Planting and caring for Bearded Iris

With their large, showy, fragrant flowers, broad spectrum of colors and low maintenance, it’s easy to see why bearded iris are one of the most popular perennials.  If you’ve been thinking about growing bearded iris, fall is the time to plant. 

 

Having just received our shipments of bearded iris rhizomes, it’s a great time to add to your collection, while stock is fresh and there’s a good selection of colors.  

 

As you're shopping for bearded iris, you may notice some boxes are labeled "Blooms Spring and Fall". These are "reblooming" iris, that is iris that have been developed to produce blooms in the spring and again in the fall. Whether you choose the reblooming varieties or not, there are certain things to do to ensure the success of your iris for many seasons to come. 

 

First, iris need to be planted in a sunny spot in the garden.  

 

Second, to do their best, bearded iris need to be planted in well-draining soil. You’ll see bearded iris planted and blooming in less-than-ideal conditions. Iris planted in these conditions will do okay, but they’ll thrive in soils that have been amended.  

 

It’s important to take the time to improve the planting site by adding organic material in the form of compost and peat moss. These amendments should be mixed about 50:50 with the existing soil. 

Next, add some Bone Meal, working it into the soil.  You can also use Dutch Bulb Food. Both products contain good amounts of Phosphate to help your iris rhizomes set roots.

 

You’re now ready to plant. Bearded irises are planted from rhizomes, thick underground stems that produce roots, shoots and store food for the plant. There is a “front and back” to iris rhizomes, a toe and a heel.

The leaf indicates the heel side. Iris will grow in the direction of the heel, so keep that in mind when you're planting, especially if they're going to be growing along a path or fence.  Note in this picture the rhizome heel is pointed away from the wood edging.

 

Another important factor to remember when you're planting your iris rhizomes is to avoid planting too deep. Iris does best when planted so the top of the rhizome is right at the soil level or just thinly covered. If you plant iris too deep, the leaves may develop but chances are the plant won't bloom. 

 

If you have established bearded iris and you didn’t divide them this spring, now’s the time. After a few seasons, Iris will become crowded and stop blooming, so it’s important to dig and divide iris every so often to reinvigorate the plant.

Irises grow in clumps and can be lifted using a garden fork. Once out of the ground, cut or break apart the rhizomes into sections, each with a healthy set of leaves and firm, tan/white roots.

Next, cut the leaves back in a fan shape to about a third of their length and mark them with the name of the variety. You are now ready to plant your iris, following the same guidelines outlined earlier in this article. Your iris will establish themselves through the fall and early winter and be ready to bloom for you next spring and in some cases, again next fall. 

 

How to Nourish and Protect Your Garden with Fall Cover Crops

There was a time when the gardening season was over, we’d clean up the remnants of our crops and leave the ground fallow through the winter season. What we’ve learned however, is that ground protected through the off season is ground that is much more productive when the season rolls around next spring.  

The most effective way to protect your soil is to plant a cover crop. Cover crops perform several functions including increasing soil organic matter, fixing nitrogen, breaking up compacted soils, suppressing weeds, acting as a living mulch, promoting, and protecting valuable soil microbial activity.   

Cover crops are usually planted after harvest. Though often referred to as “green manure”, cover crops are the actual plants. They become green manure, once they are turned into the soil.   

Commonly, cover crops fall into two categories: legumes and fast-growing grasses.    

Both categories will add organic material to the soil, but legumes bring the added advantage of nitrogen fixing. The term nitrogen fixing refers to the plant’s ability to convert nitrogen from the air into a form useable by plants. When the cover crop is worked into the soil, the nitrogen is released and becomes available for crops that are planted in the area. 

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) as well as White clover will work to protect the soil and fix nitrogen, as will fava beans and hairy vetch.   

Fast growing grasses are planted to add organic material as well as improve soil tilth and structure. This includes buckwheat, oats, and winter rye. These grasses develop deep root systems which helps aerate and reduce compaction, as well as protect soil microorganisms.     

The time to plant a cover crop is as you finish harvesting and clear your crops. Cover crops can be planted in portions, which makes it easy to start putting down seed even as other parts of the garden are still producing. Simply rake up the soil with a bow rake, scatter the seed by hand, then cover lightly. 

  

Cover crop seeds will germinate quickly in the warm soils of late summer, early fall. The key is to keep the seed moist. Cover crops require little maintenance, once germinated. The main thing to watch for is to make sure the crop doesn’t go to seed.   

In the spring, the crop needs to be terminated. This can be accomplished by cutting down the crop with a mower or weed trimmer, or by digging it in with a garden fork or hoe.   

Cover crops are well suited for all gardens, both in-ground and raised beds. They provide cover and stability for your soil through the winter months and help improve soil structure and fertility for the spring and summer garden.