Newbie here - which irises multiply the fastest

Hi,
my name is Angela and I live in Massachussett's.We have 4 children,2 boys and 2 girls.I have just been a member of a few days.
I am new to irises and have only a couple which are doing good.

I am confused about the different types of irises.Which ones do bloom first ? which ones increase the fastest .Need some help please,
Angela

usually the first to bloom are the median iris (standard dwarf, border bearded, min. tall bearded, min dwarf bearded) the last is the first then followed by the others, these are by height...as to class.

They also are the fastest to increase.

D

You might want to try ' intermediate bearded 'iris. If you have the talls, the IBs bloom ahead of those which extends the season & they are very fast growing. Also easier to deal with in windy weather.

Since tall bearded irises (28" & taller) are the easiest to find, I have been thinking about some which grow well here & can often be found at garden centers. Next July Iris society of Mass will have a sale where you can find the smaller ones which have been recommended. Check for pictures of these on plant files & see if you like them. Blue--Sapphire Hills. Deep violet--Dusky Challenger. Black (dark purple) Before the Storm. Iris red--Spartan. White--Immortality (will also rebloom, but a bit difficult to get started, then it is fine). Plicata (white, edged & dotted or purple lines) Jesse's Song, Autumn Circus. Pink--Pink Attraction. (may rebloom). I can't think of yellow at the moment. These plants should have 2 to 3 increases per bloomstalk each year.

Thank you so much irisloverdee and irisMA for the helpful advice to my iris question. I am looking forward to buying more and adding them to my gardens. I think I should start a "wish list" notebook with all of your suggestions--to take along with me when I go out to the nurseries. Thank you so much !!!! Angela

Hi Angela, and welcome to the iris forum!

I see you have lots of great advice about bearded irises. But there are also beardless irises, like Japanese and siberian. Siberians, especially ones that are marked as being tetraploid multiply quickly.

Please stick around with us here on the iris forum, and you will see all the different kinds of irises pictured and discussed. We're a friendly group, so you'll have lots of fun here.

Polly

Hi
The most incredible iris for me is Dreamcake, from Snowpeaks This its second year for me and it had 21 bloom,and gorgeous to boot.

Lynn

I've read here and there that Queen's Circle is a fast multiplier.

here in texas i'll list a few that grew fast in all day sun without fertilizer

prague
crusader rabbit
safari sunset
nancy's lace
elmer's web
obi wan kenobi
sunny shoulders
lady friend
thunder echo
claret mahogany

just a few

Thanks so much everyone for the wonderful iris information. I feel like I am back in college and have to get a notebook to take notes!! I will definitely make a small notebook,at least,of all iris information to keep in my purse when I am out and about shopping.

Fondly,
Angela

Here is Schreiners description of types of Irises.

1] Miniature Dwarf Bearded (MDB) The tiniest of the bearded with stems from 2" to 8" tall. Earliest to bloom and reproduce quick.

2] Standard Dwarf Bearded (SDB) Height from 8" to 15". They begin theri bloom after the MDB's.

3] Intermediate Bearded (IB) from 16" to 28" high. Their blooms overlaps the SBDs and the TBs (tall bearded).

4] Border Beaded (BB) Small version of the TBs in the same height range and bloom size as the IBs but blooming with the tall bearded.

5] Tall Bearded (TB) Stalks over 27" tall, extending to approximaely 40" in height with branching and many buds.

Those labeled as "reblooming" does not rebloom in every climate. The growing season isn't long enough in zone 4, possibly zone 5. Where they can rebloom, they require additional water and fertilizer applied during the summer months to encourage them to bloom again.

This message was edited Jul 4, 2009 1:40 AM

dmac085
I have Queen's Circle and it is a sturdy iris but I haven't noted a serious increase. But I do believe it is an iris worth waiting for increase. May I ask why you so interested in fast growers?
Iris

Hi all, just found the Iris Forum ... fairly new to posting.. I love Queen's Circle. This year it must have had a dozen flowers open at once.. very nice. I think BLATANT is a fairly fast grower here.

As stated before--Tall bearded iris should have 2-3 increase per stem. If more, fine. Fewer than that will produce flowers, but not the clump which most people want.

Maybe fast growing just means that it is in a suitable environment?
My best grower is the old fashioned Iris pallida dalmatica - the grape kool-aid one. It has survived decades of neglect and now that I am more knowledgeable about irises, it multiplies like rabbits!

This message was edited Jul 5, 2009 8:41 AM

I guess any iris is capable of being a fast grower/multiplier when they are happy in the environment they're in. Sometimes that info would be great if you are mixing new planting among older plantings and want them to blend or you have a brand new bed that you would like to bloom asap and look established sooner than later.

Probably the best info on that may be from iris growers in her zone or a local iris society.

IB for me is Fast Forward. Very fast increaser and heavy bloomer.
TB has been an older one Kilt Lilt.

Whats the name of the iris you posted "irisboerer"?

& Kilt Lilt does nothing here. It is quite a lot to expect an iris to be the same across a continent. The thing to find out is how the plant does in your area or an area close to you. Local iris societies help with that.

2 to 3 increases per stem would mean 2-3 new bumps on the rhizome in the fall for each bloom stalk that you cut off? Have you ever had bloom stalks that don't develop much or bloom, but are in the central end of rhizome position? Should they be cut off as if they had bloomed?

Yes, you don't want the plant to use its energy on that stem, even if a partial one, rather than increases.