Iris mesh mixed planting and care in the open field

Iris reticulate is significantly smaller than conventional rhizome irises. It reaches 15 cm in height. Small decorative irises are popular for their bright colors, original flower shapes and the ability to grow effortlessly.

Landing

A photo of a netted iris looks very attractive, but in order to achieve such a decorative effect of flowers, you need to make some effort. First, choose a suitable place to grow flowers. The soil should be light, nutritious and well-drained. Avoid growing irises in areas that are close to groundwater flow, because the plants do not tolerate stagnant moisture.

Reticulated iris is one of the first spring plants

The landing rules are as follows:

Inspect the planting material carefully. Discard rotten or damaged bulbs.
Loosen the soil and add compost to it.
Prepare the wells. Make holes about 10 cm deep. The distance between the holes should be at least 10 cm. Place the flower blanks in the holes.
After planting irises in the ground, they do not need watering. The moisture already contained in the soil is sufficient.

The optimal time for planting is early autumn, that is, a period of about 3 weeks before the start of the first frost. If desired, planting can be carried out in the spring, but in this case flowering will begin only after a year.

Care

Successful planting is just the beginning of iris development. To make them happy with abundant and bright flowering, follow the basic rules for caring for flowers:

Keep the soil moist during bud formation.
Keep plants warm and dry in summer, so reduce watering to 1-3 times a month. If the summer is humid with heavy rainfall, cover the bed with plastic wrap.
Before the onset of cold weather, insulate the earth with foliage.
During the growing season, add compost or humus to the soil.

These are the basic rules of care, more iris does not need anything. Therefore, flowers are often used in landscape design, because it is easy and pleasant to grow them, and the bright result is impressive.

Irises successfully coexist with other small flowers, for example, crocuses or scyllas. Also, these plants get along with decorative perennials with a small root system.

So, netted iris is not a capricious and demanding plant. If you follow the simple rules of care, a positive result can be achieved quite quickly.

Description and varieties

Let's take the Iris Hollandica as a basis.

To begin with, let's move away from the topic and mention that thermophilic irises have three main varieties:

Juno... They are characterized as heat-loving plants.Basically, they are grown as annuals.
Iridodictiums (they are also called netted, for example, the Iris of the Dutch Ashes Jam). The most unpretentious and undemanding. They bloom immediately after the snow melts.
Xyphyums... This variety, in turn, has its own categories: Spanish, American and Dutch. This variety is the most common in our area, so they are the subject of discussion. Lovers grow them as annuals or indoor flowers. You can determine the belonging to the species by the presence of thick scales on the bulbs, which, after flowering, should be dug up, dried and sent to a cold place for the winter.

Iris Dutch is a xyphyum, and belongs to the hybrid varieties of the Dutch category, bred in the country of the same name. In flower shops, they are sold in the form of bulbs covered with multiple layers of scales. In adult form, the plant height is on average 0.6 m, but it all depends on the variety. For example, the iris of the Dutch Blue Diamond, Casablanca, Blue Magic and others varies in height within the range of 0.45-0.7 m.

If you plant irises in places inaccessible to the wind, they will not need supports.

The plant itself is winter-hardy. Nevertheless, in severe frosts, they need to be covered with something in order to prevent freezing. Irises are widely used. They are not only used to decorate flower beds and flower beds, but also grown under the cut to create bouquets and flower arrangements.

The Dutch iris bloom (photo below) begins in the last week of May and lasts until early June. As for the range of shades of buds, they can be very diverse, from white and blue to orange and purple. After flowering, the plant begins to dry out the foliage, and by the end of August it dries up completely.

Iris Dutch bulbous: planting

In principle, the planting of bulbous irises is identical to root irises. But still, there are a number of nuances that must be strictly followed:

The growing season of bulbous irises is rather short. Flowering occurs late, towards summer, and stops quickly. Therefore, it is important to choose the right material for planting. In this case, you should pay attention to the golden color of the bulbs, the absence of dark spots or soft areas. The development of the plant and its condition depend on the correct choice.
Before planting the flower bulb, it is imperative that it be dipped in a fungicide solution and kept there for several hours. This procedure protects it from rotting in the ground. After the matured onion is thoroughly dried.
The bulbous Dutch iris is being planted in the spring.
The land in the flowerbed or in the place where the irises will be planted should be plowed in advance, and then disinfected with potassium permanganate (just watered.). This will help get rid of germs, bacteria that can harm the bulb and destroy the plant.
The bulbs are planted when roots begin to appear. At the same time, they are planted to a depth of 10-15 cm, keeping a distance between the specimens of 15 cm. Such a distance will ensure good development and growth of the plant and will not allow shading each other in a group with each other.
The planted bulbs are sprinkled with soil and watered well.

Basic rules for caring for bulbous Dutch iris

In order for the plant to develop without complications and to please with flowering for a long time, a number of rules for caring for flowers should be observed.

Lighting

Irises are light-loving plants, so you need to choose dry and well-lit places for planting. But at the same time, they must be protected from direct sunlight. An ideal place for a partial shade flower bed with sufficient illumination.

The soil

As for the substrate, a nutritious and loose soil is important for irises. Moreover, its pH should be alkaline or neutral.If the indicators differ or a clay substrate predominates on the site, then the addition of sand will help to correct the situation, which prevents stagnation of water, as well as the introduction of slaked lime to adjust the pH to the required value.

Irises prefer loose soil, so loosening should be done regularly after planting. 1-2 times / week will be enough.

Watering

Since irises are very sensitive to waterlogging of the soil (this leads to decay of the roots and further death of the entire bulb), before planting, you need to take care of good drainage so that water can "leave" and not accumulate at the planting site.

Russia is characterized by rainy seasons, therefore, after flowering, the bulbs are recommended to be dug up, dried and placed in a dry storage place.

Top dressing

Also, the plant does not tolerate exposure to any chemicals. Therefore, you need to be very careful with feeding. Better stop the choice on compost or humus, in the amount of 1 bucket / m 2. After planting the bulbs, the plants can be "fed" with wood ash.

Iris Dutch mix is often sold in stores. Planting and caring for these bulbs is identical. Only the color of the buds will be a "surprise" for you.

Now you know how and when to plant Dutch irises. Compliance with all the rules will allow you to grow plants of amazing beauty and enliven your site with bright colors.

Video about bulbous irises

The choice of plants for a flower bed has long ceased to be a problem - a huge amount of seeds, seedlings and bulbs are sold in stores, nurseries and markets. The main thing is to decide on the composition of the flower bed and choose the necessary palette. Every florist is like an artist. But the beauty is created not by wide strokes of oil paints, but by delicate flower buds.

Dutch iris can be a win-win option for decorating large and small flower beds. It is a bulbous plant with large, beautiful flowers of an unusual shape.

What does an iris bulb look like

It is a perennial herb with an elongated bulb instead of a rhizome. The bulb itself is a modified and shortened underground shoot that resembles a bud. When cut vertically from top to bottom, a flower arrowhead embryo can be found in the middle of the bulb. Around it, like wrappers, the rudiments of leaves are located. They are entrusted with the function of accumulating nutrients.

Axillary and central buds are located between the embryos of the leaves. The outer layer of the bulb is the integumentary scales. The diameter of the bulbs is not very large - it ranges from 2 to 3.5 cm.

Botanical description

More common for our gardeners are rhizome types of irises. These are the flowers that in childhood we called cockerels and killer whales. However, bulbous irises are no longer exotic either. The most common of these is Dutch iris. The scientific name for this flower is Xiphium. Despite the fact that xyphyum belongs to the Iris family and belongs to the Iris genus, it is recognized as a separate representative of the genus. Sometimes, by the way, this causes confusion in the special literature.

Iris Dutch bulbous, planting and caring for which are described in this article, gives flower stalks of different heights. A dwarf species can give a peduncle 30 cm high. An ordinary xyphyum reaches a height of 80 cm.

The plant has narrow-grooved leaves, and the flower has a complex structure. The bud has 3 external and 3 internal perianth lobes. The internal lobes are located vertically and have a narrow and broad lanceolate shape. The outer lobes are rounded and directed towards the bottom.

Usually on the outer perianth lobes there is a yellow or orange spot in the center. The Dutch iris bud has several color options and leaf widths. Moreover, it can be one-color or two-color.

The following color of the petals is possible:

White;
yellow of varying intensity;
different shades of blue and light blue;
different shades of purple;
purple;
combined options for all of the listed colors.

Where are Dutch irises used?

Dutch iris is often planted in personal plots and garden beds. Landscape designers are actively promoting the look using it in mixborders and alpine slides. Bouquets are made of bright flowers, which are appropriate to give to men, especially for bouquets of blue and purple colors. Low-growing bulbous irises can be grown as indoor plants.

It is worth noting that the cut flower of the bulbous Dutch iris will stand in the bouquet much longer than the root varieties. It is especially good to use rainwater for the vase, since it does not contain chlorine.

How to choose soil for planting

When the Dutch iris is described, planting is presented to many as a difficult task. But it is not so. It is enough to have information about several nuances of this process.

One of them is the choice of soil for the plant. The main thing to know is that irises do not tolerate excess moisture. They quickly die from rotting of the bulb and roots. It is important to take care of drainage before planting. However, it is not necessary to place it directly under the plants. Shallow trenches filled with gravel or broken brick, dug near the flower bed along its entire length, have proven themselves well.

For those who are going to plant the Dutch bulbous iris for the first time, planting and care begins with the choice of soil. The ideal soil for this plant is loose, with high air permeability, nutritious, neutral or slightly alkaline. In addition, it must be permeable to water.

Sod and leafy soil is mixed into sandy and peaty ones, if necessary, the acidity is adjusted. Fresh manure and excessive doses of chemical fertilizers should not be used. The ideal option is a well-matured compost or humus (there is a compost bucket per 1 m² of land). After application, the top dressing is thoroughly mixed with the soil. In the future, irises are fed with wood ash.

How to plant bulbs

Do you want the Dutch bulbous iris to bloom under your window? Planting is done as follows:

With a round peg (diameter about 5 cm), they pierce the soil 15 cm deep. A distance of about 10 cm is maintained between the pits.
A handful of coarse river sand is poured into the hole, into which the bulb is buried by 1-2 cm.
From above, the onion is covered with the same sand.

After purchase, any bulbs should be treated with a fungicide solution and dried slightly. Before planting, no later than 2 days before, the flower bed or flowerpot is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate and potassium humate.

Slightly sprouted bulbs, with sprouts and roots, are planted in a trench. The depth can be from 15 to 20 cm. This helps to neatly position the roots and not damage them. In this case, the sand is filled up to about 2/3 of the trench height. On top of the Dutch irises (bulbous species), they are carefully squeezed with sand and covered with soil mixture. Then watering is performed. The soil can be mulched with sand, small pebbles, gravel.

Another convenient way to disembark

Dutch bulbous irises can be planted in a special basket. This is a plastic container with a lot of holes and holes for air intake and water outflow. It is inexpensive, it can be found in flower shops or ordered on the World Wide Web.

Put the basket on the ground and circle it with a shovel, remove the sod along the contour and dig a hole about 15 cm deep, add the necessary fertilizers to it, then put the basket on top and pour loose earth mixed with compost into it. Further, the required number of bulbs is placed in the basket, which are covered with earth from above. At the end of flowering, the container is dug up, and all the bulbs are stored.

Flowering time

Flowering begins at the end of May. Depending on the variety, the difference in the time of appearance of flower stalks with buds is 2-3 weeks. If it is humid and cool outside, then the flowers delight up to three to four weeks.In dry, sunny weather, they fade faster.

If you choose varieties of bulbous irises with different flowering, then a chic flower bed will delight you even longer. And after that, juicy and beautiful foliage will remain, which can also serve as an ornament.

How to care for blooming Dutch iris

During flowering, Dutch iris is not very whimsical. It should be watered only in very dry summers. Usually xyphyum has enough natural moisture and morning dew. If neighboring plants require watering, then the irises are simply covered with a film, so that water does not fall into the holes. Bulbous irises do not need regular feeding. It is enough to feed with wood ash or a mineral mixture a week before flowering. The time is determined by the beginning of the formation of buds, they look like seals between the leaves of the plant.

What to do next

So, the buds have faded, the foliage of the xyphyum has completely dried up. What to do next? Does iris require Dutch maintenance after flowering? After the leaves of the plant have completely dried, the bulb should be dug out. What is nice, where the gardener planted one onion, there will be a small nest of them. Each bulb can be planted separately for the next year, or you can leave them nest for 3-4 years. If the gardener divided it, then next year only the largest bulbs will bloom, and the trifle will grow for several seasons, preparing for flowering.

The bulbs are dried and stored in a dry room until the beginning of Indian summer. Then they can be planted again in flower beds, but if the climate in the region is cold, then the planting should be covered for the winter. Thus, you can understand the color scale, flowering time and height of the peduncles, and form the perfect flower garden next year.

Diseases and pests

Dutch iris is damaged by sheet drills. In this case, damaged leaves are cut off, and the plant is treated with insecticides. Be sure to dig up the ground in the fall and remove last year's foliage and cut off stems and branches of other plants.

Of the diseases, the most dangerous for irises are various forms of spotting.

Florist reviews

There are a lot of varieties of Dutch irises. As flower growers note, these plants have a very large flower. In the reviews, most people praise the Dutch iris, as it is unpretentious to care for and has a rather beautiful appearance. Such a plant takes root well in a temperate climatic zone.

All flower growers are unanimous that Dutch irises (planting and care have been described in this article) will adorn any garden plot or flower bed.

Date of publication:Landing in open ground