Irises are an excellent decoration of our gardens, parks and squares. They are known from antiquity and have always caused admiration and admiration for their extraordinary beauty. Cultivated them began more than 2 thousand years ago, using also as an amulet and as a medicinal plant.
There are several varieties of irises - bearded , beardless, bulbous. They also vary in size and can be tall, dwarfish and medium. Depending on the flowering, they are early, medium early, middle and late.
Cultivation of irises in open ground
If you want to plant these beautiful, delicate flowers on your site, you need to know about the intricacies of planting and caring for irises in the open ground.
Reproduction can be done in two ways: by seeds and by dividing the bush. With the help of seeds, wild plant species are obtained, whereas cultivated plants lose their characteristics. A more common variant is the division of the rhizome and the planting of a "scapula" with leaves.
Since the plant belongs to the rhizome, they can grow in one place for several years. Approximately in 7-8 years it is necessary to divide and transplant them, so that they do not lose their ornamentality due to the death of part of the rhizome. Some varieties require transplantation after 3-4 years.
When to plant irises?
Planting and transplanting is performed during the active growth of the roots. This time for irises comes 2-3 weeks after the end of flowering. It is important to be in time with division and transplantation at the stage of bud root formation, since the young roots are very brittle. If you did not have time to begin with, you'd better wait until the end of August and the beginning of September, when they become fibrous and lose their fragility.
Before dividing the iris, the bush should be poured, gently forged on all sides with pitchforks and taken out of the ground. Rhizomes are washed, cut into segments with 1-2 year links. They need to be disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate or in the preparation "Maxim" and dried in the sun.
Leaves, to reduce the consumption of moisture, slightly shorten, leaving no more than 10 cm. These "blades" can safely withstand 2 weeks of dry storage at room temperature. Wet storage leads to decay of the rhizome.
When to plant irises in open ground?
The resulting planting material after dry storage or prolonged overflow requires treatment with a growth stimulant - "Zircon" or "Ecogel".
You can plant irises before the end of September. At a later planting there is a danger of plant death in the winter. If you dropped the irises late, you need to cover them with an 8-centimeter layer of sand and ash, spruce lapnik or peat.
At the bottom of the hole, an earth mound is poured and a rhizome is placed on it at a slight angle. The fan of leaves should be directed to the south, so that the bush develops symmetrically. Then the hole is covered with earth, leaving the upper part of the blade on the surface. Do not forget to water the planted irises.
Caring for irises in autumn
Preparation of irises for wintering depends on the region of growth, as well as on the plant variety.
Gentle varieties should be excavated and stored in a dry and ventilated room until spring. This can be done only after the leaves have dried completely. The rhizomes can be dried in a room with a temperature of + 20-25 ° C for a month. Then they are removed to a cooler place. The planting in the spring is performed when the earth warms up to + 10 ° C.