Even a novice gardener can grow irises. Planting and care in the open ground for these flowers is not particularly difficult, does not take much time. Velvety curly iris amazes us with its beauty, multicolor. This plant is a perennial, it is frost-resistant, tolerates winter well, and is quite unpretentious. They bloom for about 2 months, and some species in the fall.
Iris is a very beautiful flower that adorns our flower gardens in late spring or early summer.
The literal translation of the name of the flower from Greek is “rainbow”. Residents of central Russia call it "kasatik." And I, like many residents of the Kuban, call him "cockerel."
I never wondered why - a cockerel. And then I somehow looked at the lonely bush from the side - I saw that the straight, sharp leaves growing like a fan are very similar to the cocky cocky tail. And the flower towering above the tail leaves resembles a proudly raised cock's head with a beautiful scallop and beard - as in this photo:
Love him. Although it blooms with us for a short time, but look how beautiful the flower garden with irises is!
Moreover, even before or after flowering, spiky leaves are very decorative.
This flower is ideal as a border plant.
Garden irises breed vegetatively or by seed. Seed propagation is used mainly for crossing varieties, in this way flowers can be seen in the second or third year after planting. The vegetative method (dividing the roots) gives us the opportunity to enjoy flowering in a year, and it is suitable for varietal species and for wild ones.
Irises - varieties with photos and names, plant species
To date, about 250 varieties of this flower are known. Types and varieties of irises, which are popular in Russia, have about 20 items. They are grown in squares, parks, used to equip landscape design compositions, decorate summer cottages, house adjoining territories.
This flower prefers sunny, sheltered from the wind places with drained soil. Some species, for example, Siberian irises love partial shade. The overwhelming majority actively grow and develop on light sandy loams. If your site has heavy, moist clay soil, then before planting the roots, it is recommended to dilute it with peat or sand. Bog varieties of irises, on the contrary, prefer moist lowland soils.
Bearded irises are very popular among gardeners.
On the lower petals of the flower (in the middle) there is a soft bristle - “beard”, thanks to which it got its name. These irises can be tall (reach more than 70 cm). They can be medium-tall (up to 70 cm) or short (not more than 40 cm). Today, many varieties, varieties of bearded iris, are bred, they have a wonderful aroma and are distinguished by a variety of colors.
German Iris - the same bearded iris, or rather - its most common subspecies. The most popular for garden cultivation are “Bewilderbest” (variegated multi-color, curly petals), “Baltic Sea” (juicy blue flower with dark veins), Acoma (corrugated, sky blue).
In our regions, Siberian iris is popular, the color scheme of which covers a range from light blue to deep purple. Many new color combinations have also been cultivated, the most popular varieties we have are: “Snow Queen” (white), large-flowered “Imperial Opal” (lavender), “Butter And Cream” (cream-yellow), “Strawberry Fair” (raspberry) . Most Siberian varieties have no aroma; they grow in low dense groups. The plant itself is low, blooms profusely. The flower of the Siberian iris is medium-sized. It tolerates drought well, it is widely used for decoration of alpine hills, borders.
The Japanese variety (xiphoid), aka Kempflera, is distinguished by particularly large flowers, the diameter of which reaches 25 cm. Frost-resistant species are bred for the northern regions: violet-white “Nessa-No-Mai”, pale lilac “Solveig”, ink, blue-violet "Vasily Alferov".
Marsh iris differs from its fellow tribesmen in that it prefers a moist environment. It grows well near artificial ponds or ponds; most of the flowers of this species are distinguished by all shades of yellow. The most popular among us are terry "Flore Pleno", white and yellow "Golden Queen", pale yellow "Umkirch".
Varieties of Spuria have a very unusual flower shape, more reminiscent of orchids. These are frost-resistant and drought-resistant varieties of irises. The most popular types are: corrugated, lemon-colored “Lemon Touch”, purple-black with Stella Irene gold, dark purple with a bronze center “Transfiguration”, corrugated cream-white “Popped Corn”.
When irises are transplanted, how to do it right
So that plants do not lose their decorativeness, they need to be replanted every 6-7 years, individual varieties - 3-4 years. Rhizome division is the most appropriate option for this case. Planting, as well as transplantation, should be done during the intensive development of the root system of plants. This period begins 15-20 days after the completion of the flowering phase. You need to catch the moment when the rudiments of the roots are just beginning to form. Since the young root buds are very fragile, they can be easily damaged, but if they have already “tied up”, then it is better to wait until the beginning of September. By this time, the roots acquire a fibrous structure, lose their fragility.
The roots extracted from the soil are carefully washed, divided into fragments, removed problem areas, and disinfected with potassium permanganate solution (the fungicide "Maxim" is also suitable). After this, the rhizomes should be dried in the sun. To reduce moisture consumption, the leaves need to be shortened, 8-10 cm left will be enough. Store the resulting planting material can be no more than 10-14 days, exclusively in a dry environment, at room temperature. From moisture, the roots rot and die.
When to plant irises in open ground? To be sure that irises will not die with the onset of winter, they should be planted no later than the end of September. For greater reliability in the winter, you can cover the plants with a special covering material or a layer of sand (about 8-10 cm).
Landing is done in this way: a hole is made, earth or sand is poured on the bottom, like a small mound, a root is placed on it under a slight slope. In this case, the leaves should “look” towards the south (for the proportional development of the plant in the future). After the hole is covered with soil, watered.
As for the care, you should not worry about winter-hardy varieties. They comfortably tolerate wintering in open ground. After the irises have bloomed, they are watered less, and since November (in each region there is a period of frost onset) they cover with dry foliage or coniferous spruce branches. In the Kuban, irises are not harboring for the winter.
Delicate varieties in the middle lane are still recommended to be dug up for the winter. You need to wait until the leaves of the iris are completely dry, and then save the roots in a dry room, which is regularly ventilated. When spring comes, the soil warms up to 10 degrees Celsius, you can transplant.
Planting or transplanting irises in spring
Harvested material from the fall is planted in open ground by the end of March and beginning of April. For this, the soil is preliminarily prepared: it is dug up, loosened, and some vigilant gardeners recommend sifting it additionally. You can also fertilize the earth or make compost. Small pits digging - 10 cm of depth will be enough. A small mound is made at the bottom, a root is laid on it, after which the pit is covered with earth, watered.
Make sure that the distance between the wells of tall varieties is at least 50 cm, for medium-sized ones - 20 cm, for dwarf ones - 15 cm. As mentioned above, care for these plants is simple, only moderate watering is required (especially during budding ) Irises are usually watered when the soil around the plant becomes very dry. Fertilizers can be applied only in the spring, when the soil is prepared for planting. In some cases, you can add potassium-phosphorus fertilizing under the root of the plant during its growth.
When irises bloom, they should not be fertilized in any case.
The meaning of the iris flower
Different countries interpret the meaning of the iris flower in their own way. So, for example, in Japan, this flower symbolizes courage and military spirit, because even the very shape of the leaves resembles a sword. Among Christians, the image of a flower is associated with compassion: Flemish painters, depicting the image of the Virgin Mary, painted irises and lilies near her. The ancient Greek goddess Irida stepped on a rainbow to bring people news from the gods. From Greek, the translation of the name of the flower will mean “rainbow”, as already mentioned above.
The emblem of the city of Florence even now depicts irises as a symbol of prosperity. And in Russia this flower used to be called a kasatik before (and now), from the word “braid” hinting at its narrow, sharp leaves. Today, these beautiful flowers symbolize respect, good intentions, assurance of friendship. They can be given to everyone without fear, they carry a good promise, a positive meaning.
Irises look impressive together with other flowers of bright colors, decorate any flowerbed, add charm to even the simplest site. Irises are diverse in their splendor and undemanding, planting and care in the open ground does not constitute special worries for the summer resident. This is just the case when with minimal labor costs you can enjoy a great result throughout almost the entire summer.