How to Plant Iris Bulbs in the Fall
Irises are beautiful early blooming, perennial flowers that bloom on tall, sturdy stalks. Irises come in many cultivars, but the two main types are bulb and rhizome. Both types are also available in dwarf form. The foliage of the bulb iris is herbaceous, meaning it will die back in late summer. The most common bulb iris is the Dutch Iris. Rhizome irises are evergreen in many climates. The popular Bearded iris is grown from a rhizome. Bulb and rhizome irises are usually planted in the fall and remain dormant through the winter months, producing new foliage and flowers in the spring. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Bulb Iris
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Select a location in your garden that receives full sun in early spring. Observe and record which part of your garden is sunny at different times of the year. As the seasons progress, different parts of your garden may be shaded.
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Loosen the soil of the garden to a depth of 18 inches with a shovel. Amend with organic matter, such as compost, and mix well with the soil. The compost will improve drainage as well as add nutrients to the soil. The biggest reason irises fail is because of improper drainage.
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Plant your iris bulbs 5 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches apart. Cover with your amended soil.
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Spread a slow-release fertilizer over the ground. Gently work it into the top 2 inches of soil.
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Water well to collapse any air pockets.
Rhizome Iris
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Choose an area in your garden that receives at least six hours of sun in early spring by observing your garden and recording how much sun each part of the garden receives at different times of the year. Rhizome irises are more shade-tolerant than other varieties of iris.
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Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 inches by using a shovel. Build up any low areas by adding potting soil. The rhizome iris will not tolerate any standing water. Amend the soil with compost. If you have soil with a high percentage of clay, then add a layer of coarse sand to the soil. Mix well.
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Place your iris rhizomes 14 to 18 inches apart and only 3 inches deep. The top third of the rhizome should be visible above the soil. The biggest mistake gardeners make with this type of iris is planting it too deep.
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Sprinkle a slow-release fertilizer per package directions on the soil around the rhizomes. According to Rainbow Farms, a fertilizer where the last two numbers are bigger than the first is best. They represent the levels of phosphorus and potassium in the fertilizer.
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Water your irises well to collapse any air pockets. Make sure there is no fertilizer on the rhizomes as it will burn the delicate root.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not mix bone meal or any other kind of fertilizer into the soil. According to the University of Minnesota, doing so may burn your bulbs and damage the bulbs' roots or even kill the iris bulbs.
Do not water your iris bulbs in the summer after the foliage has died back. Iris bulbs benefit from a period of drying out and can easily suffer from rotting if overwatered during the summer months.
References
- Photo Credit iris image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com
