Fall Care Tips for Bearded Iris

 

Bearded iris has been a favorite of generations of gardeners and for good reason. They’re reliable perennials, blooming late spring into early summer. They’re easy to grow, available in a variety of bloom colors, and typically don’t require a lot of maintenance, but if your iris didn’t bloom this year or there weren’t as many blooms as usual, they’re telling you they need some help.  

Bearded irises thrive when you give them attention in the fall. These seasonal tasks include cleaning up old foliage, pruning, dividing crowded clumps, and adding new varieties to your garden. Doing these things now help set the stage for vibrant spring blooms. 

 

Bearded irises grow from a thick root structure called a rhizome. As the plant matures the rhizome multiplies, resulting in more leaves and flowers.  

If your bearded iris didn’t bloom this this spring, it’s a sure sign they need to be divided. Overcrowded irises will not bloom. When this happens, it’s time to dig them up and divide the rhizomes. The best tool to use to dig iris rhizomes, is a spading fork. Spading forks make it easy to get under and lift the rhizome without causing damage to the roots. 

Once you’ve got the clump of iris out of the ground, you’ll be able to see the rhizomes clearly. You can divide the clump with a knife or by simply breaking off each root with your hand. Trim the leaves in a fan shape down to between 4" and 6". Mark the leaves with the variety of the iris, so you’ll remember which one it is. 

Ready to plant

Iris will do okay in clay soils, but they thrive in soils that have been amended, so add a couple of inches of Sheep, Peat and Compost and dig it in 4-5 inches.  Add some Bone Meal or Dutch Bulb Food and place the rhizome so that the roots are fanned out to the side, then add enough soil to cover the roots, leaving the very top of the rhizome exposed. Water in thoroughly. Your iris will establish through the fall and be ready to bloom next spring.    

 

When you’re replanting, it’s important to remember iris grow in the direction of the heel so place your rhizomes with the leaves planted in the direction you want the plant to grow.    

 

Your iris will establish roots through the fall and early winter and be ready to bloom for you next spring and in some cases, again next fall. 

 

For the rest of the iris in your garden, remove any dead vegetation, cut the foliage back to 4” to 6” long and fertilize with Bone Meal or Dutch Bulb Food, then water thoroughly. This will prepare your iris for the winter season ahead. Avoid using mulch around bearded iris. It’s better to leave the soil open. 

This is also a good time to add new varieties and colors to your garden. We’ve just received our shipments of bearded iris rhizomes, so 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.

The same planting guidelines apply. Pick a good solid rhizome, amend the soil well, add some Bone Meal and make sure you mark the iris, so you’ll remember the name next spring.  

 

With proper care now, your iris will bloom reliably for many springs to come.  

Tips to boost your tomato harvest this fall

   

At this time of the season, there are several factors that can slow or stop tomatoes from ripening, causing the fruit to linger in the green stage. Persistent high temperatures are the most common cause, but plant care also plays an important role.  At this stage of tomato plant development, it’s important to direct the plant’s energy towards ripening existing fruit, as opposed to growing stems and leaves, flowering and producing new fruit. 

  

This can be accomplished by pruning strategically, adjusting the watering schedule, stopping fertilization, and by providing protection on cool nights. 

Stem and leaf pruning. Start by removing any dead, diseased or damaged stems and leaves.

Next, prune lower leaves, suckers and any non-bearing branches, and pinch off new flowers. This improves airflow and light exposure, which boosts ripening.  

 

It also helps to remove any small fruit and any tomatoes that are soft to the touch or showing signs of disease.    

Root pruning will also encourage ripening. To root prune, simply stick a shovel or trowel six to eight inches deep into the ground, all the way around the edge of your tomato plant. This will chop off the ends of the roots and force the plant to stop new growth and divert its energy into the fruit. It should be noted that root pruning will dramatically decrease the life of your plant.   

  

Cut back on the watering.  The plant’s normal response to September’s warm days and cooler nights, is to begin to slow down. Cutting back on water signals the plant that it’s time to focus on fruit production rather than new growth. Less water helps to concentrate the sugar in the fruit, hastening the ripening process and producing a more flavorful crop. Start by slowly reducing the amount as well as the frequency of watering. The goal is to slow the plant’s growth, without letting it dry out to the point of wilting.   

Stop fertilizing. With the bulk of the crop already on the vine, it’s time to stop fertilizing.   

Protect your plants at night by covering them with an insulating material. Tomatoes need more than 60° F to ripen properly. With nighttime temperatures dropping into the fifties, keeping your plants warm will keep fruit ripening.    

Boosting your tomato harvest at this time in the season is a matter of redirecting the plant’s energy away from growth and toward maturing fruit.