Planting Iris – Tips for a Successful Cultivation

For planting Iris the soil should be loose and well drained and the plants should be facing direct sunlight. Every spring, compost should be added to the plant base. For a beginner, arranging these iris in a triangle shape will work best.

Planting Iris – Begins with the Preparation of Soil

The soil has to be prepared by removing weeds and invasive grasses before planting iris. The soil should drain well and must be loose, if its clayey soil add compost but avoid manure. Iris comes either in the form of bulbs or rhizomes and should be planted in a place with direct sunlight for large sized flowers. Iris bulbs when planted should face the correct way up and it has to be planted at a depth of 3 to 4 inches and should be 3 to 6 inches apart. Iris rhizomes should be placed near the surface of the soil in a mound while its roots should spread around it. It is necessary to ensure that adequate water is provided and drained properly as stagnation will lead to rotting. End of summer is the best season for planting iris as it will remain dormant during winter and will bloom during spring.

Iris Plant – Maintenance for the Perfect Bloom

Iris plant is also popularly known as rainbow plant as it has different coloured flowers. These are perennial herbs that are generally tolerant so they can thrive in varied habitats. For a perfect bloom, avoid any shade and expose them to direct sunlight. Every spring add a thin layer of the compost around the base. For reblooming iris plant varieties, remove the flower to allow the new ones to grow. Cut the healthy leaves to 4 to 5 inches and remove the dead leaves during fall. During frost, the roots may start raising above the soil, to prevent this add mulch around the base of the plants. If the roots still heaves up, cover them with soil.

Iris Gardens – Tips to Design

If you only have an option of choosing fewer plants, arrange them in a triangle shape pointing the direction you see the garden from. This type of arrangement gives depth though only few of them are used. If you are trying to use few different coloured iris then it is better to mix them up in the garden. Try to cover the iris foliage by surrounding them with perennials as these foliages becomes prominent after the massive bloom. If more number of iris is used then creating a large block of this gives the maximum effect. Iris gardens can have a variety of colors arranged in a contrasting way. Plant the fragrant ones at the edges so that you can bend easily and smell them.

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