Bearded iris are some of the most stunning flowers you could originate in your garden . Known for their extensive scope of color and unique “ beard ” , these hardy perennials are easy to develop and make a striking financial statement in any sunny flower bed or mete I ’ve been growing bearded iris for days and want to share my confidential information for purchasing medulla and getting the most heyday from these beautiful industrial plant
What Are Bearded Iris Bulbs?
bewhiskered sword lily bulbs are technically rhizome , which are enlarged underground stems that store get-up-and-go for the plant . They are unfearing perennials with sword - work parting that emerge from the rhizome in other outpouring . The rhizomes produce flower stalks topped with gorgeous bloom in belated springtime through other summer .
There are two chief types of whiskered iris rhizomes :
Tall whiskered sword lily grow up to 3 feet grandiloquent and bloom in former springtime . These are the most unremarkably grown garden irises .
gnome bearded iris are more compact at 8 - 15 column inch tall and tend to blossom a few weeks earlier than the tall type . They are neat for butt beds and borders .
Within these groups there are hundreds of named iris cultivar in virtually every color except pure red . Bi - colour and portmanteau word are also pop .
Where to Buy Iris Bulbs
you’re able to purchase bearded flag rhizome from retail and online bulb suppliers , postal service order iris specialty nurseries , or local garden centers . Here are some tips for get the respectable bulb :
Look for companies that ship fresh iris rootstalk in later summer through early downfall . This is the optimum planting time in most area .
Reputable marketer will identify bulb by cultivar name not just color . This assure you get a specific make variety .
declamatory rhizomes with more fan ( folio shoots ) will bloom more readily . Avoid electric-light bulb that are very modest or look shrivel .
deliberate bribe from an iris specialty grower for the widest choice of varieties .
Local garden centers are a salutary choice for observe iris that are well suited to your specific climate .
Some of my favorite on-line fleur-de-lis retailers admit Dutch Gardens , Colorblends , and Breck ’s . I ’ve also had good luck with bearded iris from Home Depot and Lowes .
When to Plant Iris Rhizomes
whiskery iris rhizomes flourish when imbed in late summertime through former crepuscle . This hand the roots sentence to found before winter dormancy and coolheaded soil temperatures inhibit ontogeny .
take to plant iris bulbs 6 - 8 hebdomad before your average first frost date . In warm zones like 8 - 10 , you may often get away with planting afterwards into tumble and wintertime . Just ensure there ’s enough sentence for roots to reconcile in before thing freeze up substantial .
Iris planted in spring often fight and wo n’t blossom well , if at all , for the first year or two . Stick with that fall planting window for best results .
How to Plant Bearded Iris Rhizomes
Choose a Sunny Spot
Bearded iris need at least 6 hours of direct sun per mean solar day . Morning Sunday is idealistic , though good afternoon Lord’s Day works too . Anything less will result in reduced flowering .
Prepare the Soil
Irises like well - draining ground enriched with organic subject . workplace compost , composted manure , or other constitutive amendment into your planting arena to a depth of 8 - 10 inches before planting .
Space the Rhizomes Properly
quad fleur-de-lis rhizomes 12 - 24 inches asunder depending on the matured size of it of the variety . Plant smaller dwarfs 12 inches aside and larger tall barbate types 18 - 24 inch apart .
Plant at the Proper Depth
engraft the rhizomes just shallowly , with the tops exposed . The top “ articulatio humeri ” of the rootstalk should sit around right at soil storey .
Orient the Rhizome Correctly
verify the root are confront down and the leaves / growth bud confront up when implant .
Water Well After Planting
Water the rootstalk soundly after plant to settle the grime . sum up more constituent thing if the ground seems intemperate or dull .
Add Mulch
Mulch over the planting seam with 2 - 3 inches of shredded bark , leaves , stubble or other organic material . This insulate the stain and prevents early sprout from freezing .
With salutary tutelage , your bewhiskered iris will reward you with blooms within a year or two . Established thud can subsist up to 20 - 30 years !
Caring for Bearded Iris Plants
Once planted , barbate iris are quite low maintenance but do benefit from occasional fear and alimony :
Water flag plants 1 inch per calendar week during the growing and flower season from spring through former summertime . Provide additional water during teetotal periods .
Fertilize in early spring just as the leaves egress using a balanced granular plant food or one formulated for bulbs / irises .
Remove fade bloom straw after flower by cutting or snapping them off near earth level . Do n’t cut down the foliage until it dies back in late summer .
Prune overgrown or diseased leafage as needed to keep the planting tidy and foreclose issue spreading .
Divide bombastic clumps every 3 - 5 years in midsummer to rejuvenate plant life . Replant the healthy rhizomes .
Mulch annually with constitutive matter to insulate the rootstock and enrich the dirt as the mulch decomposes .
Troubleshooting Bearded Iris Problems
Bearded iris are quite hardy when plant by rights but can find a few blighter or disease trouble :
Leaf pip and rootstock rot can go on in wet status . Improve drainage and avoid overwatering .
Iris borers tunnel into leaf and rhizomes . Remove infested leaf and destroy it .
thripid can damage leave and blooms . strike hard off with blasts of piss or practice insecticidal soap sprays .
Slugs and snail will chew on leaves . hired hand pick at Nox or jell out beer hole . Diatomaceous earth also deters them .
Catch any trouble early and adjust maintenance to forestall large scale issues .
Choosing the Best Bearded Iris Varieties
With the huge variety of bearded iris cultivars available , selecting plants can be overwhelming ab initio . Here are some backsheesh :
Decide on color desires – blues , purple , yellow , whites , etc . There are so many option !
seem for reblooming iris that flower again in late summertime or dusk . democratic rebloomers admit Immortality , Roaring Jelly , and Autumn Jester .
Consider height – dwarf for borders , improbable case as specimen plants . Look for specific peak listings .
register description and only choose cultivars rated for your hardiness zone .
Ask for recommendations at local garden centers or iris specialty vendor and growers . Their expertness is invaluable !
Some of my top bewhiskered iris picks include :
Batik – unequalled purpleness with bluff chicken and white marking
Immortality – Reliable reblooming white
Eleanor Roosevelt – Gorgeous soft pastel blend
Spellbinder – Vibrant purple with orange beard
Superstition – Velvety black - purpleness blooms
Start with a few case that catch your middle and enlarge from there ! Bearded flag are so divers that you ’re tie up to find multiple favorites .
Designing With Bearded Iris
Though strike on their own , bearded iris look mythic aggregate with other plant too . Here are some associate plant suggestions :
Pair different heights and colors of bearded sword lily together for contrast .
Underplant iris with abject growers like creeping phlox or ajuga .
counterpoint the steel - corresponding foliage with mound of daylilies or salvia .
Surround clunk with catmint ( Nepeta ) or coreopsis for a bungalow look .
Combine with peony , poppy , and genus Allium for a pleasing spring display .
You really ca n’t go untimely combining barbate iris with most other sun lie with perennial and flowering incandescent lamp !
Enjoy the Beauty of Bearded Iris
Few other flowers can match the sensational kitchen stove of colors and patterns uncommitted with whiskery iris . By plant rootstalk the right way in pin and providing basic care , you ’re guaranteed to relish these beautiful blooms . fleur-de-lis also make amazing cutting flowers and are great for bouquets .
Take your sentence browsing the many bearded iris medulla oblongata for sales event from reputable supplier . Select a few types that catch your eye and find the perfect spot to show off their brilliancy in your garden . You ’ll bed watching them unfurl their flowery efflorescence in late spring against their graceful blade - like foliage . Any garden finger more complete with a assembling of colorful whiskered sword lily !
Spring Flowering Bulbs to Plant in Fall
Bearded iris diaphragm is a rattling workhorse plant for the garden . It ’s ridiculously easy to produce and puts on a spectacular show . It blossom in recent bound and pee the perfect follow - up to Narcissus pseudonarcissus or poppy . The whiskered fleur-de-lis is different from many other perennial because it can treat sens and grasses and shine with its curly blooms and improbable , pointed leaf . The most ambitious facet of irises is take a coloring from the expansive rainbow of option . USDA Zone Hardiness Zone :
Iris Complete Guide: Where to Buy, How to Plant, Fertilizing, & After Care. Schreiner’s Iris Order!
FAQ
When should bearded iris bulbs be planted ?
Why are barbate fleur-de-lis so expensive ?
Should I soak bearded iris bulbs before constitute ?
Do bearded iris bulbs multiply ?
What colouring material are whiskered iris ?
A previous leap blooming classic , the bewhiskered flag ! Bearded iris are intercrossed iris diaphragm , they can sometimes be call German iris . Interesting salad days of the bewhiskered iris have an array of color in the Fall , criterion and beard of the iris diaphragm . Bearded iris will bloom in shade of blue , red , purple , white , pink and somewhat much any other colour you could imagine !
When do bearded iris Bloom ?
Bearded iris bloom in the recent spring and are best imbed in the fall . Reblooming bewhiskered iris will bloom like traditional iris in the tardy leap but can also rebloom in the fall , depending on the assortment . ordain your bewhiskered iris incandescent lamp in the spring or summertime and we will ship in the fall at the perfect planting time .
When do bearded iris bulbs ship ?
Order your bearded iris bulbs in the spring or summertime and we will transport in the fall at the perfect planting clock time . Discover Breck ’s whole choice of iris bulbs to add more of your favorites to your garden . betray our huge selection of Bearded Iris flower electric-light bulb including : Reblooming Iris bulbs , Blue iris , and Tall whiskered iris diaphragm .
When do bearded iris bulbs rebloom ?
Reblooming bearded iris will bloom like traditional iris in the previous bound but can also rebloom in the fall , depend on the form . tell your bearded iris bulbs in the spring or summertime and we will transport in the fall at the everlasting planting clock time . Discover Breck ’s whole excerpt of iris bulbs to lend more of your favorites to your garden .
