It is difficult to imagine a gardener who does not grow irises on the flowerbed. After all, they are not only popular, but also very beautiful. In the spring and summer, your house, cottage or garden site will be decorated with bright, unusual and, most importantly, unpretentious plants with a wide palette of colors (blue, blue, purple, yellow and many others). The article will focus on how to plant a flower and take care of it.

When do irises bloom?

Irises delight with beauty from May to June. Some species, provided that the weather is warm in the fall and without sudden changes in temperature, can bloom a second time during the vegetative period. Experienced gardeners say that starting in the third year after planting, lush flowers grow in irises. They come in different colors, and some varieties are spotted. The flower consists of six petals (three upper and three outer), more often solitary, but you can see inflorescences.

Did you know? In Christianity, irises have a special meaning - they symbolize the sadness and purity of the Virgin Mary.

Breeding irises

Breeding irises yourself is simple. You can choose vegetative or seed propagation methods, but the latter option requires experience. As a rule, it is used in cases of hybridization. A vegetative type of reproduction is even for beginners. Any season of the year is suitable for this method, but flower fans know that the period from July to September is ideal for dividing the bushes.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Rhizome digs up. It consists of thick links, separately located, which are formed in the form of annual shortened shoots.
2. The root is cleared from the ground. It must be well washed with a stream of water from the ground.
3. Divides bush. The plant must be divided into links that are one-, two-, or three-year.
4. Roots are cut. They need to be shortened by about 10 cm. This will allow the plant to stay in the soil.
5. Clipped leaves. It is necessary to remove them by 15–20 cm. It will be easier for the plant to resume the growth process after the procedure.
6. Separated seedlings are soaked in a special solution.. They must be immersed in water with the addition of potassium permanganate in order to avoid the development of bacteriosis. In this form, keep 15-20 minutes.
7. Planted in the ground.

You can also breed irises using the kidney method. Most often it is used to propagate rare varieties. The option involves cutting kidneys and growing them in a special substrate to obtain seedlings. This method is especially suitable in cases where it is necessary to grow a lot of irises in a short period of time.

Important! Before planting the seed, stratification is necessary: ​​the planting material is mixed with coarse sand and placed in a cold room for 2 weeks.

If the vegetative method is not suitable, you can plant bushes using seeds. They need to be sown in nutrient and light soil to a very shallow depth - up to 3 cm.

Video: iris seeds

Growing conditions

Irises love areas protected from the wind and open to the sun. Buildings and trees nearby should not create a shadow. It is also better to choose a place to plant on a small hill, because these flowers do not tolerate prolonged accumulation of moisture. The slope will avoid stagnation of melt water. These wintering requirements are not suitable for winter-hardy and bog species - they prefer to grow on moist soils. Like many other plants, irises prefer to dwell in soil with nutrients.

To ensure this, adding pre-planted garden greasy earth or fertilizer based on phosphorus and potassium will help. You can reapply recharge once a year.. Bushes need not acidic soil. If the soil at the selected location is not intended for irises, the addition of dolomite flour, chalk or wood ash will help to correct the situation. You can add peat or sand to the loam, and clayey soil to the sandy type.

Outdoor planting and care

If you adhere to the rules of planting, then in your area you can grow flowers of extraordinary beauty.

Landing time

You can plant a plant at any time of the year. But most gardeners recommend choosing a period immediately after flowering, so that the flowers have time to gain strength before the winter cold.

Important! Irises require regular transplantation every 3-4 years. Then they will bloom every year and serve you for a very long time.

Material preparation

If the seedlings are bought in a store or on the market, then before planting they can be treated with a growth stimulator. Be sure to remove the long roots. If there are places with rot, then they also need to be cut. Before planting, seedlings should be placed in a light solution of potassium permanganate. They should be in it no more than 20 minutes.

In cases where the procured or purchased material needs to be held for several days, it is important not to make such mistakes:

• store seedlings in bags;
• leave them in a damp place or material for more than a day.

Planting

In the autumn and spring, planting is the same.

Algorithm of actions:

• dig a shallow hole (about 10 cm), into which sand must be poured with a knoll;
• seedlings are placed in the seat;
• the roots are straightened;
• they are covered with loose soil so that the root system is at ground level.

The planting procedure is suitable for bearded irises. Beardless must be immersed in the ground for a couple of centimeters.

Optimum distance between plants:

• for undersized bushes - 15 cm;
• for medium-sized - 20 cm;
• for tall - 50 cm.

Watering Rules

The flowers in question are not hydrophilic and do not need frequent watering. An exception is the period of formation of the buds. At this time, flowers can be given extra attention and watered 2-3 times a week if the weather is dry. Further moisten the soil if necessary. As a rule, once a week is enough.

Fertilizer

More often, irises do not need fertilizers. If you don’t like how the flower grows, then you can add a solution of potassium-phosphorus feed under the bush.

Important! Do not fertilize the plant with manure, it adversely affects irises.

The procedure is recommended to be carried out in the fall. The main thing is not to do this during the flowering period, because irises are very sensitive.

How much are in a vase of water?

You will not have to enjoy the beauty of irises in a vase with water for a long time. In this form, they usually cost no more than 2 days. These are delicate flowers and they very quickly lose their beauty.

Did you know? The ancestors of the Western Slavs believed that the iris is a special flower, since it grew in places where the lightning of Perun fell.

If you want to extend the period of storage of the bouquet, you need:

• before putting them in a vase of water, wait a few minutes for the flowers to adapt to the temperature in the room;
• for better contact with water, it is necessary to trim the stems;
• collect settled water into the tank;
• change water every day and add sugar or aspirin to it.

Do I need to dig up irises for the winter?

It is digging for the winter that prolongs the life of this plant. Irises are not frost-resistant - they die at very low temperatures. Therefore, experienced gardeners every year before the onset of cold weather digs the roots and bulbs of culture. If you live in the southern region with warm winters, this procedure is optional. You can lay straw on the soil around the bush and cover it with tarpaulin.

How to keep iris until spring?

Proper storage of dug irises in the winter is the key to beautiful flowers in your garden.

To do this, observe the following rules:

1. For bearded irises. Place the rhizome in a dry container with a lid in a cool place. Before this, it is recommended to dry them well and wrap them in cloth or paper.
2. For other species. To put in flowerpots with the earth. But first you need to hold the rhizome in a light solution of potassium permanganate for no more than 20 minutes. Then they need to be dried and only after that shallow be planted in a prepared pot.

It is difficult not to love irises, because they are beautiful and varied, and their cultivation will not bring much trouble. Proper care of them can provide a bright and spectacular flower bed. With the help of a huge number of species (monochrome, spotted, velvety, etc.), you can transform the design of your site.