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So, we are going to look at bearded for only one article. The big thing is what to feed them and how to take care of them. I am going to show you four of our gardeners here on Dave’s Garden who have different feeding methods and talk to you a little about each one.
Jackieshar
Alfalfa Tea – Basically, this is natural and in my garden one of the best ways to get the biggest show from my bearded iris. The mixture is a hand full of alfalfa pellets or dehydrated alfalfa meal into a five gallon buck of water and let sit covered in the sun for a few days. The brew that develops, with some gentle stirring from you will be some of the strongest power boosters for iris you can make at home. Just add to your sprayer and let this foliar feed soak into all those bright green leaves. The biggest draw back for me is that the smell will, at times, be strong but the rewards in the garden are charming.
Avmoran
5-50-5 with lime for acidic soils and Preen - The 5-50-5 triple phosphate fertilizer is what many gardeners use on their roses. This is a real “stand up and grab life” type of approach. The real secret to this mixture is adding lime and Preen to the soil. The lime will help make the soil more acidic and, while the focus here is bearded iris, I wanted to add this knowledge for those trying to grow other types of iris in their garden. Preen is a wonderful tool in the garden if use the right way. This product will stop the growth of weeds via seeds. The one issue is that if you plant seeds in the areas you use Preen they will not come up. I tend to be carefulwhen I plant in areas near the Preen due to the chance of run off killing my flower seeds there too. If you are dealing with plants in an established bed that will not have other plants growing from seeds there, then this is the product for you.
Irisloverdee
10-10-10 or 15-15-15 – 10-10-10 is the basic garden fertilizer used by most gardeners in America today. This goes to show you that iris do not need special catering to in the garden; they love to be fed even basic food and will reward you with many blooms.So when you are out there spreading your fertilizer in the other gardens, just throw a hand full here and there in the iris bed too.
Pajaritomt
I will let her simple and well planned way speak for itself. “At planting, compost, bone meal, micronutrients, alfalfa pellets. Spring -- Bloombooster ( high phosphate, water soluble fertilizer) After bloom -- ( balanced, slow release fertilizer), compost, though not as a mulch. Late summer -- bone meal and compost scratched into the soil.”
No matter how you choose to take care of and feed your bearded iris, they will reward you with bigger leaves, more increases, and bigger and better blooms. Feed them and let them grow!
I want to thank Pajaritomt, Jackieshar, Avmoran, Irisloverdee, Happygarden, and Doss for answering my many research questions for this article. Thank you to mgh for the images for this article.
About M Fitzgerald
I am a pentecostal preacher, gardener,husband, and a father. I love natives, daylilies, iris, and roses. I love teaching others, be they children or adults, about the garden and plants.
Posted by erichle (from Reedsburg, WI) on March 19, 2008 at 2:07 PM:
The person who wrote in how to feed your Irises, with 5-50-5 and LIME for acidic soil ????
Lime will not make the soil more acidic, it will make the soil more alkaline !!
My Irises are multiplying so much each year, I am constantly dividing them, and I have very acidic soil i.e. 5.5 to 6.5, I think that is what they need !!
I have all oak and pine trees !!
I am talking about the bearded once, and all the others !!
I feed mine once in the Spring with 10-52-10 or 5-50-5, great stuff !!
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Subject: Iris in alkaline soil
Posted by catlady427 (from Tulelake, CA) on March 18, 2008 at 12:43 AM:
The iris are one of the few plants that do well in my alkaline (7.8ph) soil. But, even though they bloom, the leaves are a very pale green with a little hint of yellow. What type of fertilizer do you think would be the best in my situation? I'm in zone 5.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 19, 2008 at 10:40 AM:
When I was asking for expert input on my article about spring chores in the iris garden, including fertilizing, I was advised that soil testing was an important first step. Without a soil test, I'm not sure if there's a way to tell if your yellowing leaves are due to a pH problem (my evergreens go yellowish when they can't take up enough iron in my soil -- not as alkaline as yours, but not as acid as they'd like) or if they'd like a nitrogen boost, or something else entirely.
Mitch directed me here to see if I had an answer for you... I'm sorry that I don't have specific advice! Your local extension service may be the best resource for inexpensive soil testing, so look them up. Good luck!
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Posted by catlady427 (from Tulelake, CA) on March 20, 2008 at 1:02 AM:
Well, it's been about 9 years since I had the soil tested. I was very disheartened when the lab tech that did the test said that the best thing I could do to improve my soil was to move. Besides the high ph, there is also a high level of soluble salt in the soil. Not exactly wonder dirt. Even raised beds don't work well, because of the high ph in my yard water. So, I just keep planting things and any plant that grows, I just plant more. RedHot Pokers, Hollyhock and basic Sunflowers love it here. The only trees that I can get to grow well are Elms, which everyone says is a trash tree. I just keep planting and hoping. At least the spring bulbs that are starting to poke through the soil are looking good.
Thanks for the feedback, I guess it's time to try a soil test again.
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on March 20, 2008 at 9:56 AM:
I'm sorry... that's not exactly a helpful response from the tech! :^P
I don't buy into the "trash tree" concept. If it grows for you and you love it, how could it be a trash tree? :-) Some trees with that designation have shorter life spans or tend to drop a lot of branches (so that you might not want them right up against your house) -- but I don't think that's true of Elms!
Sounds like the soil test might show more than one problem, so you might want to divide up your irises for experimentation... try a little ironite or miracid on one section, a little fertilizer on another, etc. If they're growing and blooming, there must already be something that they like! :-)
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Posted by catlady427 (from Tulelake, CA) on March 24, 2008 at 11:22 PM:
Excellent idea. Since I have Iris all around the house, it won't be difficult to set up a couple test areas. Thank you for the help.
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Subject: Bearded Iris
Posted by phicks (from Lakeland, FL) on March 12, 2008 at 5:10 PM:
Tey Grow Here But Wont Flower to Warm so i grow other types Good Article Paul H
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Subject: I have always wondered...
Posted by girlgroupgirl (from Atlanta, GA) on March 12, 2008 at 3:49 PM:
What type of organic fertilizer I could feed iris! Now I know.
So now I'm wondering, when do I feed them, Mitch?
Thank-you!
girlgroupgirl
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on March 12, 2008 at 4:29 PM:
In 8a here I feed them very freely, and they give me a wonderful show each year in thanks.
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Subject: Side Note
Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on March 12, 2008 at 12:41 PM:
Lime should be used carfully and it may not make the soil change much if used in the right way and in small doses.
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Posted by pollyk (from Hannibal, NY) on March 12, 2008 at 9:58 PM:
Just wanted to note: In your quote from AV Moran it said 'lime makes the soil more acidic'. Lime sweetens the soil, and does not make it more acidic. I'm sure that what you meant to say. Lime is good to treat acidic soils, as bearded iris do not like acid soils. But add it way ahead of time, as it can burn. As LaurieF always says, have your soil tested. It doesn't cost much, and you'll really know what you're working with.
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Subject: Very Timely
Posted by LouC (from Desoto, TX) on March 12, 2008 at 10:11 AM:
Just what we need for today. Out to our garden.
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Posted by irisMA (from South Hamilton, MA) on March 12, 2008 at 11:12 AM:
We use 5-10-10 for our irises, as well as alfalfa pellets. Remember to keep the nitrogen low for iris so the plants will not go to leaves.
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on March 12, 2008 at 12:38 PM:
Thank you - I have found that each Iris grower had their own little twist on what to do and how - what a great and wonderful plant!!
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Posted by pepper23 (from KC Metro area, MO) on March 12, 2008 at 10:01 PM:
Great article once again Mitch. I very rarely feed mine and they put on a great show. I do live on a gravel road so the dust from that lands on them so they probably do enjoy that. :~)
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Posted by MitchF (from Oklahoma City, OK) on March 12, 2008 at 10:30 PM:
I am sure they love the dust, some of the best Iris shows around here are on wondeful gravel roads.
