add some iris magic to your garden!
Special thanks to mitchf and avmoran for their input. body { background: #FFF; }
About Jill M. Nicolaus
Better known as "Critter" on DG, Jill gardens in Frederick, MD. This week, I've been cutting lavender, putting up pluots (plum-apricot fruits), and pulling weeds (always, LOL). I love being outside in the cooler morning -- coffee cup in one hand, watering hose in the other -- watching the birds and butterflies among the flowers.(Images in my articles are from my photos, unless otherwise credited.)
Posted by send1214 (from Temple, TX) on September 10, 2007 at 9:23 PM:
Thanks! Came on the day I 'inherited' iris from a master gardener neighbor who passed away.
Now I know how to plant these wonderful gifts.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on September 10, 2007 at 11:31 PM:
What a wonderful way to keep part of their garden -- and their memory -- alive! I hope your irises thrive in their new home. :-)
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Subject: Critter's article on Iris planting
Posted by Cordeledawg (from Cordele, GA) on September 10, 2007 at 8:03 PM:
I've been patiently waiting for this one! Thanks!
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Subject: iris
Posted by JOANNE639679 (from Chico, CA) on September 10, 2007 at 7:56 PM:
I have better luck if I prepare the soil before planting. An inexpensive soil test will tell if you have acid or alkali soils. Most tall beared prefer acid. Aril and Aril breds like lime.
I grow mine near oak trees so do nothing except for the arilbreds. I dug line from the feed store in that bed and they were big, happy and reproduced well.
Good suggestion to join an iris club. I knew iris from carrots when I joined. Members are a wealth of knowledge and very generous with new iris gardeners.
Some, in fact most, of our members use chemical fertilzers. I do not. Can't see alot of difference in the flowers but time will tell. I do see a difference in between well prepared soild and just field run.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on September 10, 2007 at 11:37 PM:
That's a good point about testing your soil! And just because irises will *survive* in poorer soils doesn't mean they don't appreciate some nice amendments... I'm sure your preparations have a lot to do with the way your plants thrive without chemical fertilizers. Even with some amendments in my soil, my irises did better this year after an early spring application of Super Phosphate fertilizer.
LOL at not knowing "iris from carrots"... I know just what you mean! I had no idea there were so many different varieties and types of iris!
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Subject: Great article!!!
Posted by Brightfire (from Peoria, IL) on September 10, 2007 at 3:58 PM:
Fall 2005, my mother gave me 5 Bearded Iris rhizomes, which foolishly I planted 5" apart and by Fall 2006 they had made 75 with the mothers and plantable daughters, so I made them their own big circular bed on the corner. And they have went at it again this year, however no blooms, which we did have a late frost this April. One made a single flower, but it was right at the base with no stalk, although I was delight to see the color, which was a lovely shade of light lilac.
It was a relief here in your article to see that I have done everything right in terms of full sun, drainage and planting depths and that maybe in a season or two, I will have blooms.
I would think they would be called hierloom, as they were given to my mother when, elderly friends known for decades, sold the family farm and the last ten years my mother had them planted in the shade behind her shed, and of course they had never bloomed or multiplied enough to even require dividing. To my memory, they are from at least a 40 year old bed, that had never been divided and was in semi-shade, with only early morning sun, however they did bloom each year. It will be a touching sight to see them bloom for our family.
The only thing that now concerns me is they are spaced a circular foot apart and not the 18 to 24 you recommended...and they are so darn happy in the sun!
Do you think I should without dividing, respace them this year? Or will they be okay for a couple years? I sure would love to see them bloom once before I move them and delay blooming by them having to re-establish--yet again.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on September 10, 2007 at 4:16 PM:
They'll be fine, they'll just need to be divided again sooner than if you'd spaced them further apart. No worries.
I think they'll give you a show next year, but fertilizing them might also help. Low nitrogen fertilizers are generally recommended for bearded irises. I threw some bulb food around my iris bed last fall, and this spring I put down super-phosphate fertilizer. As I recall, some folks have recommended a fertilizer called Bloom Booster in early spring (and another half strength dose after blooming, to encourage reblooming varieties).
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Posted by debnes_dfw_tx (from Fort Worth, TX) on September 10, 2007 at 6:09 PM:
Nice article critter!! I love these Irises.
Debnes
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Subject: Thanks Critter!
Posted by Hyblaean (from Niles, IL) on September 10, 2007 at 8:09 AM:
I am just starting to add iris (i'm so new at it, i don't even know which type :) So this article was perfect for me. Thanks for taking the time to write it!!
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Posted by LouC (from Desoto, TX) on September 10, 2007 at 9:34 AM:
Thanks, Jill. I have a smallish bed where I have iris that I moved from my mother's home.
They are one of the classic pass-along and seem to live forever. Driving down a country lane where homes once stood, you will see the chimney and the iris that survived decades with no care. Very nostalgic plant for me. Your pictures make me want to get serious they are so beautiful.
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on September 10, 2007 at 10:52 AM:
I learned a whole lot in this article and want to say thanks for the clear instructions!
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on September 10, 2007 at 3:03 PM:
Great job Jill! What an encouragement to add Iris ! You make it sound easy and so worth while. Beautifully done.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on September 10, 2007 at 3:39 PM:
Thanks!
Bearded Iris really are easy, I think, as long as you don't try to "pamper" them with too much watering. (They're like African Violets in that way; a little "benign neglect" works wonders... but that's another article!)
As Lou said, I think the old historic varieties are even tougher than the newer hybrids. In fact, if you decide to put in some of the older varieties, I've been advised to give them extra room, because they increase so quickly. I've got older varieties along the back of my bed, mostly blues and purples, and I think they'll turn out to be a wonderful backdrop for the others.
I really want to encourage folks to head over to the Iris Forum here at DG. We have such a friendly and expert groups of iris enthusiasts! And the photo threads are pure "eye candy."
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on September 10, 2007 at 8:26 PM:
(I didn't know they came in such nice reds!)
x, C
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Posted by girlgroupgirl (from Atlanta, GA) on September 10, 2007 at 10:41 PM:
he he, "imaginary mother iris". he he!!!
girlgroupgirl
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on September 10, 2007 at 11:39 PM:
I was going to use a potato in that photo... but all I had on hand was a rock...
;-)
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Posted by Lindawalkabout (from Holden, MO) on June 9, 2008 at 11:41 PM:
Thank you Critter for this artical, comes in much needed timing. I was getting a little nervous about the Iris Co-op we are in and all the Irises coming this summer. Learning more about growing these beautiful flowers. I'm going back and reread your artical on the Iris earlier this year.
I did have some beautiful Iris that have been coming up every year but this year. Not sure what happen, I maybe should dig it out and replant. It could be the mother is out and the daughters will bloom next year or so like what you said in your artical. I will no what to look for now.
I also had one iris bloom that I planted many years ago and it finally bloomed, don't know what happen there either.
Well just a big thank you for all your articals. I learn so much.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on June 9, 2008 at 11:55 PM:
I'm glad it was useful for you! I'm pretty new to irises also, but I've been adding a bunch of them each year lately, and I had a lot of lovely first time bloomers out back this spring! Sometimes it takes a couple of years for irises to settle in and start blooming. Next year, I may have clumps rather than single blooms on some of those varieties.
I jumped right into that co-op also... I think we're getting some nice ones! :-)
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Posted by Lindawalkabout (from Holden, MO) on June 10, 2008 at 12:11 AM:
I think the clumps will look really nice using the imaginary mother iris way of planting. I will do this with my Iris ryes
I'm checking to get permission if I can copy pictures of the co-ops Iris for my DG journal. They will inspire me until I get blooms of my own to take pictures of.
I want to try some of them from seeds, info you shared from your other artical too.
The co-op is great. I am hoping we will get them soon enough before our first frost tho.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on June 10, 2008 at 8:53 AM:
I've never tried irises from seed, but I think it might be similar to growing daylilies... I'm not sure, but I think it might take irises longer to bloom from seed, though. You might check over on the iris forum; I know there are some folks doing hybridizing over there.
I've planted irises closer to frost than I should've, and they've still survived... you just have to shove them back into the ground when they "heave" up during thaws (which they might do anyway but tend to do more if they didn't have time to get well rooted).
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Posted by Lindawalkabout (from Holden, MO) on June 10, 2008 at 9:29 AM:
Oh my I got the Iris mixed up with your daylilies artical, growing them from seeds, gosh I want to do that too, LOL
I'll be putting the Christmas tree branches over the Iris and I have a lot of white pine that I can cut off to for winter protection.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on June 10, 2008 at 9:51 AM:
That really did work well for me... just be sure to pull them up before the wet spring weather arrives.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on June 10, 2008 at 9:51 AM:
... pull up the branches, I mean, not the rhizomes! LOL
5. Consider placement. Irises should be spaced 18 to 24 inches apart. Planting so all rhizomes run in the same general direction looks better and helps to keep clumps spaced out as they increase. When I have several rhizomes of the same cultivar, I like to plant them as a clump. For a natural look, let them angle away from one another a little, as though they grew from the same imaginary mother rhizome.
