Can Irises be grown from a pot?

Can irises successfully grow from a container?

if so - do they need special soil or nutrients?

Plan to move in a year of so and
potting would make moving and identifying easier.

I'm sure you'll get much more knowledgeable advice than I can give, but since no on else has answered yet....

I have a small nursery, and grow many tall bearded irises in pots. I use Metro Mix 510, it's a bark based mix, and is heavier than what you would get in regular potting soil. I do not lose any of them due to weather, but do have mice or voles, or whatever chewing on them occassionally during the winter. I put them in gallon pots, and put a a tablespoon or so of fertilizer mixed in down towards the bottom of the pot. I water them when it doesn't rain during the week. I put the toe of the rhizome close to the side of the pot, so they can grow backwards, and put the roots straight down in the pot.

I put mine down slightly in the ground to winter over, but you should not have to in your area, just put the pots right tight together. If you get a lot of rainfall in the fall, and winter, you might want to tip the containers on their sides.

I grow half of mine in 12 inch containers--maybe holds about 1 gallon of soil. I planted 2 rhizomes per container in 2007. Dividing this season for the first time. Had some increases, had some mothers deteriorating with increases attached, had some decent sized rhiz. as well. I mixed the potting mix with some mushroom compost (home depot), perlite or vermiculite, a couple TBs slow release fertilizer and a tiny sprinkle of water crystals. I know they aren't supposed to be about water but after the first few months I didn't water them much at all. Most of their water was from rain or rare snow. When I was dividing I noticed that some of the roots had the gel water crystals clinging to the roots. They weren't drenched or rotting rhizomes at all. All healthy. The only issue I had was a couple of the containers had tiny ants that had made a home in the saucer of the pot and probably nibbled on the roots. Tossed all that soil, divided and did the 10% bleach rinse and I'll replant the ones I'm keeping in fresh soil. I did put small river rocks or orchid mix (bark and small rocks) on the top of the soil in the container to keep the soil from splashing out during heavy rains--not as a mulch though. The rhiz. were about 1/2 buried 1/2 exposed same as in the garden bed.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/963869

Previous discussion about potted iris.

Oh thank YoU so much!

and thanks for the link!!

Replying to a question on the linked thread, my pots were purchased at WM. They are 12"
in diameter at the top, 8 1/2" at the bottom, 10 3/4" tall and cost $2.97 each. Rated at 17
quarts. First thing, toss the bottom saucer or use it for making bird baths. I never like
standing water in the bottom of a pot.

I put about 4 inches of fine bark mulch which is rotted by nearly 75-80% into the pot first,
sprinkle about a third cup of simple 12-12-12 over it, fill the remainder with some of the
high-dollar MG potting soil, plant the iris and soak the soil with water. The fertilizer will
become activated and begin to leach down thru the mulch before the iris forms roots
long enough to touch it.

Arrange watering so the soil will be nearly dry over the winter. The plant will be dormant
and does not need water. Excess water can only cause harm to the root system.

A weird question--I have some Preen and Feed and was wondering if I could use it in the iris and daylily containers?

The pots are on my patio and the apt. yard maintainance guys don't use a grass catcher so the pots became hot messes from all the grass and weed clippings/seeds getting blown into the containers. I know it won't kill existing weeds but any new seeds it should head off before they do their thing. Just was wondering if the Preen would have an adverse effect on the iris and daylilies.

Preen and Feed is fine in containers and won't hurt irises or daylilies. I use Preen in all my containers in the nursery.

Cool! That is going to be such a big help:lol: Thanks so much for the info and fast response:)

saw some interesting pots online.
- can irises grow in bulb pots?

or do irises Need a pot that is deeper?

ok found some info - Im sure everyone else know
but its nice to share anyway:

""Container Gardening with Irises

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is whether or not iris can be successfully grown in containers. Any iris can be grown in a container temporarily. Since most perennial gardens are not renovated until late fall or early spring, planting newly purchased rhizomes in simple plastic pots is an excellent way to allow your acquisitions to start rooting in preparation for transplanting. MDB, SDB or MTB irises can be temporarily planted in 4"-5" pots although 1 gallon pots are recommended. IB, BB and TB irises can temporarily be planted in 1 gallon pots, although 2 or 3 gallon pots would be better. If you are holding Beardless Iris in pots for later transplanting, Siberian and Pacific Coast Native irises should be planted at least 1 gallon; 2 gallon pots would be better for Japanese, Louisiana or Spuria Irises. The general rule of thumb is to keep in mind that the longer the plant will need to live in a pot, the larger the pot needs to be.

When considering long term container culture, of the Bearded Irises we like to limit our recommendations to the median types (SDB, MTB, BB, IB). Miniature Dwarf Bearded (MDB) irises tend to not offer much in the way of foliage, and can be too easily crowded out when planted in a mixed planter. While the flowers are an essential part of the presentation, the sword-like foliage of iris adds a striking contrast to mixed container gardens. The lighter-weight foliage of SDB's and MTBs make these types excellent for small mixed planters. The heavier foliage of BBs and IBs will lend substance to larger mixed containers.

When considering long term container culture for Beardless Irises, Japanese and Louisiana are the best suited. Siberian iris do well also, but since their root structure can be quite dense, the maintenance required will be higher. If you choose to grow Louisiana iris in containers, be advised that they must stay moist at all times. The easiest way to do this is to set the pot in a tray that will hold water, and then keep the tray filled with water. Japanese iris are probably the easiest Beardless iris to grow in a container.

Note: iris are heavy feeders, so don't forget to add a good 5-10-10 or 10-20-20 fertilizer to the pot two or three times a year!

© 2000-2008 Leonine Iris - All Rights Reserved ""

. . .didnt know irises could be grown in a "MixedPlanter". . .

any of this sounds incorrect do let me know.
right now my knowledge is just in cut-and-paste. lol

Well I've had my Iris in a pot for about 13 years...I do change the soil and separate every few years....The pot is is at least 24 inches accross.....I gave half to my folks about 6 years ago and hers is doing fine as well....I think as long as you watch what makes the plant thrive, nearly anything can grow in pots...as renters we have no choice since I'm not willing to leave my plants behind when we move....I have a dozen roses that have grown in pots for nearly 20 years....it's about watching their appearance and don't over water which is a tendency with large pots....the plants will let you know when they need new/refreshed soil....pots also give you the opportunity to change the sun/shade/wind exposures for your plants....I move them till they thrive.....