How to grow blue irises. Assorted irises

Differs elegant elegance, irises have long been used in decorative floriculture. Of all the abundance of species that are cultivated today throughout the world, blue and blue irises are an invariable success. They are recognized as the most exquisite flowers and most often used to decorate garden interiors. But irises of blue-blue colors are only an impressive part of many species of this most interesting plant and do not stand out in a special type. About the cultivation of irises, the rules of agricultural technology and competent care for them will be discussed in the proposed publication.

Types: bearded irises

There are almost seven hundred varieties of this culture, and each of them has its admirers. The deserved attention of the flower growers is enjoyed by an impressive category of plants with intricate flowers - bearded irises. The name of this species is derived from the exotic form of the inflorescence, on long petals of which there are fluffy hair-sprouts. Bearded irises are classified by size: tall, medium, standard, curb, dwarfish. The most common of the bearded category is Germanic iris. Sorts and names in this group in English are prim and quite difficult sometimes remembered. Nevertheless, we will present the most popular and beloved in many countries of the world:

• Baltic Sea - corrugated blue iris with spectacular blue stripes.

• Bewilderbest - a culture with fringe purple flowers, dotted with yellow and white strokes.

• Acoma - a variety with beautiful cornflower inflorescences, edged with a bright lavender strip.

Irises are notorious

There is also a conditional group of non-iridescent irises, consisting of such species as Siberian, Japanese, Louisiana, Californian, marsh, sporia and other species. Wonderful varieties of Siberian iris, the color of its colors includes the entire palette of blue-blue and violet shades. The Siberian species include white iris, which is also a very conventional designation, since the shades of the flowers of this group range from yellowish to delicate pink and lilac. Choosing a variety of Siberian species, the florist should remember that these flowers are devoid of flavor and, for all their refinement, they can not smell sweet. Japanese iris (xiphoid, or Kempfler) with large flowers, reminiscent of the shape of the orchid, also has absolutely no smell.

Another representative of the group of non-native species is Iris Spooria. Large, unusual, elegant and similar to bulbous xythia, Spooria is a frost resistant hardy species. It includes such beautiful irises as:

• Lemon Touch - bright lemon with an outstanding dark golden signal, growing up to 1 m in height.

• Transfiguration - high (up to 1 m) purple or blue irises with a signal of the color of antique bronze.

• Stella Irene - magnificent purple-black flowers with a slight golden signal.

Species in the category of non-iridescent irises are the varieties of iris marsh, which is distinguished by the fact that it can develop qualitatively only in moist soils and is often used by landscape designers in decorating reservoirs. The predominant colors of this group of flowers are yellow, pink, tender-lilac. The most popular and demanded varieties:

• The Golden Queen.

• Flore Pleno.

• Umkirch.

Flowering irises - a magnificent sight. Different forms and colors of flowers attract both experienced florists and beginners. There is an opinion that agrotechnics for care of irises are laborious and tedious, however, some of the subtleties that a gardener needs to know will facilitate this fascinating occupation. Let's talk about growing irises, their preferences and requirements.

Irises: planting and care in the open ground. We take into account all the nuances

There are plant features that you need to know:

• Irises - rhizome plants, which, growing horizontally, often denude rhizomes. For the winter they need to be sheltered, sprinkled with soil and peat, in the spring, this layer is carefully cleaned.

• These crops categorically do not like organic, so humus and other organic fertilizers are unacceptable for them, the best top dressing is water-soluble mineral preparations;

• Rapid growth of the rhizome leads to a significant shift, often disrupting the intended composition. Arrange the rows will help correct landing - planted irises, focusing on the fan of leaves, it should be located along the row, and not across.

• Planting holes are shallow. Excessive penetration of the rhizome will not allow the plant to blossom.

When and where to put irises

Plant and replant blue irises, like all others, can be in spring, autumn or summer, immediately after flowering. Transplantation is necessary every 3-5 years, because overgrown plants no longer give full flowering and gradually degenerate.

All irises are light and thermophilic, they prefer fertile, weakly acidic garden soils, well drained and not subject to a close groundwater approach. Before planting a crop, the selected piece of land is dug by adding phosphorus-potassium fertilizers (50-60 g / m ² ). Excess soil acidity is neutralized with wood ash or dolomite flour (200 g / m ² ). Clay and loamy soils are diluted with peat and sand, and clay is added to the sandy soils. Before landing, the site is treated with a fungicide, for example, "Fundazol", or spilled with a weak solution of manganese.

Spring plantings

The acquired planting material, be it the blue irises of the bearded species or related to the bare relatives, is treated with growth stimulants, for example "Epin", "Zircon" or "Ecogel". Long, dried or rotten subordinate roots carefully pruned, the rhizome is disinfected in manganese solution for 20-30 minutes.

The technology for planting bearded irises is as follows: in the hollow a sand is placed in a hillock, on which the rhizome is laid horizontally, the roots are spread out and covered with soil so that the top of the rhizome remains above the ground level. Then the soil is compacted and well watered.

But the rhizomes of non-urban varieties during planting, on the contrary, are slightly buried and mulched with peat or wood chips. The interval between plants should be maintained within half a meter.

Autumn transplants

In the fall or late summer, plants are usually transplanted. Do this after flowering and until the end of September. Dig the iris bush of iris, divide the rhizome into annual links with a leaf spatula, carefully shorten the roots, removing the damaged areas, and place for 2-3 hours in a solution of manganese cherry. Then, to improve the elasticity of the rhizome tissues, they are dried in the sun for 4-5 hours. Plant the prepared pieces in the same manner as described above.

Features of care: watering and weeding

Irises (except for marsh species) need reasonable irrigation, strictly controlled during the budding period. In this phase the plant should receive a sufficient amount of moisture, at another time water irises only when the soil at the roots becomes completely dry.

Weeding must be removed throughout the growing season. Weeding is done manually, not using the usual garden tools, since the roots close to the ground surface are damaged. A couple of times over the summer will have to loosen the soil under the plant to improve the aeration of the roots. These manipulations are also carried out carefully, without violating the integrity of the membrane of the rhizome.

The dried flowers should be removed, since they can host pathogenic microorganisms or insect pests. Both can significantly complicate the care of the plant and adversely affect its decorativeness.

Feeding

For planted in spring fertilizer plants made during the preparation of the site, it is enough. In the following years irises are fed once a season in the spring, during an active growth with a solution of phosphate-potassium fertilizers. They are brought under the root. But it is impossible to fertilize irises during the flowering period.

Care of the culture after flowering

If an autumn transplant is not planned, then after the plant has finished blooming, you need to cut off the peduncles. The cherry leaves of the iris retain a certain decorativeness up to the coldest. Especially beautiful leaves are famous for white iris. Beginning to yellow the leaves cut off, and completely removed the leaves in the fall, cutting it at an altitude of 10-15 cm above the ground.

We listed the main stages of cultivation of such a culture as irises. Planting and care in the open ground on closer inspection are quite simple, and the exquisite beauty of the plant will cause the florist to forget about some difficulties in the agrotechnology of garden works.