How to Plant a Bearded Iris

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Planting an iris is a pleasing and simple task to undertake. Growing very well in zones 3 to 9, these beautiful flowers are full of color and make a wonderful addition to any garden. Varieties of the bearded iris can be found in a wide range of heights, from miniature dwarf to tall.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Soil
Small shovel or garden trowel
Water
Iris rhizome
Planting pots or garden bed

Step1

Dig a large hole approximately 2 feet in circumference and 7 inches deep.

Step2

Add mulch, peat moss or even sand to wet or clay soil. Well drained soil will produce healthier plants.

Step3

Keep the soil slightly acidic, around pH 6.5 to 7, is ideal. To raise pH levels add calcitic or dolomite lime or wood ash to the soil. To lower pH levels, add sulfate, sulfur, pine needles, peat moss or sawdust to the soil.

Step4

Create a trench in the dirt with a hoe or other garden tool. Leave a small mound of dirt in the bottom of the trench. Take care to remove any competing weeds or grasses.

Step5

Fertilize the trench with a fertilizer of your choice.

Step6

Place the plants 12 to 18 inches apart. Any closer and the iris will not be able to spread into rhizome clusters or be able to flower properly.

Step7

Spread out the iris's roots over the top of the mounded dirt.

Step8

Leave only the top portion of the iris exposed and fill the hole with loose dirt. It is important when planting the rhizomes to cover them with no more than 1 inch or less of soil. However, the rhizome should rest upon cultivated soil deep enough to give the roots room to develop and spread.

Step9

Water the new plants thoroughly.

Tips & Warnings

When planting in the fall, trim the roots to about 3 inches and cover the iris completely with soil.
Consider using a soaker hose to properly and adequately water the plant.
Cut off dead blooms and blossoms when the iris has stopped blooming for the season.
Cut brown leaves back in a 4-inch fan shape for next year's bloom.
Feed your iris bone meal a teaspoon at a time in the fall.
Never put fertilizer directly on your plant or its roots as this may lead to burning the iris's root structure and stunting or killing the plant.
Soft, smelly or rotting plants should be composted or otherwise thrown away. Throw out any that feel light or hollow, or appear dead.
If planting in a pot or container, ensure that the iris is standing up with about a third of the plant resting above the surrounding soil.