Bulbous irises planting and care outdoors in spring

Dutch irises are considered one of the most romantic and beautiful plants. The iris flower resembles a tropical butterfly, ready to take off. With his beauty, he conquered gardeners a long time ago. In almost all household plots, you can now see a flower bed with these amazing plants. Let's talk in more detail about bulbous irises, planting and care in the open field.

Description of the Dutch variety

Dutch iris is one of the varieties of irises. This is xyphyum. In flower shops, you can buy flowers in the form of bulbs, which are covered with multiple layers of scales. On average, the plants reach a height of 0.6 m. Some varieties, for example, Casablanca, Blue Diamant, grow within 0.5 m. They do not require support if they were planted in a wind-free place.

The plant tolerates frost well, but requires shelter at very low temperatures to prevent freezing. Bulbous irises bloom in the last week of May and bloom until early June. Iris flowers can be of the most varied colors: white, blue, purple, orange. After flowering, the foliage begins to dry, and at the end of August it dries up completely. Dutch irises are widely used in gardening, they are used to decorate flower gardens, flower beds, they are used to create beautiful flower arrangements and bouquets. For many, irises are the best flowers, harbingers of warmth, because they bloom very early.

Features of planting irises

Planting bulbous irises includes several mandatory procedures. This is the preparation of bulbs, drainage and fertilization of the soil, mulching. Knowing all the secrets of growing Dutch bulbous iris, especially planting and care, you can achieve an excellent decorative effect.

Preparing the bulbs for planting

Bulbous plants are susceptible to fungal diseases, so Dutch iris bulbs require special preparation before planting. Planting material must be purchased at proven flower and gardening shops. When buying, you should inspect the bulbs, there should be no damage.

If the bulbs were stored at home, they should also be carefully examined. Bulbs that have rot, painful spots, it is better to immediately set aside and discard. Good specimens should be treated with antifungal drugs. For these purposes, fungicides "Maxim", "Fundazol" are used. Many gardeners use a strong solution of potassium permanganate. Iris bulbs are placed in this solution for 30-40 minutes. After drying, the bulbs are ready for planting.

How to choose a place and prepare the ground

Irises do not pose much of a hassle to grow, but some plant preferences must be taken into account. Irises do not like shade, poor soil, waterlogged soil.When choosing a place for planting these flowers, you need to give preference to a sunny place, and in order to prevent moisture stagnation, you can place them on an artificially created slope.

To do this, make a small elevation with a slope, equip a good drainage system. When irises are planted in 20 cm high beds, the natural drainage of rainwater can be ensured. No matter how close the groundwater is to the surface, it cannot endanger the roots.

Irises are very fond of light, but they do not need an abundant long-term sun, it is preferable if the plant will be in the shade for some part of the day. An area with partial shading is ideal.

The soil must be filled with nutrients before planting. For this, organic fertilizers are applied. Then the earth is carefully dug up and loosened. If you start preparing the soil in advance, about a year in advance, you can add manure. Calcareous soils are best suited for bulbous crops. If the soil does not match, you can add eggshells, chalk or lime to it. Humus is added to the sandy soil. It is useful to add superphosphate or ash at a rate of 40 g / 1 sq. meter. Clay soils are enriched with coarse sand, a small amount of compost or humus.

Hybrid iris varieties can grow in one location for five to ten years, depending on the variety. Irises grow very quickly, this quickly depletes the soil, and you have to choose new places for planting these flowers.

A hole is dug under each onion, for the northern regions it is necessary to make a depth of about 14 cm, for the southern ones - about 10 cm.A gap of 15 centimeters is left between the holes, in such conditions the plants will develop adequately.

When and how to plant irises

Many experienced flower growers recommend planting iris tubers in the fall. Planting features depend on the selected variety. If the climate is temperate, you can plant the bulbs at a shallow depth. We plant the tubers in the holes, lightly tamp the soil.

If we plant an onion that has already sprouted, it must be placed so that the border of the green arrow is at the level of the soil. It is not necessary to deeply deepen it. Use your hands to gently crush the soil around the bulb. Cover the surface with peat to protect it from weeds. This planting occurs in early spring.

After planting, irises are not watered, they should have enough moisture from the soil. During the growing season and during flowering, plants need watering, but it should not be frequent.

Experienced flower growers recommend planting iris in the greenhouse in early autumn. In November, you can get garden flowers suitable for cutting. Planting bulbs for forcing is the first decade of February. For the rapid formation of buds and growth of stems, a constant temperature of 15 degrees is required. Plants need bright lighting, feeding and moderate watering.

You can use a special bulb basket for planting Dutch irises. This is a plastic container with a lot of holes for water outflow and air intake. It is inexpensive and can be purchased at a garden store. The basket is placed on the ground and outlined. Then the sod is removed along this contour to make a planting pit with a depth of about 16 cm. The necessary fertilizers are introduced into it, a basket is placed on top.

The soil is poured into the basket, which is mixed with compost. The bulbs are planted in a basket, covered with a layer of earth on top. As soon as the irises stop blooming, the container is dug out. It is very good to clean it so that in a secluded place in the garden the leaves dry out and the bulbs ripen. After the season is over, the bulbs are dug up to be stored.

Iris care

Iris is a modest plant that does not like frills. Do not water it too abundantly, or overload it with fertilizers. Moderation in grooming is the key to success. How to properly care for irises? Proper care of irises includes:

• watering;
• loosening the soil;
• weed removal;
• fertilization of the soil;
• fight against diseases and pests.

It is necessary to remove the weeds around the planting by hand to avoid damaging the plant. After the flower has grown, the weeding can be stopped. In autumn, young plantings must be covered with foliage to protect them from frost. Adult landings no longer need shelter. In the spring, after the snow melts, the foliage is removed.

Fertilizing the soil should be done in the spring, when the topsoil has dried out after the snow has melted. It is necessary to apply mineral fertilizers, to carry out loosening. Only this must be done carefully, so as not to damage the roots of the tubers. At the age of three, spring feeding should consist of potassium, nitrogen, phosphorus (1: 2: 1). At the moment of bud formation, the proportion is increased (1: 3: 3). A month after the buds fall, potassium and phosphorus 1: 1 is introduced into the soil. This three-time feeding will make the flowers hardier.

It is necessary to protect irises from pests and ailments. From the moment when the leaves of the flower grow to 10 cm, spraying should be carried out every two weeks using Malathion and pesticides. This is done before the peduncle appears. Most often, irises are attacked by sheet drills. They damage the leaves, which must be cut off immediately. The plant is treated with insecticides.

As a preventive measure to protect against pests, it is imperative to remove last year's foliage. If it has been contaminated, incinerate immediately. The earth needs digging. Of the diseases for irises, various forms of leaf spot are dangerous.

Storing the bulbs

When the bulbous irises have already faded and the foliage has dried up, it is necessary to dig up the bulbs. Novice growers will be pleasantly surprised, because a large number of young bulbs are formed in the place where one bulb was planted. Each of them must be planted separately next year. Preference should be given to large bulbs, small ones are also suitable, but they will grow up for several seasons.

Dutch iris bulbs are carefully dried. They must be kept in a dry place until the beginning of autumn. In the midst of Indian summer, you can start planting on the site. It should be remembered that in cold regions, bulbs planted in autumn need shelter from frost.

A friend shared a few iris bulbs. In my country house, only ordinary irises grow (those with rhizomes), so there was a small problem of what to do with the bulbs. I would very much like to learn more about planting and caring for bulbous irises. And another question of interest is: when and where is it better to plant them and can they winter in a flower bed?

The cultivation of bulbous irises is somewhat different from the simple rhizome species, which are much more common in flower beds. The peculiarities of the root system also dictate special rules for planting and leaving the bulbous irises. First of all, this is due to the fact that delicate bulbs require careful selection of the planting site. In addition, most varieties are extremely thermophilic, and are absolutely unable to survive outdoors in our winters. However, let's talk about everything in order.

When to plant?

The time for planting bulbs in open ground depends on the type of irises, for example:

• compact and frost-resistant iridodictiums can be planted in autumn, but no later than September, so that the plants have time to take root and get stronger;
• less resistant species of Juno irises will also survive the autumn planting, but subject to additional shelter in warmer regions;
• sissies xyphyums (Dutch irises) are best planted in spring, because even at a temperature of 10 degrees below zero, the bulbs die.

When planting frost-resistant early flowering varieties of irises in the spring, it should be borne in mind that there will be no flowering in the year of planting, but only for the next season.

Where to plant?

As you know, all bulbous crops (and irises are no exception) do not tolerate high humidity.Areas that suffer from flooding in spring are categorically unsuitable for these plants. Regarding the soil, the most optimal option would be fertilized sandy soil, which is light and fertile enough.

To grow bulbous irises, you need to select the lightest flower bed - only in good light conditions will they bloom well.

Preparing and planting bulbs

For the purchase of planting material, it is best to contact a specialized store - there are less chances to buy diseased plants. To protect flowers from diseases, especially putrefactive infections and fungi, before planting, they must be kept in a solution of Fundazol or at least potassium permanganate for 30 minutes, and then let them dry completely.

A healthy iris bulb is firm to the touch, covered with a shiny golden skin and free of strange spots or damage.

The depth of the hole for the bulb should be no more than three of its diameters, and the distance between them should not be less than 10 cm.It is not necessary to water immediately, the available moisture in the soil will be enough for the irises, but the next day you need to moisten the soil well in the hole.

Care features

It is simple to care for bulbous irises: in the spring they need to be watered regularly, but by summer the frequency of watering should be reduced, because at this time most varieties are already resting. With the arrival of autumn, dig up the xyphyum bulbs, let them dry and put them in a cardboard box for winter storage. Most flower growers dig up all varieties of irises in the summer, and in the fall they return them back to the garden (except for Dutch ones - they are stored until spring). This is especially true if it rains often, because then the irises can rot.

Video about the features of planting bulbous irises

Irises are a popular garden crop with spectacular flowering and unpretentious nature. Many gardeners are interested in planting and caring for irises in the open field. Velvet multicolored irises are a perennial plant that serves as a real decoration for a flower garden or flower bed.

Irises - description and features of culture

Irises are short perennials of the rhizome genus. Translated from Greek, the word Iris means rainbow. Indeed, more than 700 types of irises are known, differing in size, shape, structure and color of the flower. Outwardly, the iris flower stalk is similar to an orchid, the color of the petals is very diverse - from white and pale to rich and bright. In some varieties, the peduncle is painted with two, three or more flowers, and a peculiar pattern is applied to the lower petals.

The beginning of flowering of irises is May and June, the lush flowering can continue until the end of June. In the fall, the iris can bloom again - in August and September.

The culture has an extensive geography around the world, with some varieties found in the harsh climate of the Northern Hemisphere. In nature, there are rhizome and bulbous irises, which outwardly are absolutely similar to each other. Rhizome irises are stable and unpretentious, winter well and are not afraid of cold weather. Bulbous varieties require a little more care and attention. The wild flower iris has long been loved by flower growers and has become urban. You should learn everything about the care and planting of irises in open ground.

Rules for planting irises in open ground

Rhizome irises prefer a well-lit area where they will bloom beautifully for a long time. For the free spread of the roots, irises need space - at least half a meter from each other. All species love loose, nutrient-rich and oily soil. Planting irises in the spring in the ground is carried out after the compost and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers have been introduced. It is not recommended to apply manure.

Soil moisture for each variety needs its own:

• bearded iris is best planted in a fan on the slopes so that there is a good outflow of rain and melt water;
• Siberian iris and marsh iris are best grown where it is always damp - near water bodies and in partial shade.

The area for irises is dug up, treated with fungicides against harmful insects, and herbicides to reduce weed growth. For rhizome irises, a neutral soil is preferred. If the soil is acidic, you should mix it with ash, lime or chalk. When planting, the upper bud remains on the surface of the soil, it is not buried.

Rhizome varieties - how to plant irises in spring:

1. A hole is dug under the root, in the center of which a small mound is poured.
2. The central root should be placed on a mound, and the lateral roots should be distributed to the sides.
3. The main rhizome is sprinkled with earth, a layer of sand is applied on top, the earth is slightly compacted.
4. Do not deepen the roots too deep, they should be located close to the soil surface.
5. Let the central kidney remain free of the earth - above its surface.

Experienced flower growers recommend planting irises in the open ground in spring and summer. During the warm season, the plants have time to fully take root in the soil, due to which they winter without loss and begin to bloom the next year.

Bulbous irises - planting and care in the open field:

1. The bulbs are planted in early spring or autumn before frost.
2. The soil temperature for planting must be at least 10 °, otherwise the bulbs may freeze.
3. A shallow trench is dug, the bulbs go deeper into the trench by 3-4 cm, no more.
4. The total planting depth should be about 10-12 cm.
5. The excavated soil is mixed with garden soil for nutrition, river sand and crushed coal for drainage, with double superphosphate for growth.
6. The prepared grooves are disinfected by spilling with a solution of potassium permanganate and a growth stimulator to strengthen the roots.
7. Iris bulbs are planted sprout up, not too deep, at a sufficient distance from each other - 15-20 cm.
8. The soil is poured on top, which should be lightly tamped so that the bulbs do not crawl out to the surface.
9. Re-watering is necessary only after 3-4 days.

Excessive root deepening harms the growth and development of irises, while the soil should not be heavy. For loosening, compost, peat and coarse sand are added to the soil.

Small-bulbous varieties of irises are not demanding on moisture. They are buried three times the height of the bulb, and their flowering begins next spring.

Iris care - basics and secrets

According to experienced flower growers, irises are strong and viable plants that grow and bloom well without fertilization. However, in the third year of life, it is recommended to pamper the flower with a step-by-step complex feeding - in the spring, during the budding period and after flowering. In response to care, the plant will become stronger and stronger, it will grow faster and bloom more abundantly.

Irises - care in spring:

• top dressing in a ratio of 2: 1: 1 - nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium;
• watering depending on the surrounding weather conditions.

During the budding period, fertilizing should be carried out at a ratio of 3: 1: 3 - nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. In this case, watering and spraying are carried out as needed. A month after the end of flowering, it is recommended to apply top dressing in a 1: 1 ratio - phosphorus plus potassium. In the autumn, before wintering, dry mineral fertilizer should be applied in a tablespoon, scattering it under each root of the plant.

Irises should be watered at the root when the soil around the bush is completely dry. After planting, the plant is watered only three days later.

How to feed irises in spring:

• if a lack of minerals is noticed, then mineral dressing should be applied personally for each bush;
• in early spring, a complex nitrogen-potassium-phosphorus fertilizer for flowers is useful for a plant.

Prevention of diseases and pests includes sanitary pruning of dead plant parts, timely removal of wilted flower stalks, regular spraying and shower, cleaning the beds from fallen leaves.In the open field, the planting of irises is weeded by hand, the soil is loosened with care and watered as needed. Before winter, the rhizomes are sprinkled with earth and covered, since they are located close to the surface itself and can freeze.

How and when to transplant irises

Irises can be planted in three ways - rhizomes, shoots and grown from seeds. Getting plants from seeds is the longest and most difficult way. In practice, it is much easier and faster to grow flowers by dividing the bush and branches. At the same time, plants grown from rhizomes will bloom the next year, and seed plantings will have to wait another 2-3 years.

How and when to transplant irises:

• the best time for transplanting is early spring, that is, March-April, before flowering;
• flowers are propagated by dividing rhizomes and sprouts.

Transplanting irises in the spring to another place is carried out using only healthy and strong plants that will take root quickly and without problems. The rhizomes are removed from the ground and divided into parts so that each individual root rosette has one leaf bud. Excess foliage should be trimmed. Before planting, the roots are dipped in a potassium permanganate solution for disinfection for several minutes. Dried rhizomes are planted in shallow trenches or small planting holes at a distance of 50-60 cm from each other.

When propagating vegetatively, the iris should bloom at least once. After that, until the moment of budding, young shoots can be taken from it. New plants should be rooted from March to May in a shaded place, creating greenhouse conditions. Full rooting can be observed after 2-3 weeks.

Irises can be grown from seeds. In autumn, seeds are sown in a pot with a sandy substrate, covered with plastic or glass. By spring, the seeds will sprout, they are dived and planted in open ground. When to plant irises outdoors in spring? The optimal time for planting in the ground is early spring, the month of March and April. By this time, young plantings have already grown up enough, they will be able to quickly and fully take root in the ground.

Irises in landscape design

The high decorative qualities of irises allow them to be planted in flower beds and mixborders, along fences, in flower beds and rockeries. The ideal place for them is on a hill where there is no stagnation of moisture and there is no close adherence of groundwater. There are short and tall types of irises. Tall plants are usually tied up so that they do not break and hold the bud well. Dwarf irises grow in a solid wall and require periodic pruning and watering in dry weather.

Irises in landscape design photo:

Knowledge of the rules for planting and caring for irises in the open field will make it easy and simple to grow these plants in your garden plot. When you see an iris, you do not want to pick it at all, you want to admire it endlessly, inhaling the delicate and delicate aroma of a flower.

Such different irises on the site - video

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 safe 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, are the rudiments of leaves. 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 the 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.A common 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 along its entire length near the flower bed, 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 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 Dutch bulbous iris to bloom under your window? Planting plants is done as follows:

1. A round peg (about 5 cm in diameter) pierce the soil 15 cm deep. A distance of about 10 cm is maintained between the pits.
2. A handful of coarse river sand is poured into the hole, into which the bulb is buried by 1-2 cm.
3. 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. From above, Dutch irises (bulbous species) 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 into 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 out, 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 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 place 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 for the next year.

Diseases and pests

Iris Dutch 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 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.