Bearded irises (zones 3a-8b) are one of the easiest and most rewarding flowers to plant for Spring blooms.
To start you will need a few simple items.
List of Items for Properly Planting Bearded Irises
- Mulch
- Water
- Compost/fertilizer
- Shovel
Find an area that receives full sun and good drainage.
Turn the soil about eight inches deep, all the while cutting in rich compost. One may also wish to add a favorite fertilizer now as well.
- Space the bearded irises 12-15 to 18-24 inches apart.
- Do not cover the top of the corm/rhizome (root) as doing so will prevent the irises from blooming.
- Water in very well and keep watering regularly the rest of the season.
- Feed every 3 months with a good water soluble fertilizer.
- Lightly mulch to prevent weeds and water loss
- Do not allow bearded irises to become waterlogged.
- Do not cut iris foliage back after they bloom. The plants’ roots are still taking in necessary nutrients even after the flowers fade. Removing the leaves prevents the plant getting all the food it needs to bloom its best next spring. If a person can not stand to look at the dying foliage, an under planting of petunias or some other iris safe flower can disguise the yellowing leaves. It is fine to remove any spent blossoms though.
- Extending the blooming season for irises is a pretty simple task. Simply set the plants out a week apart.
- Remove any weeds as they start to grow; competing weeds take vital nutrients away from irises; in doing so they rob the plant of bigger, better blooms the following season.
When planting irises, examine each and every plant for pests and viruses. One virus infected iris can kill every iris in a bed.
Ensuring the irises have full sunlight will help them to bloom beautifully as the years go by. A light mulching is advisable in extremely hot and dry areas.
Instead of randomly planting different iris colors; try creating large drifts of color. This adds visual calm as it draws a persons’ eye deeper into the garden. Using various other plant species to under plant irises really adds a finishing touch to these glorious flowers.
One could also create hills and valleys so the irises are displayed at differing levels in the garden; making sure of course the bearded irises in said valleys retain proper drainage.
Companion Plants For Bearded Irises
- Sweet Alyssum Lobularia maritime
- Petunias
- Moss Rose Portulaca grandiflora
- Sedum rupestre
- Geranium sanguineum
- Cornflower Centaurea cyanus
For more ideas for bearded irises try looking here;
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