How to Remove Spent Iris Blooms
Most of the 300 iris species grown in gardens are hybrids. Their sword like, blue-green leaves arise out of rhizomes in a characteristic fan shape. The distinctive blooms flower in late spring in shades of blue, brown, yellow, orange and white. Each bloom has six petals in a fleur-de-lis pattern, three upright standards and three downward curving falls with a beard on each of them, hence the common name bearded iris. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Remove spent iris blooms after the flowers fade. There is no point letting the seed capsules form. It is much easier and quicker to propagate iris by division when the plants are dormant.
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Cut the stalks off spent iris blooms close to the rhizome. Toss the worn out flowers onto the compost heap.
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Grow iris in a cool climate. Even though they are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 to 9, they produce more blooms in a cool climate.
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Plant iris shallowly, in full sun, in well-drained soil. Covering them with too much soil causes them to rot and die. Iris rhizomes need a good baking in hot sun, especially after they bloom. This keeps them healthy, encouraging next year's blooms.
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