Dividing Iris

Elisabeth — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:32:00 GMT

Bearded iris are wonderful in the spring, with their tall stalks and large, showy flowers. If you want to continue the show, you have to take care of your iris, and that care includes lifting and dividing them about every three years. If your iris clumps are congested and seem to be producing fewer blossoms than in years past, chances are it's time to take this step. Fortunately, it isn't hard because iris rhizomes thrive close to the soil surface and have shallow roots.

To divide an iris clump, trim the long iris leaves so that they are only about two inches tall; then take a spade and dig all the way around the clump, gradually lifting it away from the surrounding soil. Knock the as much soil as possible off the mass of rhizomes so that you can see what you are doing. Divide the clump into pieces, making sure that each division has the remnants of a leaf emerging from the rhizome. Discard any rhizome pieces that are soft, spongy or shriveled. Amend the soil with compost or other organic fertilizer. Replant the healthy divisions close to the soil surface, spacing them six or more inches from each other so that they will have room to grow.

You will probably have some spare divisions. Plant them in other locations on your property or give them to friends. Trading rhizomes with other iris lovers is a great way to acquire different colored iris and expand your collection.

Little Gems

Elisabeth — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:03:00 GMT

I love the miniature iris species like I. histrioides, I. reticula , I cycloglossa, and I. danfordiae. These plants, which are about as big as Dutch giant crocuses, have all the charm of their larger relatives, including the distinctive iris flower form, but they appear earlier and generally cost less.

If you have a rock garden, the little iris are perfect spring centerpieces. The excellent drainage suits them perfectly and the setting emphasizes their unique qualities.

Today I took a dead grocery store chrysanthemum out of an ornamental pot and sent it to the compost bin. I replaced it with a pot of little iris bulbs, including the beautiful sky-blue, cream and yellow 'Katharine Hodgkin', and the traditional light blue 'Cantab'. I put the newly planted nursery pot inside the newly emptied ornamental pot and placed it in a semi-protected position outside. I planted the rest of my little iris bulbs directly in the ground, near the edges of beds, so that they will be easy to see next spring.

The late English author Beverley Nichols wrote of the beauties of the little iris, which he grew in great numbers in his garden and brought inside for small splashes of color in the early spring. I can never bear to bring them in when they are blooming, because there is so little else in the garden. This is a good argument for buying even more little iris. If I plant hundreds, I will have a handful to spare for the house at the same time as I maintain an impressive display in the garden.

It is easy to have a showy garden in mid-May. It is even better to have an impressive garden in the earliest days of spring.

Growing Wise : iris

Dividing Iris

Little Gems